The Shanghai Gesture
"Mystery-lure of the Far East!"
A gambling queen uses blackmail to stop a British financier from closing her Chinese clip joint.
"Mystery-lure of the Far East!"
A gambling queen uses blackmail to stop a British financier from closing her Chinese clip joint.
Victor Mature
Doctor Omar
Ona Munson
'Mother' Gin Sling
Gene Tierney
Victoria Charteris (aka "Poppy Smith")
Walter Huston
Sir Guy Charteris
Phyllis Brooks
Dixie Pomeroy
Albert Bassermann
Van Elst
Maria Ouspenskaya
The Amah
Eric Blore
Caesar Hawkins
Ivan Lebedeff
Boris
A gambling queen uses blackmail to stop a British financier from closing her Chinese clip joint.
"Sir Guy Charteris" (Walter Huston) is an entrepreneurial British developer who has his eyes on the gin-palace of "Mother Gin Sling" (Ona Munson). The latter woman is running her successful den of iniquity and has no intention of acquiescing to the venal aspirations of her new nemesis. Determined to fight back, she enlists the help of the rather unscrupulous "Dr. Omar" (a rather mis-cast Victor Mature) to ensure that "Poppy" (Gene Tierney) - the daughter of "Charteris" - is introduced to the delightful effects of opium! The story becomes further complicated when it transpires that there is a personal history between the millionaire and the casino owner - and soon a plan is afoot to bring down retribution on his head. This has the look of an older "Charlie Chan" film to it, one without the charisma of Warner Oland or Sydney Toler. The scenarios are all very predictable and there is far too much dialogue as the tale meanders along for an over-long ninety minutes before a rather underwhelming, melodramatic, conclusion. Despite her relatively lowly billing, the films belongs to Munson when she appears, otherwise it's all pretty procedural daytime fayre.
When an employee at an illegal gambling den dies suspiciously, her sister, Nancy, looks into the situation and falls for Johnny O'Clock, a suave partner in the underground casino. Selfish and non-committal by nature, Johnny slowly begins to return Nancy's affection and decides to run away with her, but conflict within his business threatens their plans. As Johnny tries to distance himself from the casino, his shady past comes back to haunt him.
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.
Former war-time Army buddies now students in college decide to rip off a Reno casino.
Movie star Charlie Castle draws the ire of Hollywood producer Stanley Hoff when he refuses to sign a new seven-year contract. Castle is sick of the low quality of the studio's films and wants to start a new life. While his estranged wife supports him in the decision, Castle's talent agent urges him to reconsider. When Castle continues to be uncooperative, Hoff resorts to blackmail in order to get his way.
Truck driver Mike Lambert is a down-and-out mining engineer searching for a job. When his rig breaks down in a small town, he happens upon a venomous seductress. When her boyfriend robs a bank, they intend to frame Lambert.
Police Lt. Leonard Diamond vies to bring a clever, well connected, and sadistic gangster to justice all the while obsessing over the gangster's girlfriend.
An aging gambler on a losing streak attempts to rob a casino in Monte Carlo. But someone's already tipped off the cops before he even makes a move.
An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.
One unlucky evening, Louis Cropa, a part-time bookmaker, discovers that his restaurant has become a hotbed of conflicting characters. In addition to having to please a whiny food critic, Louis must fend off a hostile takeover from a pair of gangsters, to whom his sous-chef is in debt. Further, Louis has an argument with his son, the star chef, whose culinary creativity has brought success to the business.
An upper-crust family dinner is interrupted by a police inspector who brings news that a girl known to everyone present has died in suspicious circumstances. It seems that any or all of them could have had a hand in her death. But who is the mysterious Inspector and what can he want of them?