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John Payne had enjoyed a comfortable career in the 1940s playing light roles in musicals and comedies, but after passing his 35th birthday, he seemed to realize he needed to move on to other parts. "Captain China" fitted this need since it cast him in a dramatic role which had a tough edge to it. Exemplifying this change was an extended "beefcake" scene in which he appeared shirtless. Instead of the boyishly smooth chest he showed off in, say, "To the Shores of Tripoli," he now sported a patch of black hair across his pecs. So thick was this patch that, in a profile shot, it appeared to add an inch or two to his chest measurement.The movie itself also added to Payne's re-positioning as an "action" hero. He's involved in a knuckle-busting brawl with Lon Chaney jr., for example, and during the long typhoon sequence, he wrestles with surging waves, argumentative crewmen, and balky equipment.Naturally there's also a romantic element, provided by Gail Russell, though the speed at which she and Payne fall in love seems a bit extreme. Adding some lighter touches to the story are a few of Payne's fellow passengers on board the "Crosswind" -- Ellen Corby as a flighty murder-mystery writer and Edgar Bergen and Ilka Gruning as an older couple given to gentle squabbling. These passengers may remind one of those found in Rock Hudson's "Twilight of the Gods," and Ellen Corby seem to presage Angela Lansbury's role in "Death on the Nile."The typhoon scenes which fill the latter half of the movie are surprisingly impressive for a studio-bound movie filmed on a modest budget, but when all is said and done, the thing best remembered about "Captain China" is John Payne's bare torso.
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