''Yellow Cargo'' is a 1936 American

Poverty Row Poverty Row is a slang term used to refer to Hollywood films produced from the 1920s to the 1950s by small (and mostly short-lived) B movie studios. Although many of them were based on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did ...

crime film written and directed by

Crane Wilbur Crane Wilbur (November 17, 1886 – October 18, 1973) was an American writer, actor and director for stage, radio and screen. He was born in Athens, New York. Wilbur is best remembered for playing Harry Marvin in '' The Perils of Pauline''. He ...

for

Grand National Pictures Grand National Films, Inc (or Grand National Pictures, Grand National Productions and Grand National Film Distributing Co.) was an American Poverty Row motion picture production-distribution company in operation from 1936 to 1939. The company ha ...

. The film was rereleased in 1947 as ''Sinful Cargo''. Starring

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

as Alan O'Connor and producer George A. Hirliman's wife

Eleanor Hunt Eleanor Hunt (January 10, 1910 – June 12, 1981) was an American film actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1934 '' Blue Steel''. Personal life She was married to actor Rex Lease for "a few months" before their September 1931 ...

as Bobbie Reynolds, it was the first of four

G-man ''G-man'' (short for "government man", plural ''G-men'') is an American slang term for agents of the United States Government. It is especially used as a term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). ''G-man'' is also a term ...

film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are ...

; the others were ''

Navy Spy ''Navy Spy'' is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and Crane Wilbur and starring Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt and Judith Allen.Backer p.276 It was one of a series of four films featuring Nagel as a federal agent released by Gr ...

'' (1937), ''

The Gold Racket ''The Gold Racket'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and written by David S. Levy. The film stars Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt, in the third of their "G-Man" film series as well as Fuzzy Knight, Frank Milan, Jack Duffy an ...

'' (1937), and ''

Bank Alarm ''Bank Alarm'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Hunt in the last of their four film G-Man film series. Plot A G-Man (Conrad Nagel) and his girlfriend (Eleanor Hunt) follow a trail ...

'' (1937).

Plot summary

Alan O'Connor, a Federal Agent with the

Federal Bureau of Narcotics The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930, consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board a ...

is transferred to the Immigration and Naturalization Service by flying to California in a

Boeing 247 The Boeing Model 247 is an early United States airliner, and one of the first such aircraft to incorporate advances such as all-metal ( anodized aluminum) semimonocoque construction, a fully cantilevered wing, and retractable landing gear.

, His mission is to use his expertise to assist them with identifying how a dangerous gang is infiltrating Chinese illegal immigrants into the United States. He meets newspaper reporter Bobbie Reynolds and her comedy relief photographer Speedy "Bulb" Callahan who are trying to obtain an interview with the director and producer of Globe Productions, a motion picture company who has yet to make a film. As O'Connor has stage acting experience, he his goaded by Reynolds to get a role with Globe Productions. The trio discover that the film company brings twenty film extras in Chinese

theatrical makeup Theatrical makeup is makeup that is used to assist in creating the appearance of the characters that actors portray during a theater production. Background In Greek and Roman theatre, makeup was unnecessary. Actors wore various masks, allowing ...

to one of the

Channel Islands of California The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, ...

to shoot a film. Production is stopped, the extras are shipped back to the mainland by a different ship, the original boat brings back the same number of Chinese to the mainland.

Cast

as Alan O'Connor *

as Bobbie Reynolds *

Vince Barnett Vince Barnett (July 4, 1902 – August 10, 1977) was an American film actor. He appeared on stage originally before appearing in more than 230 films between 1930 and 1975. Early years Barnett was born July 4, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylva ...

as Speedy 'Bulb' Callahan *

Jack La Rue Jack La Rue (born Gaspare Biondolillo; May 3, 1902 – January 11, 1984) was an American film and stage actor. Early years The son of Sicilian immigrants Pasquale and Concetta Biondolillo, La Rue was born in New York City. His father sailed to ...

as Al Perrelli *

Claudia Dell Claudia Dell (born Claudia Dell Smith; January 10, 1910 – September 5, 1977) was an American showgirl and actress of the stage and movies. Early years Dell was born in San Antonio, Texas on January 10, 1910. She attended school in San ...

as Fay Temple *

Harry Strang Harry Strang (December 13, 1892 – April 10, 1972) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 500 films and television shows between 1929 and 1965. On Broadway, Strang appeared in ''The Girl in the Train'' (1910). Primarily a characte ...

as Joe Breeze - Bus Driver *John Ivans as District Commissioner Dietrich *Vance Carroll as Burke Darrell *Lillian Wessner as Nurse *

as Montie Brace

Production

Production of ''Yellow Cargo'' began on December 2, 1935, at the Talisman Studios in East Los Angeles.

Reception

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), ...

'' wrote the film featured "a plot that has a certain amount of freshness and pretty good entertainment pull" with other reviewers acknowledging the film's innovative story and having solid production values for a low budget film.p. 337 Schmidt, Björn A. ''Visualizing Orientalness: Chinese Immigration and Race in U.S. Motion Pictures, 1910s-1930s'' Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar, 2017

Notes

External links

* * * * 1936 films American black-and-white films 1936 romantic drama films Grand National Films films American romantic drama films 1936 crime drama films Films about illegal immigration to the United States American crime drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub