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Notes for I Was an American Spy (1951)
An opening credit title reads: "We acknowledge with appreciation the cooperation of the Department of Defense and the United States Army on the production of this picture." The film begins with an onscreen introduction by U.S. Army Commanding General Mark W. Clark who states: "You are about to witness a motion picture story of a woman who performed a magnificent service to her country under hazardous wartime conditions. In time of crisis, she recognized a call to duty and reacted as we hope all Americans will if confronted with similar circumstances. As an underground agent and civilian patriot she acquitted herself with great courage and made an important contribution to the war effort. Her actions were exemplary and reassuring-to preserve world freedom will require sacrifices and devotion to our cause on the part of every citizen. As we face the task that lies ahead, we May all derive great inspiration for the story of the deeds of this fine American woman."
As dramatized in the film, during World War II, the Japanese takeover of Bataan, Manila and the island of Corregidor in the Philippines took place in the spring of 1942. Americans returned to invade the Philippines in 1944 and regained control for the Allied forces. The book Manila Espionage, one of the sources on which the film was based, is a biographical account of Claire Phillips' wartime experiences. According to a December 27, 1950 Los Angeles Examiner article, Phillips was the only woman spy to receive the Medal of Freedom. A Los Angeles Times article of January 14, 1951 reported that at the time of the film's production, Phillips was living in Beaverton, OR, was married to a disabled veteran and supported herself by selling cosmetics door-to-door.
An article about Phillips in The Sunday Oregonian of June 17, 2001, indicated that little was known about her early life and that a distant cousin, who had been researching her life, had not even been able to establish Phillips' maiden name, or the whereabouts of her daughter. The article also provided the following information: After the war Phillips was given a home in Marlene Village, Portland OR by a local family; the U.S. government disputed the legitimacy of her marriage to John Phillips; she sued the government for $146,850, the cost of surgery and care necessary to repair injuries inflicted by the Japanese; she married Cabanatuan survivor Robert Clavier in 1948. The article also reported that Claire Phillips Clavier died in Portland in 1960, at age 52, and concluded with the statement, "Cause of death: like so many other pieces of her life, known to very few."
January 1951 Hollywood Reporter news items add Frank Ishiro Mizuo, Hideo Hokada and Jim Yagi to the cast although their appearance in the film has not been confirmed. The March 21, 1951 Daily Variety review states that captured Japanese war footage, showing Manila being bombed and evacuated, was used in this film.
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