SHADOWS OVER SHANGHAI (1938) James Dunn, Linda Gray & Ralph Morgan | Drama | B&W

Shadows Over Shanghai is a 1938 American drama film directed by Charles Lamont and starring James Dunn, Ralph Morgan, Robert Barrat, and Paul Sutton. Set in Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the plot centers on the efforts of Japanese and Russian espionage agents to get their hands on an amulet which is the key to a $5 million fund meant to help China purchase munitions. Footage from the bombing of Shanghai during the 1937–1945 war was incorporated into several scenes.Show more

SYNOPSIS
A pilot carrying a valuable amulet is shot down over China by a ruthless Russian agent, who also wants the amulet.

Russian agent Igor Sargoza shoots down Peter Roma's biplane over an orphanage in China where Roma's sister Irene teaches. Badly wounded, Peter entrusts Irene with a broken amulet that he needs to get to San Francisco; the other half is being held there, where the two halves will unlock $5 million to be used for the purchase of munitions for China to defend itself during the Second Sino-Japanese War. With Sargoza on her trail, Irene misses the last ship of the day evacuating foreigners and goes to see Howard Barclay, whom her brother says will help her. Barclay’s friend Johnny McGinty, an Irish-American photojournalist who also wants to leave Shanghai the next day, is asked to assist Irene. Since Irene lacks an American passport, Barclay suggests she and Johnny get married so she can be added to Johnny’s passport. They can annul the marriage when they reach San Francisco.

Johnny happily goes into his adjoining room to pack and is accosted by a gun-wielding Chinese man, who escorts him out into Sargoza’s car. At the border of the international zone, however, Japanese officers led by Fuji Yokohama stop the car and release Johnny. Yokohama warns Johnny to stay away from Irene and lets him go.

Johnny finds Barclay and Irene at the home of Wu Chang, a minister who performs the marriage ceremony. Back at the hotel, a wedding present, a Mandarin incense burner, is delivered from Lun Sat Li, a friend of Johnny's. Unbeknownst to them, the courier was waylaid and an explosive device planted inside. Barclay suggests they hide the amulet in the incense burner. Suddenly, Japanese bombers invade the city. As the bombing continues, the three escape the city to the home of Lun Sat Li. Sargoza and his men barge into the house and the three escape in a power launch through a trap door in the floor. They receive permission to board the ship that will evacuate American citizens in the morning.

Entering their stateroom, they find Yokohama waiting for them, demanding the amulet. He grabs the box from Irene and prepares to open it when Sargoza appears. Sargoza takes the incense burner from Yokohama and locks the four in a room while he lights a match to melt the candle and retrieve the amulet. The incense burner explodes, killing Sargoza. Yokohama then explains to the others that he was the one who had planned the interception of the gift and the planting of the bomb. Yokohama also tells Johnny that Barclay is a Chinese agent who was empowered to purchase munitions with the funds waiting in San Francisco.

CAST & CREW
James Dunn as Johnny McGinty
Ralph Morgan as Howard Barclay
Linda Grey as Irene Roma
Robert Barrat as Igor Sargoza
Paul Sutton as Fuji Yokahama
Edward Woods as Peter Roma
Edwin Mordant as Dr. Adams
Chester Gan as Lun Sat Li
Victor Wong as Wu Chang
Edward Keane as American Consul
Billy Bevan as Gallicuddy, the bartender
William Haade as Captain Murphy
Richard Loo as Fong
Victor Sen Yung as Wang (billed as Victor Young)

Directed by Charles Lamont
Written by Richard Sale (story), Joseph Hoffman (screenplay)
Produced by Franklyn Warner
Cinematography Arthur Martinelli
Edited by Bernard Loftus
Music by Screen Music, Inc.
Production company Franklyn Warner Productions
Distributed by Grand National Pictures
Release date October 14, 1938
Running time 65 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
Shadows Over Shanghai was based on an original story by Richard B. Sale; the screenplay was written by Joseph Hoffman. The film was produced under the working titles of Shadows over China, Shadows over China Seas, and Thunder over China.

This was the first leading role for actress Linda Grey, who had previously performed in stock theatre in the Midwestern United States.

Filming began in mid-July 1938. Footage from the bombing of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937–1945 was incorporated into several scenes.

McLaughlin and Parry note that Shadows Over Shanghai was part of a trend in 1930s Hollywood productions which "at least indirectly sympathized with the victims of fascism and criticized to a lesser or greater degree the aggressors. This is most clearly seen in the films that depict the Chinese as victims of Japan". The film follows this approach by presenting scenes of the Japanese bombardment of Shanghai, refugees fleeing the city, and children in a Chinese orphanage.