Die Bestie von Schanghai

Post war Kuomintang China was not a great place as Intrigue shows us. The black market was operating in full force. What is not shown and what Hollywood in 1947 would not show is how slowly but surely Mao Tse-Tung's Chinese Communists were gaining the upper hand. What is not shown is that villainess June Havoc surely could not have operated the way she did without the connivance of Chiang Kai-Shek's government.

Intrigue casts George Raft in this independent film released through United Artists as a cashiered pilot who falls in with June Havoc and her black market enterprise. Appealing to the better angels of his nature is Helena Carter who is the sister of a dead pilot friend of Raft's also cashiered. Carter works for a relief organization so she sees the very human side of suffering, especially from the youngest victims.

What Havoc is dealing with is food and medicine. She's the main reason for watching Intrigue. I saw this film decades ago and it's her portrayal that sticks in your mind.

Raft is his usual tight lipped self. Intrigue for some reason has become lost over the years. If it ever gets broadcast it's worth a look especially for June Havoc.

Just after the end of WW2, there were tons of more or less espionage yarns, taking place in many exotic countries, desert, jungles, not necessarily in America. I admit and confess that I am a bit lost among all those films. This one brings nothing more, but that's a pretty good entertainment, especially if you are a George Raft's fan. He made several other films whith director Edwin Marin: RACE STREET, NOCTURNE, JOHNNY ANGEL.... So, here, you may confound with any of those other films, except maybe RACE STREET, my favorite. I repeat, this film is a good adventure and actioner, no problem, but it will be rapidly forgotten.

Embittered by his wrongful dismissal from the air force, Brad Dunham joins a gang of black marketeers in Shanghai, and is surprised to find his partner is a beautiful, though dangerous, woman. When a reporter friend turns up, Brad is disconcerted to find he is doing an expose on the racketeers, which leads the flyer to an unexpected discovery....

An enjoyable George Raft thriller that paints the dark underbelly of black marketing very well. It's a bit preachy, but can be quite moving in places. June Havoc does well as a shady character. Helena Carter is good as the romantic interest, and who helps guide George Raft to do the right thing, and fight against black marketeering. Quite fast-paced with some good action and drama.

Not a bad film about the post war black-marketing racket.Raft looks good-maybe a little overweight-but 2 women find him interesting. June Havoc is dressed to the nines in all her scenes, she looks as if she's going to a nightclub, but we only see her in her office.

"Intrigue" is a film that is easier to understand if you are aware of the history of China. The story is set in Shanghai in 1947....as the country was embroiled in a civil war between the government and Mao's communists. As a result, poverty and hunger were rampant...and according to the movie, scumbag opportunists were hoarding the food and selling it at astronomical prices.

Brad Dunham (George Raft) is an ex-US Army Air Corps pilot. He apparently was dishonorably discharged and instead of returning home, he's stayed in China. Now, he has a chance to become a big-wig in the black market...but his newspaper friend (Tom Tully) is disgusted and confronts Brad. What's next? See the film.

While George Raft's emotional and acting range in his films is limited, here he's pretty good and I attribute most of this to the script. Well written and never dull...this one surprised me in a pleasant way.