Roar of the Dragon

Almost everything else I planned to say has been said by someone else here-- this is unusually zippy for a movie by the normally mediocre Wesley Ruggles, that big lummox Richard Dix is unusually animated and even amusing at times, the production design and cinematography are very handsome (and female leads Andre and Judge ain't bad to look at either), it's probably the only movie in which Edward Everett Horton handles a machine gun (although he does prove pretty handy with a pistol in 1938's Wild Money), and while the movie seems a bit underwritten (or more likely written in 3 days), it's pretty everything you could want from a 68-minute pre-Code B movie.

The other interesting thing I would note is that it could have inspired bits in two much more famous movies-- the whole opening, in which news of a bandit's rampage is conveyed by telegraph until the moment that the bandit's men chop down the telegraph pole, plays like a dry run for the much more famous and accomplished opening of Stagecoach-- and it's hard to think that's an accident when you know that co-writer, and RKO producer during this time, Merian C. Cooper (of King Kong fame) would soon work with John Ford on The Lost Patrol (as well as on most of his immediate postwar work). The connection with Howard Hawks is less obvious, but when you consider the situation (tough guy Dix surrounded in compound with a bunch of people whose ability to defend themselves is doubtful), and then hear him refer to Arline Judge by a nickname-- the town she was from ("Bridgeport")-- and hear her answer in a deep, insolent Betty Bacall-Angie Dickinson drawl, there's a definite whiff of the much later Rio Bravo, in which John Wayne is holed up with a bunch of questionable help and a girl called Feathers.

I liked it. I thought that it was a pretty decent B-movie for its time. I have one question that maybe someone can answer, though. I thought that I heard "I'll Never Smile Again" playing throughout the soundtrack but, while looking it up, saw that that song wasn't written until 1940. Am I mistaken?

This film might remind you of "Shanghai Express" (1932) and "The Bitter Tea of General Yen" (1933), as all were set in China during their prolonged civil war--in which various warlords carved out their own private fiefdoms from the troubled early days of the Republic (about 1916-1928). Chaos typified this era and it made a decent backdrop for stories of adventure--though in Hollywood style MANY of the 'Chinese' extras looked about as Chinese as Mickey Mouse! And, like these other films, the story is about a group of westerners caught up in the middle of this fighting. In fact, all three films are virtually the same when it comes to major plot points.

Richard Dix plays the captain of a boat that is at port. When the group (including the likes of Dudley Digges, Edward Everett Horton, Zasu Pitts and Gwili Andre) is trapped in a small fortress, the hard-drinking Captain takes charge...but can he really do anything to stop the evil Russian bandit, Voronsky (C. Henry Gordon)? And will the westerners rise to the occasion or behave like a bunch of rats on a sinking ship?

So are there any surprises that set "Roar of the Dragon" apart from these other films? Well, Gwili Andre is certainly a unique figure. She was a pretty Danish lady who looked a lot like Greta Garbo and Myrna Loy put together. It's almost certain you have not heard of her but she was one of several attempts to find the new Garbo or Dietrich--a European beauty with a mysterious air about her. She never caught on with audiences and only made a few films. What's REALLY stood out for me was seeing the usually effeminate and effete Horton playing somewhat of an action hero in the film! REALLY! Watching him manning the machine gun and mowing down the rebels was quite a treat! My feeling about "Roar of the Dragon" is that it's an interesting curio but the other two films I already mentioned are just a bit better. So, unless you want to see all three, I recommend you try the others instead--the really aren't all that different from each other.

This brisk action movie, set in deepest Manchuria, stars Richard Dix as a dipsomaniac riverboat captain thrust into a precarious situation: rescuing a mixed bag of travelers, children, and ne'e'r-do-wells from a bandit, played with wicked intent by C. Henry Gordon. Amongst the motley crew are Zasu Pitts as a nervous society lady, Arline Judge as a flapper with a heart of gold, and Danish-born Gwili Andre as a Garbo-like woman of mystery. The film is brilliantly shot by Edward Cronjager, with some top-notch action sequences, but Howard Estabrook's screenplay doesn't do enough to establish its characters, perhaps not surprising considering the film's 68 minute running time. Nonetheless, this gets a strong recommendation, especially for fans of pre-code cinema, who will appreciate scenes such as Gordon having a hot iron applied to the hole in his head where an ear used to be.

"Roar of the Dragon" is a fairly good and interesting adventure and mystery drama set in Manchuria. Law and order was difficult in China after the Boxer Rebellion ended in 1901 and until after World War II and the rise of the Communist government in1949. Large tribes or gangs of ruthless characters fought over territory. Some raided villages and attacked commercial enterprises to haul off their goods and treasurers. And, during this time, life went on, including some commerce with the West. The setting for this film is about a stranded river ship and its several occidental passengers who must hole up in an inn stockade. They are marking time and hoping that repairs on their boat can be finished and they can be off before the murderous Voronsky and his band can overtake them.

The story is based on a novel by George Kibbe Turner, entitled "A Passage to Hong Kong." All of the cast are quite good, even though some still show bits of traits form silent film days. Richard Dix is Chauncey Carson, captain of the boat. Gwili Andre plays Natascha, who has been a captive paramour of Voronsky, and who is now trying to get away from him. C. Henry Gordon plays the treacherous Voronsky. Dudley Digges is Johnson, the owner of the shipping company. He and Carson are often at odds. Carson is a heavy drinker and Johnson only cares about himself and his business. Edward Everett Horton has a very good role as Busby, that's quite different from the persona for which he is most known in the many comedy films in which he appeared. Among others in the cast are Arline Judge, Zasu Pitts, William Orlamond, Arthur Stone, and Will Stanton. Several Asian actors who had short careers in film are here, as well as some other cast members.

The film has plenty of action, gunfire and killing before it's over. Some of the characters these cast members play won't live. The worst thing about the film is the terrible organ music background in some scenes. Maybe that was a carryover from silent film days that RKO Pictures hadn't learned yet to delete or do without. Or maybe that studio, then considered one of the majors, just didn't couldn't find (or afford) a prominent composer for the film.

Here are some lines form this movie.

Gabby Woman, "I understand there's no American consul here." Busby, "No." Gabby, "Haven't you any influence?" Busby, "Oh, no, mam. I'm a civil engineer. But they changed the government, so I have to go to work."

Johnson, "Start things moving." Captain Carson, "Is it possible that your wife was ever in love with you?"

Gabby, "Oh, how can you be so calm?" Hortense O'Dare, aka Bridgeport, "I'm just as scared as you are, but I'm not bragging about it."

Johnson, "Music at a time like this?" Busby, "Estrada says music is soothing to the brain." Johnson, "Aw!" Busby, "Of course, you have to have one."

Johnson "We've got no obligation to these brats. The natives have the right idea - throw them in the river." Busby, "Oh, I have a strangely vicious desire to cut you into pieces and use you as bait, if I knew how to fish."

Gabby, "When I think of those Thanksgiving dinners my Aunt Clara used to have. That was back in Omaha. Uh, did you know that Omaha was the granary of the United States? Oh, what corn-fed cattle. And what turkeys."

Captain Chauncey Carson, "Funny thing about women. Even the worst. Kids bring out the good side of them."

Natascha, "You know, it's hard to tell whether you are a little boy or a bully." Captain Carson, "Little boys don't drink as much as I do." Natascha, "You needn't be ashamed of being kind." Carson, "Not when I have so many other things to be ashamed of."

Captain Carson, "Natascha, my first name is," he looks around to be sure no one is listening, "Chauncey." Natascha, "Chauncey?" Carson, "Shhhh, not so loud." Natascha, "Chauncey - I like it." Carson, "You know, there ought a be a law against parents naming children."

Natascha, "Can't you see?" Captain Carson, "Just barely."