O Proscrito de Hong Kong

An interesting premise, somewhere between "Casablanca" and Suzie Wong, with name-brand actors. But this wound up as a weak period piece redeemed by a few (very few) clever moments and many nice background shots of Hong Kong as it was. Not many mid-20th-century films produced in the West with Hong Kong themes are available on DVD or video (at least we have "World of Suzie Wong") and fewer still had actual Hong Kong locations, so I am not disappointed in the film. Otherwise, it's a watchable "B" movie with Orson Welles as a bonus.

Absolutely fantastic film with three greats at the top of their game The legend Noel Purcell, Jurgens & Wells as two opposites or are they are excellently cast.

Wells English accent & comedy timing is very good, shame he didn't do more comedy, Jurgens is just pure class as the black sheep rouge

Amazing action sets the wonderful cast crew locations are a gem of its time well worth a watch and beautiful Sylvia Syms always a treat

After boy-genius Orson Welles gave us his debut masterpiece `Citizen Kane', followed it up with the wonderful `Magnificent Ambersons'(and who could forget his charismatic Harry Lime in Carol Reed's `Third Man'?) he really had nowhere to go except down.

But I never expected to see him as he is in `Ferry to Hong Kong' mugging and pulling faces to try to produce cheap laughs in an awful English accent. He even waddles around at one stage with a board strapped to his back, all dignity gone. To paraphrase a well-known script-writer from Stratford `When great Orson fell, what a fall was there!'

Otherwise this is a pretty poor attempt at a comedy with perhaps some interest for those who want to see ever-changing Hong Kong as it was in the late Fifties.

I wish I hadn't seen `Ferry to Hong Kong'

Ferry to Hong Kong is a mildly amusing film due to an obese Orson Welles treating the film as a farcical comedy. He plays Captain Hart, who despite the prissy exterior is a bit of a blackguard. He runs an old ferry between Hong Kong to Macau.

Hart is stuck with Mark Conrad (Curd Jürgens) a drunken, troublemaker, expelled from Hong Kong and denied entry to Macau. He is destined to remain a passenger on the ferry much to Hart's anger, he even sets up a rigged bet to get rid off this unwanted passenger. Despite looking dishevelled Conrad earns the sympathy of Liz (Sylvia Syms) who is a teacher to some children regularly on board.

Conrad and Captain Hart have to set aside their mutual loathing when the ship encounters a typhoon and later seized by pirates with Conrad having to take responsibility and control of the situation the ship's passengers find themselves in.

The film benefits from the Hong Kong location shooting which provides a colourful backdrop, the script is pedestrian and at times hammy as Welles performance.

If you liked Father Goose, check out an obscure movie with a somewhat similar feel to it: Ferry to Hong Kong. Curd Jurgens plays a scruffy barfly with a temper, and when the authorities have finally had enough of him, they ship him out of Hong Kong to Macao on Captain Orson Welles's ferry. However, Macau won't let him in and ships him back to Hong Kong. Orson hates him, but there's nothing to be done, so back and forth ad nauseum they travel. Enter Sylvia Syms, a pretty and proper English schoolteacher in charge of some Chinese kids who take the ferry every Friday.

This movie does have a darker turn to it, with typhoons and pirates to worry about - but then again, Father Goose has Nazis and snake bites. I loved seeing Curd let his hair down in this fun, comical role. As usual, he's larger than life, and even his drunken demeaner is endearing. Sylvia gives a great Deborah Kerr impression, and you keep hoping for her sake that he'll clean up. He and Sylvia (or he and Deborah, for that matter) could have easily handled Father Goose. Although, Orson Welles with his caterpillar-esque accent and strange expressions probably couldn't have played the straight-faced Trevor Howard counterpart.

There's the most adorable scene when Curd finally cleans up and takes Sylvia "out to dinner" on the ferry since he's legally prohibited from stepping foot on land. Predating The Terminal by fifty years, he prepares a delightful evening on the boat with the help of a few friends and their imagination. They point to empty tables and gossip about other patrons, they look over the menu carefully, and they indulge in martinis, wine, champagne, and brandy. Of course, they're all alone, they only eat bowls of rice, and there's only one little liquor bottle to sustain them. But it's incredibly sweet and easily the best scene in the movie.

If you've only seen Curd playing soldiers or if you want a China Seas adventure with a bit of laughter and a lot of charm, find a copy of this movie. It'll make you an instant fan.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. During the typhoon scene, the camera tilts back and forth quite a bit, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"