Peking-Express

Solid film starring Joseph Cotton, Corinne Calvet, Edmund Gwenn, and Marvin Miller.

Peking Express appears to be a remake of Shangai Express, This time it concerns train passengers headed for Peking in the Communist era.

This is a propaganda film, with much being espoused by the Joseph Cotton character, but it is still absorbing. He plays Michael Bachlin, a World Health Organization doctor en route to operate on a patient. On the train, he runs into his ex-lover Danielle (Calvet) who might have been entertaining the troops in order to survive. She and Michael are still in love, though Danielle feels it's too late.

Also on the train is a communist reporter (Benson Fong) who constantly argues with Michael about the revolution. There is also an elderly priest (Gwenn) and a gang of thieves led by Kwon (Marvin Miller). They have stolen medicine intended for the WHO to sell on the black market. Kwon's wife is on the train, brutally injured when he tries to kill her.

With all those characters and the background of communism, the movie held my interest. Calvet is beautiful, and she and Cotton had good chemistry. Cotton, as a no-nonsense doctor, is terrific.

"Peking Express" is not so much a direct remake of "Shanghai Express" as a reworking of the same theme updated to the Chinese Communist era. Just about every Hollywood based, Chinese actor makes an appearance. In particular Benson Fong plays a prominent role. In real life he was a gourmet and ran a Beverly Hills restaurant so the cast and crew probably ate well during the shoot! Corinne Calvert invites unfavourable comparisons with Marlene Dietrich in the original. Calvert is more like a slut than a courtesan. She used to whinge that none of her Hollywood films showed off her formidable acting talent. (Your secret is safe with us, love!)Joseph Cotten's role is not the same as Clive Brooks's in the original. Cotten is fine in the scenes involving arguments, thought and romance, but unconvincing when mowing down bandits with a machine gun. Since he plays a doctor presumably he forgot or ignored his oath when forced into violence. Cotten and Calvert are a mismatch. This would have been a better film if Cotten's role had been split into two and a more virile, physical actor had done the shooting and romanced Calvert relegated to second lead leaving Cotten to debate and romance a more classy actress of the type he had previously appeared with. Much of the ideology discussed is dated and boring. Director William Dieterle to his credit keeps it moving at a reasonable pace, but keeping track of who is on what side leads to confusion. Another source of mystery is the running time. I clocked my print in at 81 minutes. Most of the reference books list 95 minutes, but the Motion Picture Almanac gives 90 which suggests some trimming/ editing went on before general release. This probably improved the film, but not a lot!

I'm tired of communist sympathizers putting this movie down. You'll hear about played out dialogue, or same old ideology. This version revolves around communism. This was made in the 1940s so the dialogue and ideology attacking communism wasn't played out. In fact, it should never be played out... just open your eye's today and you'll see, the communists are winning. Maybe if we kept on making films like this, we wouldn't have a communist infiltration in every American institution today. Including the biggest communist institution, Hollywood!!!

One reviewer even went on to criticize Joseph Cotten in this film because he didn't look natural using a machine gun ... he shouldn't look natural because he's playing a doctor working for the World Health Organization. Btw. That's another institution that is bought and owned by the Chinese communist party today.

During the McCarthy years the making of anti-Communist films was one way that studios and their employees assured the witchfinders that they were true blue Americans. Paramount dusted off one of their classics from the Thirties and remade it with anti-Communist twist and called in The Peking Express. It was hardly as good as the original.

Joseph Cotten plays a doctor with the United Nations World Health Organization and the new People's Government has need of his services. Corinne Calvet with whom Cotten has history is your international woman of mystery. Calvet is no Marlene Dietrich, but in fairness to her she has a lot less to work with. Edmund Gwenn is a missionary priest who has served in China for decades and he's being given the heave-ho.

If you've seen Shanghai Express you have a fair idea of what is happening. Marvin Miller is our villain, all the other roles are played by genuine Asians. He's the guy who is first a passenger on the train, then his men take the train hostage.

Miller's character is that of a supreme opportunist who joins the Communist cause at the right moment. But he's strictly in business for himself to the absolute horror of idealist Communist Benson Fong who has a really ridiculous part. I mean really, no one could be that dumb.

Cotten being the erudite person he was is given some good lines to defend the American way of life and he delivers them well. He's an idealist in his own way, he works for the UN and the World Health Organization out of an idea that good health should know no country boundaries. I wish some of what he said was in a better film.

I have seen worse anti-Communist films coming from minor studios like Lippert, but this one isn't that much above it.

United Nations Dr. Michael Bachlin (Joseph Cotten) arrives in communist-controlled Shanghai to find missing medical supplies. He boards the train Peking Express where he reconnects with Danielle Grenier (Corinne Calvet). Communist fanatic Wong (Benson Fong) is intrigued with Bachlin, but hates western influences like Catholic Father Joseph Murray (Edmund Gwenn). Fellow passengers like Kwon (Marvin Miller) are hiding secrets.

I really like the train section. It has a bit of Agatha Christie murder mystery with international intrigue. I'm not sure about some of the Chinese history. This Hollywood movie already has a bad yellow-face actor. I can't completely buy the second half and it loses the claustrophobia of the train. An intriguing start slowly deteriorates.