Shanghai Surprise (1986)

Shanghai, 1938: A missionary woman hires a fortune hunter to help her find 1100 lbs. opium lost, as wounded need the morphine. Adventure and romance follows.

Director:

Jim Goddard

Writers:

John Kohn (screenplay), Robert Bentley (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Penn	...	Glendon Wasey
Madonna	...	Gloria Tatlock
Paul Freeman	...	Walter Faraday
Richard Griffiths	...	Willie Tuttle
Philip Sayer	...	Justin Kronk
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Joe Go
Kay Tong Lim	...	Mei Gan
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	...	Wu Ch'En She
Won Gam Bor	...	Rickshaw King
To Chee Kan	...	China Doll's Boatman

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.

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Plot Keywords:

china | year 1937 | american abroad | con artist | cameo appearance | 

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Taglines:

A romantic adventure for the dangerous at heart.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Harrison: On stage, in a white suit, in the first nightclub scene.

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Goofs

In the harbor scene when Gloria meets Glendon most ships at the back have flags of communist China that did not even exist at that time (1938).

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Quotes

Mei Gan: I'm not interested in your question, Mr. Wasey, only - your answers.

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Connections

Referenced in Critical Condition (1987)

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Soundtracks

Someplace Else
Music & Lyrics by George Harrison
Performed by George Harrison
Courtesy of Dark Horse Records & Warner Bros. Records, Inc.

User Reviews

It's actually much worse than you've heard--and that's the only surprise

In 1938 China, a pretty but prim missionary needs to find a hidden stash of smuggled opium (for medicinal purposes!) and attempts to recruit the help of a ratty-looking con-man; his latest get-rich-quick scheme is glow-in-the-dark ties! After an OK opening (without Sean Penn and Madonna), this falls completely apart, weighed down by lethargic attempts at screwball comedy and no chemistry whatsoever between the leads (then a married couple). Based on Tony Kenrick's novel "Faraday's Flowers" (a better title), this failure from George Harrison's HandMade Films must have been a devastating blow to the ex-Beatle, who also executive produced, co-wrote the score and wrote and performed the songs (which are heavy on the camp-Asian allure). Just getting through the picture is a chore, and everything about it seems eternally misjudged. NO STARS from ****

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shanghai Surprise

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$729,885, 1 September 1986

Gross USA:

$2,315,683

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,315,683

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films, The Vista Organisation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1