Porte de Chine

As any historian will tell you, France ruled over Indochina - comprising three territories known today as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - until its military defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, causing the Ho Chi Mihn-led communists to expand from the northern part of Vietnam, Hanoi as capital, to take the southern part, with Saigon the capital.

Samuel Fuller built up a reputation as writer of such staple screenplays as THE STEEL HELMET, SHOCKPROOF, HELL AND HIGH WATER, and director of his acknowledged masterpiece, PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953).

CHINA GATE (1957) does not rate as highly as any of those efforts, but it provides a most interesting insight into the last days of French rule over Indochina and the circumstances that led to the United States deploying forces in southern Vietnam to prevent it falling under the communist sphere.

The screenplay suffers from unevenness but generally holds your attention by depicting the perils of a war against a determined enemy, and, especially, by curvaceous Angie Dickinson, one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screen and soon to become closely connected with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford and President John F Kennedy. In this film, she plays the half-breed who has had a child by Gene Barry and wants that child to become a US citizen, and to that end she is willing to make all sacrifices.

Gene Barry leaves something to be desired. He is not a bad actor, he looks the part of a soldier, but somehow he looks short-changed throughout. Unexpectedly to me, because the only other part I saw him in was in CAT BALLOU singing the film's theme ballad, the famous crooner Nat King Cole delivers a far more convincing performance as a fellow soldier.

Highly competent B&W cinematography by Joseph Biroc.

Warrants watching, especially if you are interested in what led to the USA's decision to deploy military forces in Nam. In my humble view, THE DEER HUNTER and APOCALIPSE NOW are the masterpieces that reflect best the consequences of that ill-fated move. 7/10.

I was 17 and had just fallen hard in love with Gayle. That night in 1957 when I saw China Gate I was not with Gayle but another. The haunting title track "China Gate" somehow was burned into my memory. I remember little of the movie, but Nat's melancholy rendition was so haunting that when I replay it over in my mind some of that lost-love feeling still tears at my heart 42 years later.

Does anybody know the name of the child who plays Angie Dickinson´s son? He is not credited ...... I think the film is not bad at all.... It is the kind of films that Hollywood used to release in those days. Angie Dickinson plays very well her role. The scene she confronts Lee van Cleef without moving a muscle is a very good one.

Nevertheless there arte indeed some scenes very unreal. For example when Nat King Cole steps in that trap (more details shoud be spoiler) there is no way a person could do what he did. But I only wanted to know who the little cute boy is, or was. If anybody knows I´d appretiate......

Very unusual for me to watch a war movie, but anything directed by Sam Fuller deserves consideration and I was intrigued with the casting that included, Angie Dickinson, Nat King Cole and Lee Van Clef. As it tuned out this was not as bad as it might have been, helped very much by the performances, Fuller achieves from his cast. Set in Vietnam, then Indochina, it features the last days of the French rule, when the Americans were seemingly the good guys dropping food parcels to the indigenous population. Nat King Cole, sings the title track twice and puts in a really convincing performance as one of the French rag bag group who trek through the jungle to carry out their wondrous mission. Mostly filmed on back lots, Fuller has interspersed stock footage to give a reasonable approximation of the location. Angie Dickinson is a real trouper and plays this very wide with much non PC banter with the Chinese, who she seems to keep happy with promise of brandy and sex. Lee Van Clef is a real surprise here (I thought he had always had that weathered look!) and helps to make the last quarter a bit more fun.

Decent adventure and suspense movie from Samuel Fuller with full of crossfire, drama, fights and violence. Action , adventure , war movie by the great Samuel Fuller in which Gene Barry leads a group of soldiers through the jungle and battling feared communists. Set in 1954, during the French Indochina War, near the end of the French phase of the Vietnam War, a group of mercenaries from the French Foreign Legion are recruited to travel through enemy territory to the Chinese border, to infiltrate enemy territory in order to fly a weapons depot. A Eurasian smuggler, Lucky Legs (Angie Dickinson), agrees to use her connections to help them, in exchange for bringing her son to the United States. The boy's racist father, Sergeant Brock (Gene Evans), is also part of the multinational group. Lucky Legs must use the love of a Eurasian guerrilla leader, Major Cham (Lee Van Cleef), to gain access to the base. In 1954, the Battle of Ðien Bien Phu was fought between the Viet Minh, under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap, against the French Expeditionary Force in the Far East commanded by General Henri Navarra. It took place around the village of Dien Bien Phu and was the last battle of the Indochina War. Love and war in French Indochina! An American bomber trapped in love in a China at war!

An exciting and spectacular war adventure in which a group of multinational troops follows an officer against a communist stronghold in China to destroy a weapons depot. It is a violent adventure film that gained notoriety for its racial themes and notorious war scenes. The mainstream film was considerably criticized by filmmaker Fuller for its action and violence. Weak male leads, Gene Barry, Paul Dubov, Lee Van Cleef , George Givot, Maurice Marsac, Gerald Milton, James Hong, but Angie Dickinson shines as a Eurasian smuggler. This release gave Anie Dickinson her best character in years and her most compelling performance as she is truly magnificent.

It contains a sensitive and rousing musical score from Victor Young and Max Steiner. Victor Young had started composing the film score when he died at age 57. His friend Max Steiner, borrowed from Warner Bros, then shaped Mr. Young's notations and completed the soundtrack. The screen credit reads: "Music by Victor Young, extended by his old friend Max Steiner" . And Nat 'King' Cole who acts as soldier Goldie, performs, of course, some charming songs, such as: ¨China Gate¨, music by Victor Young and lyrics Harold Adamson. The movie displays an evocative and atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Joseph F. Biroc, though well set in Vietnam; however, being shot in the US : Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Springs Drive, Los Ángeles, California, Estados Unidos . The motion picture was competently made by Samuel Fuller. Fuller being especially known as filmmaker of such exploitation films as ¨Shock corridor¨ and ¨The naked kiss¨ where he proved his talent of vision and intelligence . Fuller made various Westerns as ¨I shot Jesse James(49)¨, ¨The baron of Arizona (50)¨, ¨Run of the arrow¨ (56) , ¨Forty guns(58)¨, and ¨The meanest men in the West (76)¨ , but his most fluid and strongest work lies in his war films as ¨Steel helmet (51)¨ , ¨Fixed bayonets (52)¨, ¨Hell and high water (55)¨, ¨China gate (57)¨ , ¨Merrill's Marauders (62)¨ and ¨The Big Red One (80)¨. Being his best films : ¨Pick up on South Street¨(53) , ¨Underworld Usa¨(60) and ¨White Dog¨(82) . ¨China Gate¨ rating: 6.5/10. The film is itself above average .