The Shanghai Gesture
| The Shanghai Gesture | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
|
| Directed by | Josef von Sternberg |
| Produced by | Arnold Pressburger |
| Written by | John Colton (play) |
| Starring | Gene Tierney Walter Huston Victor Mature Ona Munson |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1941 |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Shanghai Gesture is a 1941 American United Artists film noir motion picture starring Gene Tierney and Walter Huston, with Victor Mature and Ona Munson.[1][2]
It was adapted for the screen by Josef von Sternberg, based on the play by John Colton, produced by Arnold Pressburger for United Artists, and directed by von Sternberg.
The Shanghai Gesture received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Boris Leven) and Best Original Music Score.[3]
This early noir drama explores the decadent lives and secret pasts of all the main characters, following many stories in an almost-surreal gambling house owned by "Mother" Gin Sling. Keye Luke painted the mural that is displayed in the casino.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A young woman, Victoria Charteris, also known as Poppy Smith (Tierney), is out for some excitement in Shanghai, and enters Gin Sling's establishment. Dragon-lady Gin Sling (Munson) worked herself up from poverty to buy the casino, only to now see it in danger of being taken over by Sir Guy Charteris (Huston), a wealthy entrepreneur who has purchased a large area of Shanghai, and is forcing Gin Sling to vacate by the coming Chinese New Year.
Under orders from Gin Sling, who has found out Poppy is Charteris's daughter, a fez-wearing Doctor Omar (Mature) leads Poppy deeper and deeper into an addiction to gambling and alcohol.
Gin Sling, realizing that Charteris was her long-ago husband, who she thinks abandoned her, plans her revenge by inviting Charteris to a Chinese New Year dinner party to expose his past indiscretions. Charteris, however, has a surprise of his own to spring on Gin Sling.
[edit] Cast
- Gene Tierney as Victoria Charteris, aka Poppy Smith
- Walter Huston as Sir Guy Charteris, once called Victor Dawson
- Victor Mature as Doctor Omar
- Ona Munson as 'Mother' Gin Sling
- Phyllis Brooks as Dixie Pomeroy, the Chorus Girl
- Albert Bassermann as Van Elst
From the original play by John Colton, which opened on Broadway 1925. Many changes are in the 1941 movie. Originally the casino was a brothel, Poppy was addicted to drugs (not gambling), and the evil woman who owned it was called Mother Goddam. She shoots Poppy dead at the end after finding out Poppy is her daughter.
[edit] References
- ^ Variety film review; December 24, 1941, page 8.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; December 27, 1941, page 207.
- ^ "NY Times: The Shanghai Gesture". NY Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/44085/The-Shanghai-Gesture/details. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
[edit] External links
- The Shanghai Gesture at the Internet Movie Database
- The Shanghai Gesture at Film Noir of the Week by Sheila O'Malley
|
||||||||
