IMDb > Shanghai Express (1932)
Shanghai Express
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Shanghai Express (1932) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   1,626 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Harry Hervey (story)
Jules Furthman (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Shanghai Express on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 February 1932 (USA) more
Plot:
Many passengers on the Shanghai Express are more concerned that the notorious Shanghai Lil is on board... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations more
User Comments:
Simply Breathtaking! more (29 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Marlene Dietrich ... Shanghai Lily, aka Magdalen
Clive Brook ... Captain Donald 'Doc' Harvey
Anna May Wong ... Hui Fei
Warner Oland ... Mr. Henry Chang
Eugene Pallette ... Sam Salt
Lawrence Grant ... Reverend Mr. Carmichael
Louise Closser Hale ... Mrs. Haggerty
Gustav von Seyffertitz ... Eric Baum
Emile Chautard ... Major Lenard
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #1390-R, 31 August 1935 for re-release)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In her autobiography, Marlene Dietrich claimed that von Sternberg directed most of the cinematography, instead of Lee Garmes (who actually won an Oscar for his work on the film). more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The film is set in northern China (Peking to Shanghai). The government and warlord soldiers are speaking Cantonese, which is a southern Chinese dialect not generally spoken in northern China. The northern dialects of Mandarin Chinese (a Beijing dialect) and/or Shanghainese would be spoken instead. more
Quotes:
Reverend Mr. Carmichael: Love without faith, like religion without faith, doesn't amount to very much. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
Simply Breathtaking!, 8 October 2006
10/10
Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States

Jozef Von Sternberg was one of those legendary directors. Marlena Dietrich who is better known for other roles is one of the leading roles in this film. They are all on a train going to Shanghai, China in a time when it was fashionable to take the train on overnight trips. Anyway, she is the "femme fatale" of all time even now. Marlena along with many other travelers that are quite forgettable. I think there was a lady with a dog but I can't be sure since I haven't seen the film in years. This film is an early classic from a time when film-making was new, fresh, and exciting. Now, it's all violence, sex, and vulgarity. Can you imagine somebody like Marlena being an actress today without losing that unforgettable mystique about her? No, you can't because they don't have actresses today who have managed to maintain any sense of mystery without being penalized by the Hollywood system. It's a shame that most of old Hollywood is gone.

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