Three Came Home (1950) is an American World War II drama directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the 1947 memoir by Agnes Newton Keith. The film stars Claudette Colbert as Agnes, an American writer living in North Borneo whose life is shattered when the Japanese invade in 1941. Separated from her husband and imprisoned with her young son, she endures years of hardship in multiple prison camps, including the notorious Batu Lintang camp.
The story focuses on survival, dignity, and the complex humanity of both prisoners and captors — particularly in Agnes’s interactions with Colonel Suga, played by Sessue Hayakawa.
Film Details
Year: 1950
Genre: War / Drama
Director: Jean Negulesco
Screenplay: Nunnally Johnson (adaptation & production)
Based on: Three Came Home (1947 memoir) by Agnes Newton Keith
Produced by: Nunnally Johnson
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond, Sessue Hayakawa, Phyllis Morris
Cinematography: Milton R. Krasner; William H. Daniels (uncredited)
Edited by: Dorothy Spencer
Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Distributed by: 20th Century‑Fox
Release Dates:
February 20, 1950 (US)
March 27, 1950 (UK)
May 18, 1950 (Australia)
Runtime: 106 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Box Office: $1.9 million (US)
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