Hong Kong Nights
"Smuggling Death into the Orient!"
Plot
Tom Keene stars as an intrepid American customs agent who is dispatched to the Far East to dismantle a dangerous arms-smuggling syndicate operating out of Hong Kong and Macao. Upon arrival, he discovers that the ring is led by a ruthless American gangster who has established a criminal stronghold in the region, using a local casino as a front for his illicit activities. The mission becomes deeply personal when Tom's partner and close friend mysteriously vanishes during the investigation, leaving Tom to navigate a treacherous landscape of double-crosses and hidden dangers alone. Amidst the high-stakes pursuit, Tom finds himself falling for Trina Vidor, the beautiful fiancée of the very man he is trying to bring to justice, creating a tense conflict between his professional duty and his heart. The film culminates in a perilous confrontation on a remote island where Tom must outwit the smugglers to save Trina and avenge his fallen comrade.
About the Production
The film was produced by Walter Futter, a prolific producer of low-budget 'Poverty Row' features and travelogues. Due to the limited budget, the production relied heavily on stock footage of Hong Kong and Macao to establish its exotic setting, while the primary action was filmed on standard Hollywood backlots and soundstages. Director E. Mason Hopper, a veteran of the silent era, utilized fast-paced editing and shadow-heavy lighting to compensate for the sparse sets. The film is notable for being one of the few sound-era credits for Hopper, whose career largely declined after the transition from silent films.
Historical Background
In 1935, the 'Yellow Peril' trope was still prevalent in American cinema, and Hong Kong/Macao were frequently depicted as lawless, exotic dens of iniquity. This film reflects the pre-WWII American anxiety regarding arms proliferation in Asia as tensions were rising between China and Japan. Additionally, the film was produced during the height of the Great Depression, a period when small independent studios like First Division thrived by providing cheap 'B' movies to theaters that had switched to double-feature formats to attract audiences.
Why This Film Matters
The film is a quintessential example of 'Poverty Row' filmmaking, illustrating how independent producers mimicked major studio 'A' pictures with a fraction of the budget. It contributed to the Western cinematic mythos of Macao as the 'Monte Carlo of the Orient,' a reputation that persisted in Hollywood for decades. It also serves as a career marker for Tom Keene during his brief departure from the Western genre.
Making Of
Production was characterized by the 'quickie' philosophy of First Division Pictures, with filming likely completed in less than ten days. The script by Norman Houston and Roger Allman was designed to maximize the use of existing sets and available stock footage from Walter Futter's 'Travelaughs' series. Casting Warren Hymer provided the necessary comic relief, though the erratic nature of the script led to his character's sudden exit. The production faced challenges in making Southern California look like the South China Sea, leading to the heavy use of fog machines and nighttime shooting to obscure the lack of authentic scenery.
Visual Style
Cinematographer Arthur Reed used high-contrast lighting to create a 'noir-lite' atmosphere, which helped hide the low-budget sets. The visual style is heavily influenced by German Expressionism, common among directors who transitioned from the silent era, featuring long shadows and tight framing.
Innovations
The film's primary technical achievement was its seamless (for the time) integration of documentary-style travelogue footage with studio-filmed narrative scenes, a specialty of producer Walter Futter.
Music
The score consists primarily of stock library music and generic 'oriental' motifs common in 1930s adventure films. No original soundtrack was ever released, and the music is largely used to bridge transitions between scenes.
Famous Quotes
Tom Keene: 'In this part of the world, a man's life is worth less than the lead in a single bullet.'
Trina Vidor: 'You don't understand the power Burris holds here. He doesn't just run the casino; he runs the city.'
Wally: 'I came here for the girls and the gambling, but all I found was trouble and too much tea!'
Memorable Scenes
- The opening sequence where the customs agent is briefed amidst a montage of Hong Kong harbor footage.
- The tense confrontation in the smoke-filled Macao casino where Tom first encounters the villainous Burris.
- The final shootout on the rocky, fog-shrouded island where Tom rescues Trina.
Did You Know?
- The film is officially in the public domain as its copyright was never renewed in 1962.
- Despite the title, a significant portion of the plot is actually set in Macao, which was then a Portuguese colony.
- One of the film's major characters, the hero's sidekick Wally (played by Warren Hymer), inexplicably disappears halfway through the movie and is never mentioned again, a common continuity error in rushed Poverty Row productions.
- Tom Keene, primarily known as a Western star, took this role to diversify his image into the 'tough guy' thriller genre.
- The film was released on Christmas Eve in 1935 as a supporting feature for double bills.
- The 'native girls' seen in the background were actually California-based extras from Central Casting, a fact noted by contemporary preview audiences.
- The film's portrayal of Macao as a 'wicked city' of vice and smuggling drew minor protests from Portuguese press outlets at the time.
- Director E. Mason Hopper was once a top director at Goldwyn Pictures but was working for independent 'quickie' studios by the mid-1930s.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, 'The Film Daily' gave it a lukewarm reception, noting it as a standard programmer for the lower half of a double bill. Modern critics often cite it as a 'truly abysmal' example of the genre, particularly criticizing the jarring disappearance of Warren Hymer's character. However, film historians value it as a surviving artifact of the 1930s independent thriller circuit and for its unintentional camp value.
What Audiences Thought
1930s audiences generally accepted the film as a fast-paced, disposable thriller. It was successful enough in the 'states rights' market to justify its low production costs, though it left no lasting impact on the general public of the era.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The General Died at Dawn (1936) - though released later, it shared the same thematic space of Asian intrigue.
- Shanghai Express (1932)
- The travelogues of Walter Futter
This Film Influenced
- Macao (1952)
- Forbidden (1953)
- Various low-budget spy thrillers of the 1940s
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved and available in the public domain. Digital transfers exist, though many are of varying quality due to the age of the surviving 16mm and 35mm prints.