Flight to Hong Kong

This high speed B movie of Rory Calhoun trying to get out from under the thumb of the diamond smuggling syndicate moves at too fast a speed to make the viewer care much about the characters. They are all portrayed as stick figures: Calhoun, his adventure-loving friends who get caught up in high-profit rackets in Macao; the leaders of the syndicate who spend their time around a board room; and the woman who loves him, who is little more than a plot device: she is a writer who asks occasional questions which fill in the plot holes.

The dialog is composed of clichés. The music is so overwrought it dins in your ears, and frequent titles appear to let you know where the action is taking place and what is going on. It all doesn't matter, however, as locations, people and plot all flash past at too fast a pace to make much difference to anyone. You're left with the feeling that there are good actors here without enough time to make any impression. The net result is simultaneously paranoid, breathless and uninvolving.

Francis McCowen, alias Rory Calhoun, gets on the wrong side of the syndicate in Macao, lands up in Kowloon, Hong Kong as a smuggler on the run from the syndicate and the woman he loves, whom he traded for another who did not love him. In between, he blows up some baddies, flees with a case of diamonds, and travels in everything from junks to ships to aircraft for streetcars in Frisco.

Sounds confusing? Well, it's also fun, so give it a chance. Great photography, good looking girls, and a fast moving script.

This film essentially begins with a novelist by the name of "Pamela Vincent" (Barbara Rush) boarding an airplane on its way to Hong Kong. On the flight she meets a man named "Tony Dumont" (Rory Calhoun) who strikes up a conversation with her. It's also during this flight that the airplane is hijacked and is forced to land on a deserted runway some distance from their intended destination. As it so happens, the hijackers were seeking a briefcase full of diamonds and, having now obtained what they were looking for, quickly flee the area and leave all of the passengers behind. Not too long afterward, another plane is sent to pick them up and eventually fly them to Hong Kong where both Pamela and Tony go their separate ways--at least for the time being. It is then disclosed that Tony is part of a world-wide criminal syndicate which was responsible for stealing the diamonds and it is his job to make sure that they are sold on the black market for the highest price possible. What he doesn't know, however, is that there is a traitor within the organization who intends to steal those same diamonds--which will eventually cause problems for everyone concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining crime drama which suffered a bit from a fast pace along with a rather disappointing ending. And as far as the actors were concerned, I thought that Rory Calhoun, Barbara Rush and Dolores Donlon (as "Jean Blake") performed adequately, all things considered. Be that as it may, despite some of the issues just mentioned, I enjoyed this film for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

When Rory Calhoun's character is described by Soo Yung who plays his Chinese godmother of sorts it reminds me of Austin Powers known as an international man of mystery. Calhoun is a good deal more serious and a good deal more deadly than Mike Myers ever was. His character reminds me a lot of Richard Widmark in Night And The City, an absolute scoundrel but who does gain the audience's sympathy somewhat.

Described by Soo Yung as a foundling left in a Hong Kong hotel when only a few weeks old, Calhoun has grown up in the criminal trade and there's also a little Pepe LeMoko in his makeup too. When we meet him he's just a passenger on a Flight To Hong Kong where a daring robbery of some diamonds on the plane is executed.

Calhoun is 'lucky' enough to be seated next to Barbara Rush who is a novelist and he intrigues her. She doesn't know that he's in on the heist, but she finds out later. As for Calhoun he dumps his long time girlfriend Dolores Donlon for Rush. In fact for Rush he makes a lot of career choices.

Besides Hong Kong the film was shot on location in Tangiers, Macao, Honolulu and San Francisco, but also in cheap black and white and it might as well have been done on a studio back lot. But the characters do keep it interesting especially Rush.

Rory Calhoun plays a very respectable looking smuggler for the mob. He's also very handsome, self-assured and women love him. And, considering he tells folks he's in the import/export business, he sounds a lot like an evil version of James Bond! The film begins aboard a plane bound for Hong Kong. Tony (Calhoun) is aboard the plane where he meets a gorgeous writer, Pamela (Barbara Rush). However, something weird happens during the flight--it's hijacked! Everyone is released unharmed but somehow all this is related to Tony--though he appeared to have no part in the hijacking. Later, Pamela and Tony see each other but almost as soon as they meet, Tony's called away on a secret mission for the syndicate! This not only causes friction with him and Pamela but between him and his girlfriend (like James Bond, he's NOT a one woman guy).

Although Tony apparently likes working for the mob, there are some signs this may not go on forever. An old friend of his is now on the run from the mob and Tony's tries to help him--and the mob finds out about this. They take case of the friend but obviously Tony is no longer trusted by his bosses. So, Tony decides to do something rather insane--to go into business for himself. Can he survive? Will his big gamble pay off? And what about Pamela? See the film and you'll find out for yourself.

"Flight to Hong Kong" is a low-budget thriller with second and third-tier actors. This isn't a complaint--the acting is fine--it's just an observation. And, because it's lower budgeted, it doesn't have the nice color cinematography like the similarly plotted Clark Gable film "Soldier of Fortune" but it certainly has a rougher, more noir edge to it. Unlike Gable's character who ultimately turns out to be a swell guy (despite his life living on the edge of organized crime), Calhoun's actually becomes worse and less sympathetic as the film progresses. I actually prefer this harder edge, so I was able to look past the lack of polish. Overall, an exciting and cynical little film that is never dull.