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Shanghai Surprise (1986)

PG-13 | | Adventure, Crime, Drama | 29 August 1986 (USA)
Shanghai Surprise Poster
Glendon Wasey is a fortune hunter looking for a fast track out of China. Gloria Tatlock is a missionary nurse seeking the curing powers of opium for her patients. Fate sets them on a hectic... See full summary »

Director:

Jim Goddard

Writers:

John Kohn (screenplay), Robert Bentley (screenplay) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

On Disc

at Amazon

1 win & 6 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 20 photos »
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Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Penn ... Glendon Wasey
Madonna ... Gloria Tatlock
Paul Freeman ... Walter Faraday
Richard Griffiths ... Willie Tuttle
Philip Sayer Philip Sayer ... Justin Kronk
Clyde Kusatsu ... Joe Go
Kay Tong Lim Kay Tong Lim ... Mei Gan
Sonserai Lee Sonserai Lee ... China Doll
Victor Wong ... Ho Chong
Professor Toru Tanaka ... Yamagani San
Michael Aldridge ... Mr. Burns
Sarah Lam ... China Doll's Maid
George She George She ... Wu Ch'En She
Won Gam Bor Won Gam Bor ... Rickshaw King
To Chee Kan To Chee Kan ... China Doll's Boatman
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Glendon Wasey is a fortune hunter looking for a fast track out of China. Gloria Tatlock is a missionary nurse seeking the curing powers of opium for her patients. Fate sets them on a hectic, exotic, and even romantic quest for stolen drugs. But they are up against every thug and smuggler in Shangai. Written by Mehmet Karaca <mkaraca@ibm.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

china | year 1937 | opium | shanghai china | city name in title | See All (54) »

Taglines:

A romantic adventure for the dangerous at heart.

Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1986 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Aventuras en Shanghai See more »

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China See more »
Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$719,885, 1 September 1986, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,315,683
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films,The Vista Organisation See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Allmovie, "one [film] critic termed [the movie] 'Flop Suey'." See more »

Goofs

During the bathhouse scene Justin tells Glendon that the Chinese use tomato juice to remove the stench of skunks. Of course there are no skunks in China. Skunks live only in North America. See more »

Quotes

[first title card]
Title Card: Shanghai 1937
Title Card: The Year of the Japanese Occupation
See more »

Connections

Featured in I Love 'Shanghai Surprise'! (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Hottest gong in town
Music & Lyrics by George Harrison
Arranged by John Du Prez
Performed by The Zig Zaggers
Courtesy of Dark Horse Records & Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
See more »

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User Reviews

Terrible!
18 May 2001 | by paulieeuk – See all my reviews

Believe me this film is awful. Now I am a BIG Madonna fan and I have tried, out of duty, to watch and enjoy this film, but I can find no redeeming quality. The script is terrible, the direction is misguided, the acting dire...need I go on?

I didn't even get as far as enjoying it, I have never seen it all the way through. Sorry Madonna, but as I am sure you know, this is a stinker!
14 of 23 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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