Halfway to Shanghai (1942) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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Since the film credit frames and pressbooks were often finished before the film was completed there was quite often data shown there that didn't match what was often seen or heard in the film, especially when players were replaced during production, or character names were changed, for whatever reasons, during production. This film contains many character names on the cast and pressbook credits that were not the character names used in the film. The film itself concerns a train hurtling through the night toward Rangoon (which must be half-way to Shanghai from some point) and the efforts of two Nazi agents to acquire a map showing the location of Chinese Army munitions buried at the terminus of the Burma Road. Kent Taylor and Irene Hervey are lovers reunited after a two year period in which she thought he was dead and, other than Taylor getting knocked on the head when George Zucco murders the man carrying the munitions map, have little to do with the plots and counterplots taking place on the train. A somewhat mousey secretary, played by Fay Helm, brings the culprits to justice at the end.

Cast & Crew

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John Rawlins

Kent Taylor

Alexander Barton

Irene Hervey

Henry Stephenson

Colonel Blimpton

J. Edward Bromberg

George Zucco

Film Details

Release Date

Sep 18, 1942

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Universal Pictures Company, Inc.

Distribution Company

Universal Pictures Company, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 2m

Sound

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

5,581ft (7 reels)

Synopsis

Jonathan Peale, a renegade Nazi spy, is aboard a Rangoon-bound train, carrying a map containing the locations of China's main munitions dumps. He is watched on the train by Gestapo agent Karl Zerta and his aide, Otto Van Shocht, who both fear that Peale may decide to sell the map to the highest bidder. Also aboard the train are civil engineer Alexander Barton and his former sweetheart, Vicki Nelson, who see each other for the first time in two years. Alexander has recently completed work on the construction of the Burma Road, and of the eight Americans who were assigned to that project, he is the only one still alive. Having assumed that her true love was killed along with the others, Vicki has agreed to a marriage with a rich rajah. The two rekindle their love and agree to meet later that night in Alexander's compartment, after Nicolas, the rajah's matrimonial scout and Vicki's personal guard, has fallen asleep. Zerta and Otto soon find themselves in a poker game with Alexander, Jonathan and Colonel Blimpton, a retired British army officer. Realizing his dire predicament, Jonathan leaves the game early, then hides in Alexander's compartment. When Alexander discovers him there, he demands that Jonathan leave before Vicki's arrival. The desperate spy then knocks the engineer unconscious, only to have Zerta arrive moments later and kill him. The Gestapo men rearrange the evidence to make it appear that Alexander committed the murder. In the meantime, American aviatrix and newspaper correspondent Caroline Wrallins comes into the possession of Jonathan's prized map. When Zerta confronts her, Caroline states that, unlike most of her fellow Americans, she is a supporter of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime. Burmese police detective Yinpore, in his investigation of Jonathan's death, finally deduces that Zerta is the real murderer. Marion Mills, Caroline's brow-beaten secretary, tells the detective of her boss and Zerta's Nazi connections, and the map is recovered. Zerta and Otto are killed by the Burmese police as they attempt to escape, and Caroline is arrested. Alexander and Vicki then decide to take a boat back to America to start a new life together.

Director

John Rawlins

Cast

Kent Taylor

Alexander Barton

Irene Hervey

Henry Stephenson

Colonel Blimpton

J. Edward Bromberg

George Zucco

Lionel Royce

Otto Van Shocht

Alexander Granach

Willie Fung

Oscar O'shea

Fay Helm

Mary Gordon

Charlotte Wynters

Caroline Wrallins

Charles Wagenheim

Belle Mitchell

Frank Lackteen

Charles Stevens

George Lewis

Jerome De Nuccio

Michael Gaddis

Crew

John W. Boyle

Director of Photography

Bernard B. Brown

Sound Supervisor

Edward Curtiss

Ralph M. Delacy

Associate (Art Direction)

J. M. G. Doog

Technical Advisor

William Hedgcock

Paul Malvern

Associate Producer

Bob Moak

Unit Publicist wrt

Jack Otterson

Stuart Palmer

Original Screenplay

H. J. Salter

William Tummel

Assistant Director

Film Details

Release Date

Sep 18, 1942

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Universal Pictures Company, Inc.

Distribution Company

Universal Pictures Company, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 2m

Sound

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

5,581ft (7 reels)

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

While reviews indicate that Irene Hervey's character was named "Vicki Nelson," copyright materials list the character's name as "Vicki Dmytryck."

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