To the Ends of the Earth (1948)

After witnessing an incident on a foreign ship off California coast, a U.S. Treasury agent aboard a Coast Guard vessel decides to further investigate the matter by following a crime trail leading to China, Egypt, Lebanon and Cuba.

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Jay Richard Kennedy (original story), Jay Richard Kennedy (screenplay)

Stars:

Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Maylia

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Powell	...	Commissioner Michael Barrows
Signe Hasso	...	Ann Grant
Maylia	...	Shu Pan Wu
Ludwig Donath	...	Nicholas Sokim
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Commissioner Lum Chi Chow
Edgar Barrier	...	Grieg
John Hoyt	...	George C. Shannon
Marcel Journet	...	Commissioner Lariesier
Luis Van Rooten	...	Commissioner Alberto Berado
Fritz Leiber	...	Binda Sha
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry J. Anslinger	...	Commissioner H.J. Anslinger

Storyline

Based on the files of the United States Department of Treasury. Commissioner Michael Barrows is an American Government Agent. On board a Coast Gaurd boat off the California coast he chases a ship. The Captain of the ship, the Kira Maru, panics and ruthlessly sends 100 Chinese slaves to a watery death. Barrows recovers a live preserver that tells him the ship is out of Shanghai. He travels there to track down the ship's captain and discovers that these deaths point to a huge drug smuggling operation. In Shanghai, while searching for the captain of the Kira Maru, he becomes suspicious of a women, Ann Grant, believing she's Jean Hawks the narcotics ringleader. He follows the narcotics trail "to the ends of the Earth" taking him from Shanghai to Cairo, Beirut and Havana to stop the drugs and the jean Hawks ring at the US border.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | year 1935 | shanghai | ship | narcotics | 

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Taglines:

This is necessarily a story of violence, intrigue...and death. If portions of it shock you, remember it is based on actual incidents from hitherto secret files of the U.S. Treasury and its Bureaus of Narcotics, Customs and Coast Guard.

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Twenty Seventh Day

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Harbor, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kennedy-Buckman Pictures, Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on May 23, 1949 with Dick Powell and Signe Hasso reprising their film roles.

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Connections

Referenced in Grass (1999)

User Reviews

Good cat and mouse

In some ways, it is very much ahead of its time. In the first few minutes, you'll know you are watching a very well done movie. The scene where the slaves go overboard and it motivates Dick Powell to track down the murderer is enough to get you interested. Every time, Powell gets nearer something happens to sidetrack him. The predications about drugs and South America are extraordinary, given that over 50 years has elapsed. The way of smuggling the drugs is very clever. I recommend this movie because of its suspense and its ability to draw you into it.