Intrigue

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.

George Raft is about to be thrown out of his hotel room when he steals a shipment from Shanghai black market boss June Havoc and spreads some good Scotch around. He also blackmails Miss Havoc into a partnership. His attention to business is distracted when old buddy Tom Tully shows up and begins to write stories on the Black Market and to clear Raft of the offenses he and others were court-martialed for, as well as Helena Carter for a rescue agency to succor the orphans starving because of the black market, and to find out the truth about her brother, who was also found guilty in the same trial that broke Raft.

Raft is, we are led to believe, innocent of the underlying charges, although he must now, given the structure of this Bogart-like tale of redemption break away from the dark forces that now surround him. Fortunately, he's good with his fists, and the Chinese orphans have no trouble recognizing him as a good guy, so we should too.

Raft certainly dived deeper into the bad-guy millieu than Bogart did during the star phase of his career, but Raft always had the reputation of being hooked into the wise guys. The story isn't as polished, and Raft can't show the inner struggle as well as Bogey. Still, it's a decent example of the sort of noir-influenced story-telling which was so popular at the moment, that it would soon become a drug on the market..... if not quite yet. With Phillip Ahn, Marvin Miller, Jay C. Flippen, Charles Lane, and Michael Ansara.

"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.

Though not the greatest film by a long shot, the earnestness in bringing to the foreground the nasty underbelly of the black market in post-war Asia is a major redeeming value of "Intrigue." That innocent people starved while criminals prospered is a fact, and still occurs, unfortunately.

The story is told through the plot line of an American ex-military pilot in Shanghai. Brad Dunham (George Raft) along with three other flyers during World War II were court martialed and kicked out, accused of black market activity. The unjust shame has taken its toll, and Brad's three friends have died, including one by suicide. Brad himself now hangs out in Shanghai and has adapted to his infamy by turning to trade of which he was accused - smuggling. Meanwhile, his journalist pal Marc Andrews (Tom Tully) and the sister (Helena Carter) of one of the dead pilots are seeking to find the truth.

Andrews' bigger story, of course, is the depth of damage done by the black market in China. Little does he know that Brad has joined forces with the dishy boss (June Havoc) of the main smuggling ring. Meanwhile Brad becomes exposed to that dark side by visiting children at an orphanage and seeing the homeless, starving people in the streets. Brad's better side does not have to fight very hard to gain the upper hand, but the challenge is to make right out his wrongs.

The direction is rarely inspired. Though there are a few nice bits of dialogue, the writing has an unfortunate trend toward the precious. Raft's relationship with either woman is not all that interesting. (There seems more reality in his male relationships and his interaction with the children.) It would have been a big improvement had the music in general been more honest to the setting. And yes, there is some stereotype in the Chinese-ness, but it is not the insulting subservience we see so much of in the Hollywood of the day. Plus we are briefly blessed by the presence of Peter Chong as a courageous editor.

Tully has the most passionate role as the voice of justice and social responsibility, and he's very good. It's a rather idealized picture of a journalist, but that's what people really want to see, not some boozing sellout. Raft, too, when free from the film noir elements, is earnest in the real theme of the picture. It's those film noir elements that seem to stiffen him and make the action implausible.

Still, the main subject of the film gives it human importance.

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.