HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Shanghai Express'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film about a group of train passengers held hostage by a warlord during the Chinese Civil War. It was directed by Josef von Sternberg and stars Marlene Dietrich,
Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the United States ...
,
Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain interna ...
and
Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...
. The screenplay was written 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 w ...
based on a 1931 short story by
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 ...
. ''Shanghai Express'' was the fourth of seven films that Sternberg and Dietrich created together. The film was released during the midst of the Great Depression. It was 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 Les ...
'' (1943) and ''
Peking Express ''Peking Express'' is a Dutch–Flemish reality game show that follows a series of couples as they hitchhike to or from Beijing (only in the first three seasons; seasons four and five are set in South America). The series has already gone throu ...
'' (1951).


Plot

In 1931, China is embroiled in a civil war. Friends of British captain Donald "Doc" Harvey envy him because the fabulously notorious Shanghai Lily is a fellow passenger on the express train that he is taking from Peking to Shanghai. Because the name means nothing to him, they inform him that she is a "coaster" or "woman who lives by her wits along the China coast," in other words, a
courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or othe ...
. On the journey, Harvey encounters Lily, who is his former lover Madeline. Five years earlier, she had played a trick on him to gauge his love for her, but it backfired, and he left her. She informs him frankly that in the interim, "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." Lily clarifies that she still cares deeply for him, and it is apparent that his feelings also have not changed when she inadvertently sees a watch that she had given him with her photograph still in it. Among the other passengers in first class are fellow coaster Hui Fei, Christian missionary Mr. Carmichael (who initially condemns the two "fallen women"), inveterate gambler Sam Salt, opium dealer Eric Baum; boarding-house keeper Mrs. Haggerty , French officer Major Lenard and a mysterious
Eurasian Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipela ...
, Henry Chang. At a scheduled stop, Chinese government soldiers empty the train to check passports and apprehend a high-ranking rebel agent. Chang sends a coded message at the telegraph office. Later, the train is stopped and commandeered by the rebel army and its powerful warlord, who is Chang. He begins to question the first-class passengers, looking for someone important enough whom the government will trade for his valued aide. He selects Harvey, who is traveling to perform brain surgery on the governor-general of Shanghai. While he is waiting for his aide to be brought to him, Chang talks with Shanghai Lily and offers to take her to his palace. She declines, claiming that she has reformed. When Chang refuses to accept her answer, Harvey breaks in and knocks him down. Because Chang needs Harvey alive, he does not retaliate immediately, but he does not forget the insult. He leaves Lily's room and has Hui Fei brought to his quarters, where he forces himself on her. Lily is taken back to the train and stays awake all night praying for Harvey. When Chang's man arrives, Chang reveals to Lily that he has decided to blind Harvey for his insolence before releasing him. Out of love, she offers herself to Chang in exchange for Harvey's safety. Harvey is released unharmed, unaware of the danger that he was facing or of Lily's reason for going with Chang. Hui Fei sneaks into Chang's quarters and stabs him to death while he is packing to leave. She informs Harvey about what she has done and tells him to retrieve Lily. He rescues her before the body is discovered, and the train departs. The missionary Carmichael, trusting his instincts, coaxes Lily to reveal the truth about how she had saved Harvey. She insists that he not tell Harvey because she feels that there must be faith for there to be love, and he agrees, telling Harvey only that he knows Lily is a very good person. The train finally reaches Shanghai, and the passengers disperse. Harvey finds Lily and asks her for a new start and to forgive him for his lack of faith. She apologizes for withholding information from him and says that she has always loved him and will forever. They kiss amidst the bustle of the train station.


Cast

* Marlene Dietrich as Shanghai Lily / Madeline *
Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the United States ...
as Captain Donald "Doc" Harvey *
Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain interna ...
as Hui Fei *
Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...
as Henry Chang * Lawrence Grant as Reverend Carmichael * Eugene Pallette as Sam Salt *
Gustav von Seyffertitz Gustav von Seyffertitz (4 August 1862 – 25 December 1943) was a German film actor and director. He settled in the United States. He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria, and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81. Biography Gustav von Seyffert ...
as Eric Baum * Louise Closser Hale as Mrs. Haggerty *
Émile Chautard Émile Chautard (7 September 1864 – 24 April 1934) was a French-American film director, actor, and screenwriter, most active in the silent era. He directed more than 100 films between 1910 and 1924. He also appeared in more than 60 films ...
as Major Lenard


Production

''Shanghai Express'' is based on Henry Hervey's story "Sky Over China" (also known as "China Pass"), which was loosely based on the
Lincheng Incident The Lincheng Outrage, also known as the Lincheng Incident (), refers to the seizure of the luxury "Blue Express" train traveling between Shanghai and Beijing and the taking of over 300 hostages by bandits near the town of Lincheng County (present-da ...
that occurred on May 6, 1923, in which a Shandong warlord captured the Shanghai-to-Beijing express train and took 25 Westerners, including
Lucy Aldrich Lucy Truman Aldrich (October 23, 1869 – January 12, 1955) was a philanthropist and art collector who was the eldest daughter of U.S. Senator Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island. Biography Lucy was born in Providence, Rhode Island on October 2 ...
, and 300 Chinese people hostage. All of the hostages were successfully ransomed.French 2006 Nozinski 1990 The story also echoes elements of Guy de Maupassant's short story "
Boule de Suif Boule may refer to: ;Ball games * Boules, a collective term for games involving players throwing balls at a smaller target ball ** Pétanque, a common variety originating in France and sometimes loosely called "boules" in English ** Boule Lyonnais ...
" in that it consists of travelers stopped in a country at war and a woman is forced into intimate relations with the commander in charge. However, the denouement differs; in Maupassant's story, the woman does not murder the commander. Paramount studio heads were concerned that the
Hays Office The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
kept a close watch on the film for its portrayal of Reverend Carmichael and the depiction of the Chinese revolution. Although set in China, few Chinese actors appear in the film. ''Shanghai Express'' film was in production from August to November 1931 and was released the following year.


Reception

The film was praised by Mordaunt Hall of '' The New York Times'' as a star vehicle for Marlene Dietrich: "Miss Dietrich gives an impressive performance. She is langourous but fearless as Lily." He also singled out other characters: "Clive Brooks's performance is also noteworthy...Warner Oland is excellent as Mr. Chang and
Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain interna ...
makes the most of the role of the brave Chinese girl. Eugene Pallette serves splendidly as Sam Salt." Jonathan Spence, writing about the film's usefulness as a piece of history, feels that the real 1923 Lincheng Incident was far more dramatic, but says that ''Shanghai Express'' is nonetheless this is "a wonderful film, with great performances by Dietrich ... and Anna May Wong." The critic for '' Senses of Cinema'' called ''Shanghai Express'' a "riotous exercise in excess in every area; the visuals are overpowering and sumptuous; the costumes ornate and extravagant; the sets a riot of fabrics, light and space; and all of it captured in the most delectable black-and-white cinematography that one can find anywhere." He discusses the film's interest in the questions of race and colonialism and notes the "peculiar bifurcation" of the film's view of race, as most of the respectable "white" characters in the film are seen as both flawed and racist. Only Dietrich, Wong, and, to some extent, "Doc" Harvey have any "real moral agency." He calls the film "surprisingly feminist," with Dietrich being a "strong, dominating presence" and Wong's character her equal. ''Shanghai Express'' is memorable for its stylistic black-and-white
chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...
cinematography. Even though
Lee Garmes Lee Garmes, A.S.C. (May 27, 1898 – August 31, 1978) was an American cinematographer. During his career, he worked with directors Howard Hawks, Max Ophüls, Josef von Sternberg, Alfred Hitchcock, King Vidor, Nicholas Ray and Henry Hathaway, whom ...
was awarded the
Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) ...
, according to Dietrich, it was von Sternberg who was responsible for most of it.Landazuri, Margarita
"Shanghai Express."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: July 2, 2015.
The film was a box office success grossing $800,000 in rentals the USA and Canada and $1.5 million altogether in worldwide rentals.


Awards and honors


References


Bibliography

* * French, Paul. ''Carl Crow, a Tough Old China Hand: The Life, Times, and Adventures of an American in Shanghai''. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006. . * Leong, Karen J. ''The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong, and the Transformation of American Orientalism''. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2005. . * Liu, Cynthia W. "When Dragon Ladies Die, Do They Come Back as Butterflies? Re-imagining Anna May Wong." ''Countervisions: Asian American Film Criticism''. Hamamoto, Darrel and Sandra Liu, (editors). Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2000, pp. 23–39. . * Nozinski, Michael J. ''Outrage at Lincheng: China Enters the Twentieth Century''. Centennial, Colorado: Glenbridge Publishing Ltd., 1990. . *


External links

* * * *
''Shanghai Express''
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Shanghai Express (Film) 1932 films 1932 romantic drama films American black-and-white films American romantic drama films Films directed by Josef von Sternberg Films set in 1931 Films set in China Films set in Shanghai Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award Films with screenplays by Jules Furthman Paramount Pictures films Rail transport films Films based on Boule de Suif 1930s English-language films 1930s American films