SHANGHAI STORY, THE

(director: Frank Lloyd; screenwriter: story by Lester Yard, Steve Fisher, Seton I. Miller; cinematographer: Jack Marta; editor: Tony Martinelli; music: R. Dale Butts; cast: Ruth Roman (Rita King), Edmund O’Brien (Dr. Dan Maynard), Richard Jaeckel (‘Knuckles’ Greer), Whit Bissell (Paul Grant), Marvin Miller (Colonel Zorek), Barry Kelley (Ricki Dolmine), Basil Ruysdael (Rev. Hollingsworth), Frank Puglia (Mr. Chen), Victor Sen Yung (Sun Lee), Philip Ahn (Major Wu), Jeanne Perreau (Penny Warren), Yvette Dugay (Mrs. Leah De Verno), Paul Picerni (Emilio) De Verno, Frank Ferguson (Mr. Haljerson); Runtime: 99; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Frank Lloyd; Republic Pictures/Olive Films; 1954-in B/W)

“A fear mongering anti-Red propaganda film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A claustrophobic Red Chinese spy story shot in black-and-white. It’s set in a not so grand Shanghai hotel and is flatly directed by Frank Lloyd (“The Last Command”/”Blood On The Sun”). It’s based on a flag-waving patriotic story by Lester Yard and is insipidly written by Steve Fisher and Seton I. Miller. It tells us in a chilling way how evil is the Communist regime.

When the Chinese Communist Revolution comes to power they rule Shanghai with an iron-fist and round-up the Americans and European expats who did not flee, holding them as prisoners in an abandoned hotel that once catered to foreigners. The person in charge of this imprisonment is the sadistic Col. Zorek (Marvin Miller), head of the secret police. The pretext used for the arrests is that Zorek is looking for a spy who is telling the outside world what is happening in Shanghai under Communist rule is bad news.

One of the many prisoners rounded-up is the embittered long-time American expat, Dr. Dan Maynard (Edmund O’Brien). He begins a cautious but unconvincing romance with the Tangier-born Rita King (Ruth Roman), the glamorous lady who is favored by Zorek and can come and go in the hotel as she pleases.

Though it’s obvious who the spy is, Zoreck can’t figure it out. In the process of catching the spy he tortures some innocent foreign detainees.

It’s an obscure picture for a good reason–it’s not a good film. Ruth Roman does her best with the limited material she must work with, but that’s not enough. It never amounts to more than a fear mongering anti-Red propaganda film.

REVIEWED ON 11/27/2024  GRADE: C
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