East of Shanghai (1931)

Believing that an unexpected inheritance will bring them happiness, a married couple instead finds their relationship strained to the breaking point.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Dale Collins (novel), Alfred Hitchcock (adaptation)

Stars:

Henry Kendall, Joan Barry, Percy Marmont

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Kendall	...	Fred Hill
Joan Barry	...	Emily Hill
Percy Marmont	...	Commander Gordon
Betty Amann	...	The Princess
Elsie Randolph	...	The Old Maid

Storyline

Fred and Emily Hill are leading a boring life in London. They receive a big inheritance by a rich relative and now they can realize all their dreams. They leave for a cruise behaving as rich people....but this is the beginning of the end. Richness makes they soon forget their love and family.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | cruise ship | deception | false identity | fraud | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alfred Hitchcock was personally blamed for the film's disastrous performance at the box office.

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Goofs

When the Princess and Fred are getting up from the lounge chairs on the boat deck, the Princess's scarf is stuck to the sequins on her dress while sitting down but in the next shot when they are standing, the scarf is hanging loose by her side.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Fred Hill: Hello Em.
Emily Hill: Hello Fred. I think you'll like me in this dress when it's done. Oh, have you broken your umbrella?

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating. All cuts were waived in 2000 when the film was granted a 'U' certificate for home video.

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Connections

Referenced in My Weekly Bond: Hitchcock Reviews: Rich and Strange (2013)

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Soundtracks

Brutality
(uncredited)
Music by Fritz Stahlberg

User Reviews

A Dark Romantic Comedy from Hitchcock's Early Years. Brief Summary

Before becoming the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock made this odd little romantic comedy that's a bit biographical. Fred Hill (Could be short for Alfred H.) and his wife Emily depart their dreary middle class life to go on a world cruise via a rich uncle. Fred gets mixed up with a sexy con artist while Emily courts a rich older man. There are a ton of Hitchcock touches (Fred is to meet the con artist in room 22. All around are references to the number 22. Fred and Em argue about each other's affairs while a Salvation Army band plays across the street, and in a truly exciting sequence, Fred and Em's ship begins to sink. The camera never leaves their stateroom (Shades of the camera never leaving the crashing plane in "Foreign Correspondent") An unusual, sometime entertaining work. A must for Hitchcock fans. Others just looking for a scary Hitchcock film to rent should go with a more familiar title

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1932 (UK)

Also Known As:

East of Shanghai

Filming Locations:

Dover, Kent, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 81 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1