West of Shanghai (1937)

Karloff is the Chinese warlord Fang, who holds a group of oilmen and missionaries hostage in a remote Chinese outpost.

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Crane Wilbur (screen play), Porter Emerson Browne (from a play by)

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Beverly Roberts, Ricardo Cortez

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Wu Yen Fang
Beverly Roberts	...	Jane Creed
Ricardo Cortez	...	Gordon Creed
Gordon Oliver	...	Jim Hallet
Sheila Bromley	...	Lola Galt
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Chow Fu-Shan
Gordon Hart	...	Dr. Abernathy
Richard Loo	...	Mr. Cheng
Chester Gan	...	Kung Nui

Storyline

Gordon Creed travels to a remote site in the Chinese back country in order to obtain rights to a great oil reserve owned by wildcatter Jim Hallet, who is in danger of losing the rights to foreclosure. Creed's estranged wife is a missionary at the same locale, and she is in love with Hallet. When a bandit/warlord named General Wu Yen Fang takes over the village, Creed tries to play his own wife off the general in an attempt to cheat Hallet out of his oil and to escape the clutches of the warlord.

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Plot Keywords:

warlord | missionary | oil | banditry | businessman | 

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Taglines:

He'll kill you on a moment's notice!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

China Bandit

Filming Locations:

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original play opened in New York on 30 September 1920.

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Quotes

Gen. Wu Yen Fang: [Introducing himself to the Westerners in the room] How do you do? I am Fang. I speak no sound bad English. I think I make you understand.
Dr. Abernathy: We understand, General. We are your prisoners.
Gen. Wu Yen Fang: No, I your guest. But please not to leave the town. It's not nice - make Fang mad.

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Connections

Version of Two-Gun Cupid (1941)

User Reviews

Good film with excellent chemistry.

I thought this was a well done movie. A group of Americans become in control of Fang, but while Fang is a killer(he decides who is good or bad), he befriends one of them because of a past experience. You become to like Boris Karloff character,General Fang. The chemistry between General Fang and Mr. Cheng is great and funny at times also. Ricardo Cortez does a good job fighting off Fang as Gordon Creed. Actually the fighting is usually with words and not action. Karloff does a great job of making this so-so movie better. I will give this film a 7.5 out of 10.