Die Hölle von Macao (1967)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Directors:

James Hill
Frank Winterstein

Writers:

Harald Bloom (writer)
Brian Clemens (writer)

Release Date:

3 February 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The hunt for the Peking Medallion drew them to the deadliest city in the world!

Plot:

Spy accidentally gets an ancient treasure. Several corrupt groups try to steal it from him. |

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Beautiful Woman | Place Name In Title | Lost Treasure | Blow Torch

Cast

Elke Sommer	...	Lilly Mancini
Robert Stack	...	Cliff Wilder
Nancy Kwan	...	Tina
Werner Peters	...	Pinto
Christian Marquand	...	Jay Brandon
Maurizio Arena	...	Mancini
Richard Haller	...	Kua-Song
Hans Heyde	...	Hugo
Marisa Merlini	...	Mme. Vulcano
Ah Yue Lou	...	Chow (as Ah-Yue Lou)
Heidy Bohlen	...	Jasmine
Maria Minh	...	Choo Minh
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dusty Springfield	...	Title Song Singer
Rosemarie Stack	...	Bar Patron

Also Known As:

Hell to Macao
Il sigillo di Pechino (Italy)
Les corrompus (France)
The Corrupt Ones (USA)
The Peking Medallion (UK)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France | Italy | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

CCC-Atelier, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Absurdly fun

This movie doesn't start out too promisingly, with a claustrophobic, ho-hum fight between two guys in a boxcar (oh boy, a fight in a boxcar!). Then, during the credits, a shot of the passing train actually includes a moment where the camera wobbles quite badly. "Oh God," I thought, "what kind of low-budget boredom am I in for?" As it turns out, the movie gathers itself like a train gathering speed, becoming more splashy, ridiculous, and rollicking as it goes along. And it is perhaps not too low-budget, either--it may not be Bond, but the sets are suitably exotic and eye-catching, with a rich, velvety decadence permeating the proceedings. Robert Stack is amusingly noxious as a freelance photographer who tries to kiss every woman who is trying to steal from him or kill him. Within seconds of meeting her. In fact, if you're a woman, he's probably trying to kiss you. That would include Elke Sommer, of course, but even more notable is Nancy Kwan, who steals the movie along with her bad guy enemy/ cohort Christian Marquand (he's the plantation owner in Apocalypse Now Redux). The plot is ridiculous, the finer points are ridiculous, and the movie would not be half as entertaining were it not so. For a movie largely known for the title track, sung by Dusty Springfield, a lot more fun than I expected.