Best movie of this year hands down!

Let's be realistic.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This was a great movie. I remember the garroting scene, the scene where the Japanese soldier was saying that the children will be strung up by their thumbs. The five year old boy holds up his thumbs in defiance and he is pulled back into the crowd. And, of course, "banzai yourself and see if you like it!". Unfortunately, this was one of the films destroyed to make room in a vault for new films. All negatives, and prints were destroyed. The movie will only live on in our memories. there hundreds of films destroyed including one called "Hells a popping'". this was one of the original parody films in the vein of "Airplane" or "The Naked Gun".

I also saw this movie when I was young on TV in Los Angeles. It has not shown up anywhere that I'm aware of for nearly 40 years."China's Little Devils" is a Monogram Picture. Monogram became Allied Artists in the early 50's. They were bought by Lorimar in (I believe) the 80's. The Lorimar catalog was purchased by (again, I believe) Turner Entertainment which was itself acquired by Warners. I hope I've got the "line of authority" straight! But I'm certain that Warners now owns "China's Little Devils" and hopefully we may one day see a video release of this basically forgotten gem from WWII. Warners has released other Monogram titles, so hope is there.

This story is better than the original Hollywood film "The Flying Tigers" in a couple of respects. It tells of the willingness of the Chinese people in those days to cooperate with America. The "Devils" were (as with the "Devil's Brigade" in Germany) named by the enemy they pestered. The second point is: it shows how youths in all societies, in all periods of time, and in all philosophies have been the powerful force in vanquishing an enemy of freedom. These boys, some as young as five years old, formed a very tightly bound band of saboteurs who plagued the Japanese invaders - not only by blowing up their resources. They also salvaged fuel - which was common to the war machines of both sides - and helped keep the Flying Tigers in the air in their "pursuit" against the aggressors. I enclose "pursuit" in quotes because that was the primary mission of the P-40 aircraft: The "P" stands for pursuit.

I saw this movie with my folks at the Michigan Theater in Detroit, Michigan when it came out first run. I was eight years old at the time. I remember it as being extremely exciting and have remembered it many times over the last half century+. Having come late to the internet and taped movies, I have begun a search for a copy on tape and have so far been unsuccessful.If my memory holds correct, then it would be, if not a best seller, at least worth a distributor's time and effort to tape it.There is so much trash made these days that it must be worth while to delve into some of the oldies but goodies.Thank you!