Movies about China and Chinese -- Which I Remembered Right Away

For more than two years now, a friend of mine and I have been waiting for the latest John Cusack movie, "Shanghai," which was shot back in 2008, but only now finally got its release (the featurette accompanying this article is worthy of attention, as it gives a glimpse of the final production; there were also some posters released). Waiting for this movie to come to Russia (in theaters or on DVDs), I decided to remember some other films which feature China and Chinese people. This post is dedicated to another friend of mine, K.F., who currently lives in Shanghai. I will not review the movies, just give some impressions which live with me despite the fact that I watched most of these pictures a few years ago.

Shanghai Express (1932)

Dir. Josef von Sternberg. Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, Eugene Pallette.

I do not remember this film very well, with the exception of the fact that the cinematography impressed me immensely when I watched it some two or three years ago. I do not like Ms. Dietrich, and this film is too much focussed on her. The depiction of the Chinese is rather cursory, and not very favorable. I would say that, apart from the cinematography, art design and direction, I'd recommend this movie for the colorful array of its supporting characters and actors.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)

Dir. Frank Capra. Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Walter Connolly.

This is one of my most favorite movies of all times, and I simply adore pre-Code Barbara Stanwyck (as I adore pre-Code Joan Crawford). One can wonder how a Swedish actor, Mr. Asther, could so aptly portray the mysterious and fascinating Chinese general, but he did, and huge kudos to him through the decades. A most wonderful movie in every respect.

The General Died at Dawn (1936)

Dir. Lewis Milestone. Starring: Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll, Akim Tamiroff, Dudley Digges, Porter Hall.

Another movie that I like immensely, and for several reasons: Gary Cooper, who is my most favorite actor; Lewis Milestone, who is one of my most favorite directors (his special technique of merging two scenes by a "hook" is present here, like in his other films; for instance, a billiard ball in one shot transforms into a similarly-looking door-knob in the next); pouring rain (like in many other Milestone's movies) -- and I like rain in movies; Akim Tamiroff's performance (he played Gen. Yang -- maybe the namesake for Nils Asther's character?) for which he was Oscar-nominated as a best supporting actor. Notwithstanding the general opinion, I prefer this movie to "Shanghai Express" mentioned above. Here we have much more action and a more significant message than in "ShE," which is by and large a love story.

The Shanghai Gesture (1941)

Dir. Josef von Sternberg. Starring: Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Victor Mature, Ona Munson, Maria Ouspenskaya.

There probably never have been a more decadent-looking movie in the whole history of Hollywood. After "ShE," Von Sternberg returned to his favorite city. The lavish production, the "smokey" cinematography, even the costumes emphasize the decadence, and the actors, through their outstanding performances, deliver this feeling of the mysterious city, and the decline and even the decay of the life of personages that are alien to it. Cruel and irresistible, this film will not fail to impress even a casual viewer of today.

55 Days at Peking (1963)

Dir. Nicholas Ray. Starring: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven, Flora Robson.

An epic movie (it's a description of the genre, not a qualifier) directed by one of the best Hollywood directors, who made a few exceptional noirs in the 1940s. For those who like epics and large-scale productions (as I do), this will be an enjoyable experience. Set during the Boxer rebellion, the film takes the characters through unbelievable adventures in and out of the embassy compound.

There are two films devoted to the service of missionary priests in China: The Keys of the Kingdom (1944, starring a very young Gregory Peck) and Satan Never Sleeps (1962). I watched the first (though I do not remember it very well), but I never saw the second (and I want to very much, because it stars William Holden, one of my favorite actors, and it's the last film of Clifton Webb whom I greatly respect as an actor). Maybe when I do, it will be interesting to compare the two. Speaking about movies from the 1940s, I remember that in "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) Tracy Lord (portrayed by Katharine Hepburn) recalls a Chinese poet who drowned when trying to reach for the moon reflected in the river. (I came across this reference once again recently, but, helas, no longer remember where.) And I just came across a magnificent post about a movie in which Katharine Hepburn plays none other than... a Chinese character!!! Go here and find out for yourself -- most astonishing!!!

I could not remember any China-related movies of the 1950s.

It's Hard to Imagine... But He Pulled It Off

Just a few snippets showing the versatility of the actors I love.

It is hard to imagine...
Gary Cooper with kids.
But he (kinda) pulled it off
in “Now and Forever” (1934).

It is hard to imagine...
Bob Mitchum with a glass of milk.
But he pulled it off
in “His Kind of Woman” (1951).

It is hard to imagine...
Jimmy Stewart as a baddie.
But he (kinda) pulled it off
In “Vertigo” (1958).

It is hard to imagine...
Henry Fonda as a clumsy nerd.
But he pulled it off
In “The Lady Eve” (1941).

It is hard to imagine...
Cary Grant riding a horse.
But he pulled it off (twice!)
in “Gunga Din” (1939) and “Notorious” (1946).

It is hard to imagine...
Bill Holden in clerical garb.
But (hopefully) he pulled it off
in “Satan Never Sleeps” (1962) – I have yet to see it.

It is hard to imagine...
Van Heflin in high society.
I don’t know of any movie where he is in one. But I’d love to see him pull this off.

It is hard to imagine...
Chuck Heston in a love scene.
But he pulled it off
in “Ben-Hur” (1959).

It is hard to imagine...
Edward G. Robinson as a non-shady character.
But he pulled it off
in “Double Indemnity” (1944).

It is hard to imagine...
Burt Lancaster as a scared simpleton.
But he pulled it off (twice!)
in “The Killers” (1946) and “Criss Cross” (1949).

It is hard to imagine...
Humphrey Bogart dancing.
But he pulled it off (three times!)
in “Sabrina” (1954).

It is hard to imagine...
Dana Andrews in the kitchen
But he pulled it off
in “Laura” (1944).

It is hard to imagine...
Tyrone Power being rude to a woman and still retaining his charm.
But he pulled it off
in “The Black Swan” (1942).

It is hard to imagine...
Gregory Peck in a fist fight.
But he pulled it off (many times!) 
in “Yellow Sky” (1948) and “The Big Country” (1958).

Out of Place: Men in the Kitchen 

One of the greatest delights I find in old movies is watching everyday situations turned upside down. This is why I adore screwball comedies. But one can come across most unusual setups in the most serious films, even in dramas. Today I will cover male presence in the kitchen. “Don’t tell anyone how tied I am to your apron strings,” says Burt Lancaster’s character J.J. Hunsecker to his sister in “Sweet Smell of Success” (1957). To him it is just a metaphor, but there WERE men who were not afraid to tie real apron strings around themselves! I will feature some brave ones who dropped into kitchens not just to eat, and I will grade their behavior according to my own criteria: overall class, banter with onscreen partners, complexity of the dish, environment, etc.

1. Van Heflin in “East Side, West Side” (1949)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook an Italian dish (eggs with mushrooms and onions) +1
* For whom he cooked: for a lady — Barbara Stanwyck +1; but she was someone else’s lady -1
* In whose house he cooked: not his own, but he was quite at home there +1
* Banter during cooking: +1
* Overall class: +5 (after all, he’s Van Heflin who could do affable like nobody else!)
* Bonus: +10 (he actually wore an apron!)
Total: 18
2. Jack Lemmon in “The Apartment” (1960)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook an Italian dish +1; but it’s just plain spaghetti -1
* For whom he cooked: for a lady — Shirley McLane +1; but she was someone else’s lady -1
* In whose house he cooked: his own, and he did not feel quite at home there! 0
* Banter during cooking: +1
* Overall class: -1 (using a badminton racket for a drainer!)
Total: 0
3. Robert Mitchum in “The River of No Return” (1954)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook some domestic fare 0; but later he cooked wild deer! +10
* For whom: for a kid +1, a man +1 and a lady — Marilyn Monroe +10 (just because he got to cook for Marilyn Monroe); although she was someone else’s lady, he wasn’t trying to entice her with his cooking, so he doesn’t get a point subtracted; later he fed two more men +2
* In whose house he cooked: his own 0; later he had to cook during the journey on a raft, in rough conditions, without any kitchen appliances +10
* Banter during cooking: +1
* Class: +10 (Mitch looks cool in any surroundings)
Total: 45
4. William Bendix and another mafia henchman, Eddie Marr, in “The Glass Key” (1941)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook a steak +1
* For whom: for themselves 0; they did not get to eat it -1; they never thought of giving a bite to poor Alan Ladd who was in their captivity -10
* In whose house they cooked: some hideout -1
* Banter during cooking: +10 (Eddie Marr uttered a very cute phrase, one of my faves from ol’ movies: “My first wife was the second cook at a third-rate joint on 4th Street.”)
* Overall class: -10 (they spoiled the food)
Total: -11
5. Vincent Price in “Laura” (1944)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to wash the coat -1
* Knowing the cook: +1
* In whose house it was: in someone else’s, and he was perfectly at home there +1
* Banter: +1
* Bonus: he gets to eat chicken livers +1
* Overall class: +1
Total: 4
6. Dana Andrews in “Laura” (1944)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook breakfast +1; intention never materialized -1
* For whom: for a lady (Gene Tierney) +1; not his own (yet) -1
* In whose house it was: in someone else’s, and he was wasn’t in the least bit awkward there +1
* Banter: +1
* Overall class: +10 (Dana!)
...and in “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) — it wasn’t exactly kitchen, but still Dana was to serve some food
* What he served: ice-cream +1
* For whom: for a customer +1
* Where: at a job place: 0
* Banter: -1 (the talk did not turn out very well)
* Overall class: 0
* And Dana gets a bonus for multiple tries: +2
Total: 16
7. Spencer Tracy in “Woman of the Year” (1942)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to watch Kate Hepburn struggle with kitchen appliances 0; he never helped her -1
* He did not cook himself, did not even try: -1
* In whose house it was: in his own 0
* Banter: 0
* Overall class: -10 (a detestable character, really)
Total: -12
8. William Holden in “Stalag-17” (1953)
* What he cooked: a fried egg 0 (too easy!)
* For whom he cooked: for himself -1; but he had to give it away to another POW +1
* In what conditions: in a POW camp +10
* Banter +1
* Overall class: +10 (it’s Holden!)
Total: 21
9. Gary Cooper in “The Wedding Night” (1935)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: apparently to cook something (after his manservant left him, ‘coz he “not like Connecticut”), but his intention never materialized, ‘coz he did not even manage to light the fire in the stove -1
* For whom he intended to cook: for himself -1 (he failed miserably, and Anna Sten came along and helped him out)
* In whose house: in his own -1
* Banter: +1
* Overall class: +10 (it’s Gary Cooper!)
Total: 8

10. Edward G. Robinson in “Scarlet Street” (1945)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to wash the dishes -1
* In whose house it was: in his own 0
* Banter: 0 (some dreary conversation with his nagging wife)
* Overall class: 0 (not this time, sorry, Mr. Robinson)
* Bonus: +10 (he wore an apron and looked so damn cute in it)
Total: 9
11. William Demarest in “The Lady Eve” (1941)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to interfere with others’ business -1
* In whose house it was: in his employer’s 0
* Banter: +1
* Overall class: -1 (Demarest means comedy relief, not class!)
Total: -1
12. Herbert Marshall in “Forever Goodbye” (1938)
* Purpose to be in the kitchen: to cook a steak he so much bragged about +1
* For whom he cooked: for himself (-1) and Barbara Stanwyck (+1)
* He failed to so: first they couldn’t turn on the oven, then the steak got burnt -1
* In whose house it was: in Barbara Stanwyck’s +1
* Banter: +1
* Overall class: +1
* Bonus: +10 (like #10, he looked quite cute in an apron)
Total: 13

And the WINNER is Bob Mitchum!!!!!! I adore him. Those eyes. That voice. That feline gait and grace. The very definition of coolness.