The Wild Wild West (TV Series) The Night the Dragon Screamed (1966) User Reviews

More Mature & Tung In Cheek With Opium Smugglers

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 19 April 2009]

Irving J Moore directs this episode which features a plot that twists more than some episodes of this series. This one is a much more mature plot than some episodes as it involves China, a Princess, and an opium smuggling ring.

It gets off to a rousing start when Arte is posing as a Chinese trying to infiltrate into one of the organizations. West is watching and when the gang exposes a Gatling gun to kill Arte & all the legitimate ones in the group, he saves Arte from a painful death.

There are several traps set in this episode. At different points both Arte & Jim are shot by Chinese blowguns. The princess turns out to be more interested in West than in being a Princess. It turns out the evil guy is a British Military guy named Smyth.

After West finally takes care of Smyth there is a little humor about Chinese food thrown in at the end. Over all this one is more mature than some episodes. Guest cast while not famous folks are good including one guy who tries to be Wests shadow after West saves his life. No one can keep up with Honorable West.

Oriental charm for Mr West

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 8 February 2019]

I guess that's not the only Chinese adventure for our hero in this series.There will be more, as far as I remember. As Bob Conrad said in the introduction, this topic smellls like the forties B productions in the Charlie Chan or Fu Manchu line, with the unavoidable Chinese torture sequence and - guess what - the most unavoidable Philip Ahn presence. Ahn who plyed in nearly every story involving Chinese community on the US territory, since the forties. The most Chinese of the US actors. But not to seem to racist towards the Chinese, the evil in chief is a pure white dude, more British than American.

The Chinese kisser princess!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 24 March 2023]

Sincerely this episode portraits a weird story over a Princess from China's province where the opium coming from to America, Jim and Artemus try infiltrate in the gang, they face two opposite clans that want use the Princess Ching Ling (Pilar Seurat) to control the province, providing an old Chinese husband enough powerful to marry her, thereby get the power to continues smuggling opium.

One clan is spearhead by an old English Colonel Clive Allenby-Smythe (Ben Wright) when the British Empire has a might sway over China, in other hand a nationalist Clan lead by the wise Quong Chu (Philip Ahn) that struggles to avoid the Princess falls into the hands of an outsider power, remaining the governance in Chinese hands, otherwise the ring of power comeback to an foreign ruler that highly harmful to China that already suffers as British colony.

Among the Chinese traps, comes a colorful character the hired knife Mo Ti (Benson Fong) Jim saves his life whereof according Chinese custom henceforth the obligor must keep with the savior for good until the debit could be payed, therefore everyone needs to eat as he says later, pleasant episode although the whole thing is too contrived and shallow, something is missing whatsoever!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.5.

A Chinese puzzle

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 4 December 2013]

There is more than a whiff of 1940's spy melodrama about Kevin De Courcey's 'The Night The Dragon Screamed'. It opens with Arte, disguised as a coolie, standing in line with others. One by one, they show off their Tong tattoos. Luckily, Arte thought to have one put on his arm. But there is a spy in their midst and, rather than try to find out who he is, the gang wipes them out with a Gatling gun. With Jim's help, Arte escapes.

Two warring Opium gangs are at work in the U.S.A. The one Arte infiltrated was the Order of the Crimson Dragon. Receiving a message in a fortune cookie, Jim heads for the House of Delights ( guess what sort of house it is ) where he is almost killed by a Tong hatchet man. After a chase, Jim is cornered - a moving wall pushes him towards a pit of spikes. Luckily, he has come prepared, carrying a tricked-up cane. The hatchet man is from the Sons of Stalking Tiger. Its leader - 'Wang Chung' ( Richard Lo ) - tells Jim that a disgraced British army officer by the name of 'Clive Allenby-Smythe' ( Ben Wright ) is planning to put a puppet Princess of the Hunan throne and thus control a fair chunk of China...

Modern audiences will probably balk at the racial stereotyping of this episode, not to mention the sight of Arte made up as a Chinaman, but if one can overlook these factors, it is a most enjoyable story, and benefits from being in monochrome. The beautiful Pilar Seurat is 'Princess Ching Ling', who fancies Jim like mad, while the action highlight is the sight of Jim surrounded by Tongs and taking them out in rapid succession as only the amazing Mr.West can.

Enjoyable episode

[robert3750 · 9/10 · 1 October 2021]

In these PC times, I'm sure that some will balk at the Chinese stereotyping in this episode, but I found it quite enjoyable. Witty, clever dialogue, fantastic shenanigans, even a joke at the end about Chinese food. And Pilar Seurat is quite delectable as the very amorous princess.