China Venture (1953)

An American patrol was sent during World War II to the south of China which was occupied by Japanese troops with the order to rescue a prisoner of the Chinese guerilla.

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Anson Bond (story), George Worthing Yates,

Stars:

Edmond O'Brien, Barry Sullivan, Jocelyn Brando

Cast

Cast overview:
Edmond O'Brien	...	Capt. Matt Reardon
Barry Sullivan	...	Cmdr. Bert Thompson
Jocelyn Brando	...	Lt. Ellen Wilkins
Leo Gordon	...	Sgt. Hank Janowicz
Lee Strasberg	...	Patterson
Richard Loo	...	Chang Sung
Dayton Lummis	...	Dr. Masterson
Leon Askin	...	Wu King
Dabbs Greer	...	Galuppo
Alvy Moore	...	Carlson
Wong Artarne	...	Ens. Wong
Philip Ahn	...	Adm. Amara

Storyline

An American patrol was sent during World War II to the south of China which was occupied by Japanese troops with the order to rescue a prisoner of the Chinese guerilla.

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Plot Keywords:

china | world war two

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Taglines:

Washington refuses to confirm these facts but they can't deny them!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

China Bound

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"China Venture" was director Don Siegel's first film for Columbia Pictures, and all his friends warned him about Columbia's notoriously tough studio head, Harry Cohn. But Siegel found Cohn surprisingly easy to work with. "He was a pussycat compared to Jack Warner," Siegel later said.

User Reviews

Don Siegel's War

Don Siegel directs this movie about a behind-the-lines operation in World War Two China competently but not particularly interestingly, with a air of post-war anomie. An excellent cast, including an improbably present Jocelyn Brando ("Just treat me like a man") is directed for speed. Edmond O'Brien's emoting is so subtle as to be monotonous -- apparently everyone is supposed to be utterly war-weary and only surviving through sheer competence.

This sort of movie was popular in this time, with entries like EIGHT IRON MEN and a couple of movies from Sam Fuller, but Siegel can't seem to do much of interest with it.

Cinematographer Sam Leavitt tries to shoot things interesting with tight compositions and a highly mobile camera -- notice the long single take that leads off the flick. The net result is a competent but uninspiring movie that would play as the second movie in a double bill.