China Gate (1957)

In 1954, during the French Indochina War, an Eurasian female smuggler and a group of French Foreign Legion mercenaries, infiltrate the enemy territory in order to destroy an arms depot.

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller

Stars:

Gene Barry, Angie Dickinson, Nat 'King' Cole

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Barry	...	Sgt. Brock
Angie Dickinson	...	Lucky Legs
Nat 'King' Cole	...	Goldie
Paul Dubov	...	Capt. Caumont
Lee Van Cleef	...	Maj. Cham
George Givot	...	Cpl. Pigalle
Gerald Milton	...	Pvt. Andreades
Neyle Morrow	...	Leung
Marcel Dalio	...	Father Paul
Maurice Marsac	...	Col. De Sars
Warren Hsieh	...	The Boy
Paul Busch	...	Cpl. Kruger
James Hong	...	Charlie
Willie Soo Hoo	...	Moi Leader (as William Soo Hoo)
Walter Soo Hoo	...	Guard

Storyline

Near the end of the French phase of the Vietnam War, a group of mercenaries are recruited to travel through enemy territory to the Chinese border, to blow up an arms depot. A Eurasian smuggler, Lucky Legs, agrees to use her connections to help them, in return getting her son into America. The racist father of the boy, Sergeant Brock, is also part of the multinational group. Lucky Legs must use the love of a Eurasian guerilla leader, Major Cham, to get access to the base. Will they destroy the base, and will Brock overcome his racism before Lucky Legs makes The Ultimate Sacrifice?

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Plot Keywords:

mercenary | smuggler | indochina | french foreign legion | son | 

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Taglines:

Love and War in French Indo-China!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1957 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Gates of China

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Globe Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was never released in France because the French government at the time deemed the film's prologue too harsh towards France. The French Consul-General in Los Angeles, Romain Gary, asked producer / director Samuel Fuller to change the film's prologue but Fuller refused.

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Goofs

Film stock flipped when Lucky Legs and Sgt. Brock go into the tree house. The sniper has a left handed rifle, Sgt. Brock's knife is on the wrong side, and his watch has moved to his right wrist.

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Crazy Credits

Music by Victor Young Extended by his old friend Max Steiner

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Connections

Featured in The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (1996)

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Soundtracks

China Gate
Music by Victor Young
Lyrics Harold Adamson
Sung by Nat 'King' Cole

User Reviews

Angie Dickinson on a mission

Some fine performances from stars Angie Dickinson, Gene Barry, and Nat King Cole are really wasted in this Sam Fuller film that really hasn't worn that well over the years. History has made China Gate very obsolete, a real Cold War relic.

It's 1954 and the French Foreign Legion symbol of French Colonialism has met with humiliating defeat at Dienbienphu. Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh have taken over the north with the 17th parallel dividing the country. But they still threaten South Vietnam.

A picked group of Legionaires among them Barry and Cole get a mission to blow up a secret ammo dump with enough to start things really going in the South. Angie Dickinson who is a character out of Terry And The Pirates , a mixed racial entertainer who has some history with another mixed racial Viet Minh commander Lee Van Cleef gets to lead the troops. But Angie has more history with Barry, she was married to him and bore him a son Warren Hsieh. Because of racism rather brutally expressed by Barry he rejected her and the kid.

Still a misssion is a mission for these Legionaires soon to go to Algeria and try to keep the French in control. Let's say things get interesting for all concerned.

Racism is dealt with squarely, colonialism is not in China Gate. Nat King Cole gives a strong performance as most definitely not a Stepin Fetchit character. But it got a bit much when he says he joined the Foreign Legion because he didn't get to kill enough Commies in Korea.

Has this one not worn well.