''Peking Express'' is a 1951 American

film-noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarde ...

crime thriller Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

action adventure film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include lif ...

made by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. It is the second

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of Paramount's earlier '' Shanghai Express'' (1932), remade as ''

Night Plane from Chungking ''Night Plane from Chungking'' (also known as ''China Pass'' and ''Sky Over China'') is a 1943 American war film released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Ralph Murphy, and produced by Michael Kraike and Walter MacEwen from a screenplay by Le ...

'' (1943) and the first film to be set in the newly emerged

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

(PRC). It was directed by

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

and produced by

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...

, from a

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

John Meredyth Lucas John Meredyth Lucas (May 1, 1919 – October 19, 2002) was an American Television writer, writer, Television director, director and Television producer, producer, primarily for television. Career Son of screenwriter Bess Meredyth and writer/dir ...

, based on the original screenplay by

Jules Furthman Jules Furthman (March 5, 1888 – September 22, 1966) was an American magazine and newspaper writer before working as a screenwriter. Biography Furthman was born in Chicago. His brother was the writer Charles Furthman. During World War I he wr ...

and

Harry Hervey Harry Hervey (November 5, 1900 – August 12, 1951) was one of the most highly sought screenplay writers of the first half of the 20th century, praised by critics of literature, stage and screen. Early life Harry Hervey was born on November 5, 19 ...

. The film stars

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and ''Sabr ...

Corinne Calvet Corinne Calvet (April 30, 1925 – June 23, 2001), born Corinne Dibos, was a French actress who appeared mostly in American films. According to one obituary, she was promoted "as a combination of Dietrich and Rita Hayworth", but her person ...

and

Edmund Gwenn Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won th ...

with

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

. ''Peking Express'' is notable for its production values. The music score was composed by

Dimitri Tiomkin Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (, ; May 10, 1894 – November 11, 1979) was a Russian-born American film composer and conductor. Classically trained in St. Petersburg, Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution, he moved to Berlin and then New York City ...

, the cinematography was by

Charles Lang Charles Bryant Lang Jr., A.S.C. (March 27, 1902, Bluff, Utah – April 3, 1998, Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situat ...

, the art direction by Franz Bachelin and

Hal Pereira Hal Pereira (April 29, 1905 – December 17, 1983) was an American art director, production designer, and occasional architect. Pereira was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Sarah (Friedberg) and Saul Pereira. In the 1940s through the 1960s ...

and the costume design by

Edith Head Edith Head (October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design between 1949 and 1973, making her the most awarded woman in the Academy's history. Head is consi ...

Plot

Doctor Michael Bachlin (

), is in Shanghai investigating a missing shipment of medical supplies for the United Nation's World Health Organization. He must travel to Peking on the express train with other passengers, Father Joseph Murray (

), and Kwon (

), a mysterious businessman. Just before the train leaves, Kwon's son, Ti Shen (Robert W. Lee), attempts to board, but his mother, Li Eiu (

Soo Yong Soo Yong, (, originally Young Hee (楊喜); October 31, 1903 – October 29, 1984) was a Chinese-American actress. She acted in twenty-three Hollywood films and numerous television shows, mostly in supporting roles. Among them were '' The Good ...

), has him arrested by Nationalist agents, before boarding the train herself. Another passenger is

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

and former lover, Danielle Grenier (

) who Michael met earlier in Paris. Kwon invites her and Michael to join him in the dining car. Father Murray gets into an argument with a reporter, Wong (

Benson Fong Benson Fong (Chinese: ; October 10, 1916 – August 1, 1987) was an American character actor. Born in Sacramento, California, Fong was from a mercantile family of Chinese extraction. After graduating from high school in Sacramento, he studied ...

), an ardent Communist who also clashes with Michael. Danielle tells Michael after they broke up, she married but her husband died a year after. Li Eiu who shares Danielle's compartment is found beaten by her husband. The next day, when the train stops to pick up soldiers, Kwon passes a message to a vendor. Michael wants to resume their romance but Danielle hesitates, saying she has been involve with too many others. Li Eiu is discovered with a knife wound, although Kwon claims she attempted suicide, but Michael is suspicious after seeing her beating. Forced to halt by a blocked rail line, the train is attacked by counter-revolutionary forces with the soldiers on board surrendering, but summarily shot. Michael, Danielle, Murphy and Wong learn Kwon is the attackers' leader who has the passengers driven to a nearby farm house. Kwon, once a Communist, now deals in the black market, including stealing precious medical supplies Michael is trying to recover. Kwon knows Michael is going to Peking to treat a high-ranking general. Kwon forces Michael to contact Peking offering to release the train and its passengers in exchange for this son being freed. Michael arranges for Kwon's son to be flown to the farm hideout. Complicating matters, Danielle confesses to Michael she was a spy and her late husband was a Communist. The arrangement for release of the hostage and train is dependent on Peking bringing Ti Shen, without the aircraft being following to Kwon's base. When Wong confronts Kwon about his treachery, the reporter is tortured with his hands burned with a poker. After Ti Shen arrives, the pilot radios Peking that he will leave at dawn with Michael, but Kwon shoots and kills the pilot, reneging on the deal. Michael treats Wong's wounds, and tells Ti Shen his father has tried to kill his mother who has been frightened by her husband's actions and his influence over Ti Shen. Kwon wants Danielle for himself, sending Michael and Father Murray back to the train. Li Eiu confronts her husband, stabbing Kwon, before succumbing to her own wounds. Before dying, she begs her son to help Michael and the others escape. Under guard by Father Murray, Michael brings Ti Shen with him and tries to find Danielle, who has already returned to the farmhouse. Michael ties up Ti Shen, returns to Kwon's base, shooting two guards and taking Danielle away. At the train, Wong joins two soldiers in a jeep, and throws a hand grenade, which wounds Father Murray. Michael returns fire with a machine gun, killing the attackers. As the train gathers speed, more soldiers are in pursuit, but Ti Shen decides to help Michael, firing at the soldiers but is shot. As he dies, he reveals where the stolen medicine shipment can be found. Michael, Danielle and Father Murray are finally able to make good their escape.

Cast

as Michael Bachlin *

as Danielle Grenier *

as Father Joseph Murray *

as Kwon *

as Wong *

as Li Eiu * Robert W. Lee as Ti Shen * Gregory Gay as Stanislaus * Victor Sen Yung as Chinese captain * Harold Fong as Ticket clerk * Peter Chong as Restaurant car steward * Eddie Lee as Chinese policeman * Beal Wong as Chinese pilot * Leon M. Lontok as Chinese boatman * Lane Nakano as Driver of jeep * George T. Lee as Soldier * Walter Ng as Soldier * Wing Foo as Soldier * Alfredo Santos as Guard * Wei Fan Hsueh as Officer assistant to Kwon * James B. Leong as Train conductor * Jung Lim as Train porter * Rollin Moriyama as Chinese priest * Si Lan Chen as Old woman * Gregory Merims as Russian plainclothesman * William Yip as Chinese nationalist * Hom Wing Gim as Chinese mess boy * Weaver Levy as Chinese officer

Production

''Peking Express'', a remake of Paramount's ''Shanghai Express'' credited

for his story and adaptor Jules Furthman on both films. A pre-production news release December 25, 1950 states that the film was also based on screenwriter John Lucas' "original story". An April 1951 item in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' claimed ''Peking Express'' was the first

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

film, "laid in Communist China." Charlton Heston was originally announced as a co-star for Corinne Calvet. Heston was just beginning to take on leading roles while Joseph Cotten was alternating between supporting and leading roles during this period. "Modern sources claim that exterior train footage from ''Shanghai Express'' was reused in ''Peking Express''.""Notes: 'Peking Express' (1951)."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: January 7, 2016. Principal photography took place from late February to late March 1951.

Reception

''Peking Express'' was reviewed in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. The review stated, "... An excellent coating of intrigue and action against an Oriental background provides Peking Express with enough thriller melodramatics to satisfy action-minded audiences.""Review: 'Peking Express'."
''Variety'', December 31, 1950. Retrieved: January 7, 2016. In a November 1952 ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' news item, ''Peking Express'' was withdrawn from exhibition in India, after China protested.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Maltin, Leonard. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia''. New York: Dutton, 1994. .

External links

* * * * {{William Dieterle 1951 films 1951 adventure films 1951 drama films American black-and-white films Cold War films Remakes of American films Films scored by Dimitri Tiomkin Films directed by William Dieterle Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films set in China Paramount Pictures films Rail transport films Films with screenplays by Jules Furthman 1950s English-language films