Shanghai Joe (1973)
"Il mio nome è Shangai Joe" (original title)

A Chinese immigrant, recently arrived in America, fights to free Mexican slaves from their cruel master.

Director:

Mario Caiano

Writers:

Carlo Alberto Alfieri, Mario Caiano (screenplay),

Stars:

Chen Lee, Klaus Kinski, Gordon Mitchell

Cast

Credited cast:
Chen Lee	...	Shanghai Joe / Chin Hao
Klaus Kinski	...	Scalper Jack
Gordon Mitchell	...	Burying Sam
Claudio Undari	...	Pedro, The Cannibal (as Robert Hundar)
Katsutoshi Mikuriya	...	Mikuja
Carla Romanelli	...	Cristina
Carla Mancini	...	Conchita
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart	...	Tricky the Gambler
George Wang	...	Yang
Federico Boido	...	Slim (as Rick Boyd)
Piero Lulli	...	Stanley Spencer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Aureli	...	Sheriff Corrotto
Giorgio Bixio
Lars Bloch	...	Racist
Aldo Cecconi	...	Racist

Storyline

A Chinese immigrant named Chin How lands in a small Texas town inhabited by hard-nosed cowboys who don't take kindly to outsiders. The town folk soon realize that Chin is no ordinary drifter and he quickly gains a reputation for his unbeatable fighting skills. When word of Chin's skills spread to Stanley Spencer, the owner of the states largest cattle ranch, Chin lands a job working for Spencer as a fellow cowboy. Friend soon becomes foe when Chin realizes he is working for a cattle smuggler bent on brutalising Mexican farmers and anyone else who stands in his way.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy | mexican | texas | fight | interracial kiss | 

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Taglines:

One Man Stands Alone In His Fight For Justice

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

January 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shanghai Joe

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.B.A. Produttori e Distributori Associati, Compagnia Cinematografica Champion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 94 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Gordon Mitchell's character sings "Chin-Chin Chinaman" while carrying a shovel was improvised on the spot by Mitchell. He also created the song.

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Goofs

In the scene where Shangai Joe is in the bullfighting arena, at one point a red cape for attracting the bull's attention is visible.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

User Reviews

The Fighting Fist Of Shangai Joe (Mario Caiano, 1973) **1/2

Minor, enjoyable and surprisingly violent Spaghetti Western, one of a clutch of such efforts embellished with an Oriental touch in the form of a martial-arts exponent hero (as can be gathered from the title). The film was enough of a success to boast a sequel – THE RETURN OF SHANGAI JOE (1975).

Chen Lee is the typical meek Oriental who becomes deadly when provoked; we're given plenty of opportunity to see him at work here, particularly after he falls foul of a slave trader. The latter despatches four ruthless assassins to exterminate the Chinaman – three of whom are played by well-known actors and popular Euro-Cult figures of the era: Gordon Mitchell, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart and Klaus Kinski, the other by Robert Hundar (ill-fated hero of CUT-THROATS NINE [1972], which actually preceded this viewing!). Kinski receives second-billing but his contribution lasts all of 7 minutes (and he only turns up 68 minutes into the film!).

Eventually, we learn that the title character is one of only two masters of a specific martial arts technique – so, naturally, the boss eventually calls on his equal to fight the hero! The most violent moments occur when Joe gouges the eye of one of the hired killers – a scene which surely must have inspired Quentin Tarantino for his KILL BILL (2003/4) saga – and the confrontation between the two Orientals, which involves dismembered limbs and busted torsos! As usual for films of this genre, the music score is a notable asset which is here provided by Bruno Nicolai.