Destination Unknown (1942) User Reviews

A rare nonhorror title in Universal's Shock Theater television package

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 6 June 2010]

This Universal wartime quickie was one of the nonhorror titles included in the SHOCK! package issued to television in the late 1950s, viewed less frequently as the years have passed. Directed in brisk fashion by serial specialist Ray Taylor, the setting is China circa 1940-41, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. German Karl Renner (Felix Basch) possesses a secret note showing the whereabouts of a cache of jewels designed to help the Chinese fight against Japan; among those seeking the hidden treasure are Elena Varnoff (Irene Hervey), Renner's former consort, and Briggs Hannon (William Gargan), aided by secret agent Secretary (Keye Luke). The villains, aside from Renner, all have disappointingly small roles, especially the excellent Turhan Bey, whose Captain Muto only shows up in the last reel. Many familiar Universal faces appear, such as Olaf Hytten, wearing Chinese makeup as the shopkeeper who helps Hannon crack the code, Edward Van Sloan, in for one sequence as one of Elena's allies, and Victor Wong, the Chinese cook in both "King Kong" and "The Son of Kong," seen aboard a train. Also familiar is Hans J. Salter's music score, almost entirely cribbed from "The Ghost of Frankenstein," released while this film was still in production. The lovely Irene Hervey easily stands out in the mostly foreign cast, and would next star in one of Universal's greatest wartime horrors, "Night Monster," opposite Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill, another SHOCK! title.

Fun B war propaganda action film doesn't let up for a minute.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 29 July 2017]

Having just seen "Bombay Clipper", a B Universal action mystery which Irene Hervey and William Gargan starred in the same year as this, I wasn't expecting other than a typical mediocre escapist adventure. This deals with the escapades of two Americans to aide the Chinese in the war with Japan and the evil machinations of Japanese spies to prevent the transfer of arms to the Chinese under any circumstance. The lifestyles and traditions of these foreign powers, both good and evil, remind me of Dracula's warning to the visiting Englishman, "Our ways are not your ways".

Like "Bombay Clipper", Hervey and Gargan exchange cracks, although it takes a while to get her to trust him. They seem more like pals than romantic interests, so the aspect of romance (fortunately secondary) isn't believable. This shows alleged tortured that the Japanese used, including foot whipping against one of their own who told Hervey secrets while drunk. The supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Turhan Bey, Keye Luke and Willie Fung, involved in the sinister antics through action that never stops.

Cheap But Adequate

[boblipton · 5/10 · 16 November 2023]

Irene Hervey is trying to track down some fabulous Russian jewels. She seems cavalier about who gets in the way, so when William Gargan, whom she knows has been trailing her for a week, deals himself in, she's annoyed. Then he double crosses her, which allows her to write him off. However, he already has the information he needs, and is on the way to Beijing, where the jewels are.

Filmed in January and released in April of 1942, this seems to be set before December 7th, 1941. It's also pretty cavalier and Gargan escaping from his cell or tracking down a machine gun. Clearly Universal wasn't putting much hope into this movie, because the director is Ray Taylor, good for serials and westerns. Still, the tangling of the plot lines is pretty good, and it looks like it might have been influenced by The Maltese Falcon, if you think that Gargan and Bogart are interchangeable. If you're not fussy, it will do for an hour of intrigue. With Sam Levene, Turhan Bey, and Keye Luke.