Michael Barrows (Dick Powell) goes on the trail of an opium smuggling gang. There are some big players involved in the chain and we follow Barrows through various countries including Shanghai, Egypt, Beirut and Cuba before he sets sail for New York. It is at the end of this journey that we have a surprise twist in the story and a spectacularly evil villain is revealed - one of my favourite moments.
The cast are good - Maylia who plays "Shu Pan" looks a bit like a pussy cat alien. However, she ain't no pussy. Signe Hasso who plays "Ann Grant" is an enigma throughout the film and you just know that there is something menacing lurking within Ivan Triesault who plays "Vrandstadter". The cast change quite quickly during the film and this can be confusing at the beginning.
In fact, the film is overlong and complicated with a very annoying intro that never seems to finish. Shut up and get on with the film! The beginning section is particularly confusing with all the different federal bodies and consuls that are involved. What on earth is going on and who is who? The film improves once Barrows sneaks onto the land of Binda Sha (Fritz Leiber) in search of the poppy field. You can then ride out the rest of the film which plays as a James Bond adventure and has some great ideas for smuggling drugs.
There is a harrowing scene at the beginning of the film where we see some Chinese slaves being thrown overboard tied in chains and attached to the anchor. There are other memorable scenes throughout the film, eg, the search for the poppies, the fire on the ship to New York and the final confrontation on the small police/coastguard boat. It's a good film but it's length means that it can be quite exhausting, especially if you are trying to follow matters at the beginning.
The cast are good - Maylia who plays "Shu Pan" looks a bit like a pussy cat alien. However, she ain't no pussy. Signe Hasso who plays "Ann Grant" is an enigma throughout the film and you just know that there is something menacing lurking within Ivan Triesault who plays "Vrandstadter". The cast change quite quickly during the film and this can be confusing at the beginning.
In fact, the film is overlong and complicated with a very annoying intro that never seems to finish. Shut up and get on with the film! The beginning section is particularly confusing with all the different federal bodies and consuls that are involved. What on earth is going on and who is who? The film improves once Barrows sneaks onto the land of Binda Sha (Fritz Leiber) in search of the poppy field. You can then ride out the rest of the film which plays as a James Bond adventure and has some great ideas for smuggling drugs.
There is a harrowing scene at the beginning of the film where we see some Chinese slaves being thrown overboard tied in chains and attached to the anchor. There are other memorable scenes throughout the film, eg, the search for the poppies, the fire on the ship to New York and the final confrontation on the small police/coastguard boat. It's a good film but it's length means that it can be quite exhausting, especially if you are trying to follow matters at the beginning.