Three Came Home (1950)

59% of users liked it
(824 ratings)

Based on the autobiographical book by Agnes Newton Keith, Three Came Home stars Claudette Colbert as Mrs. Keith. Trapped in Borneo during the Japanese invasion, Mrs. Keith and her British husband (Patric Knowles) are penned up in a prison camp along with several other subjects. Despite the… More Based on the autobiographical book by Agnes Newton Keith, Three Came Home stars Claudette Colbert as Mrs. Keith. Trapped in Borneo during the Japanese invasion, Mrs. Keith and her British husband (Patric Knowles) are penned up in a prison camp along with several other subjects. Despite the humanitarian views of camp commander Col. Suga (Sessue Hayakawa), Mrs. Keith is subject to torture, starvation, and humiliation at the hands of the guards, with Suga helpless to intervene lest he incur the wrath of his own superiors. Three Came Home contains several unforgettable moments, including a comic interlude between the male and female prisoners that ends abruptly with a barrage of Japanese bullets, and the heartwrenching scene wherein Suga learns that his family has been killed in a bombing raid. Since lapsing into the public domain in 1977, Three Came Home has popped up innumerable times on cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Jean Negulesco
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Feb 20, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Apr 16, 2002

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Claudette Colbert gives an extremely powerful performance in this well-directed WWII prison drama, based on the memoirs of American writer Agnes Newton Keith.
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The depiction of Japanese soldiers is often harsh, but somewhat nuanced considering the era. At least there are none wearing Coke-bottle glasses and speaking English in a racist patter.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Harrowing war tale.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Even in the midst of a Japanese concentration camp, Claudette Colbert's poise and class shines through. What an amazing, beautiful human being.
xGary X

Sensitive and humane portaryal of life in a Japanese women's prisoner of war camp with a great sense of location and a very moving performance by Sessue Hayakawa as the commandant. (A role he would reprise in David Lean's Bridge On the River Kwai)

Cast

            Claudette Colbert as Agnes Keith

            Patric Knowles as Harry Keith

            Sessue Hayakawa as Col. Suga

            Florence Desmond as Betty Sommers

            Sylvia Andrew as Henrietta

            Phyllis Morris as Sister Rose

            Howard Chuman as Lieutenant Nekata

            Drue Mallory as Women Prisoner

            Mimi Heyworth as Woman prisoner

            Helen Westcott as Women Prisoner

            John Burton as Elderly resident

            Campbell Copelin as English radio announcer

            Leslie Denison as English Radio Announcer

            Alex Frazer as Dr. Bandy

            Clarke Gordon as Australian POW

            Robin Hughes as Australian POW

            Virginia Kelly
            
            Mark Kenning as George

            George Leigh as Australian Prisoner of War

            James Logan as Australian POW

            Lee MacGregor as Sailor

            Harry Martin as Australian POW

            Pat O'Moore as Australian POW

            Melinda Plowman as English girl

            Duncan Richardson as English boy

            Douglas Walton as Australian POW

            Patrick Whyte as Englishman

            Leonard Willey as Governor General

            John Mantley as Australian POW

            Sun Li as Wilfred

            Mark Keuning
            
            Sung Li
            
See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started

Three Came Home (1950)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

xGary X

Cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!