Captain China (1950)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Lewis R. Foster

Writers:

John Bagni (story) and
Gwen Bagni (story) ...

Release Date:

2 February 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A Typhoon of Thrills!

Plot:

Charles Chinnough, aka Captain China, washed ashore off his ship during a storm, is later rescued, but is relieved of duty when his former first mate...

Plot Keywords:

China | China Sea | Hearing | Typhoon | Reef

Cast

John Payne	...	Charles S. Chinnough / Capt. China
Gail Russell	...	Kim Mitchell
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Capt. Brendensen
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Red Lynch
Edgar Bergen	...	Mr. Haasvelt
Michael O'Shea	...	Trask
Ellen Corby	...	Miss Endicott
Robert Armstrong	...	Keegan
John Qualen	...	Geech
Ilka Grüning	...	Mrs. Haasvelt
Keith Richards	...	Alberts
John Bagni	...	Sparks
Ray Hyke	...	Michaels
Walter Reed	...	Martin
Paul Hogan	...	Speer

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #13923) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Pine-Thomas Productions

A change in course for John Payne

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.