Escape from Hong Kong
Cast & Crew
William Nigh
Leo Carrillo
Andy Devine
Marjorie Lord
Don Terry
Gilbert Emery
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Cowboy vaudevillians Rusty, Pancho and Blimp, better known as "The Three Sharp-Shooters," perform for the first time in Hong Kong, but their show is cut short when British soldiers attempt to arrest suspected spy Valerie Hale, who is in the audience. She escapes with the aid of Rusty, who allows her to hide in his dressing room. Despite Rusty's efforts, Valerie is captured by the British, but not before Rusty obtains a note designating her next meeting place. Valerie is brought before provost marshal Colonel J. A. Crosley, who questions her about her association with dead German spy Heinrich Schuler. Once the two are alone, however, Valerie is revealed to be a British counterspy, sent to discover the "leak" in British intelligence in Hong Kong by posing as the notorious German spy "Fraulein K." After Valerie's "escape," Crosley is murdered by his own assistant, Major Colin Reeves, who is actually German spy Von Metz. Reeves was about to be exposed by Franz Schuler, the brother of the murdered spy. Rusty sees a newspaper heading, accusing Valerie of Crosley's murder, and calls the police to inform them of her planned meeting place. Meanwhile, Valerie meets with Japanese spy Kosura, who is in Hong Kong posing as an importer named Yang T'Sueh-Lin. Kosura offers to shelter Valerie at his home until Reeves can meet with her, but their plans go awry when Rusty forces her into a Chinese restaurant. As Rusty questions her, Reeves arrives and is saved from assassination by Pancho, who shoots Franz before he can fire at Reeves. With the help of Kosura's henchman, Yamota, Valerie uses the gunplay to escape from Rusty. After accepting Reeves's gratitude, Rusty, Pancho and Blimp go to Kosura's home, where they hear Valerie and Kosura make their espionage plans. The three Americans are then captured by Kosura's butler, but Valerie sneaks into the cellar and releases them. After the Americans escape, Reeves orders Valerie to leave Kosura's home and meet him on the waterfront that night. She is intercepted, however, by Rusty, who confesses his love, then agrees to let her go, as he is a neutral American. After the attack that morning on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, however, Rusty insists on turning Valerie over to British Intelligence, so she confesses all. Rusty does not believe her, however, and delivers her to Reeves. Unaware of Reeves's true identity, Valerie reveals to the German spy her true allegiance. Although Reeves tells Valerie that he is checking her story with England, he instead orders her immediate execution before a firing squad. While Valerie is being moved, the Japanese make an aerial attack on Hong Kong, and she escapes with the help of Rusty. Meanwhile, Pancho and Blimp watch Kosura's home, where they witness the friendly reunion between Reeves and the Japanese spy. That night, Blimp follows Kosura to his waterfront meeting with Valerie. Rusty and Pancho then deduce the true allegiances of Valerie and Reeves, and rush to the waterfront to rescue the female spy. Meanwhile, Reeves arrives with the secret Anglo-Chinese plans for the defense of Hong Kong, and tells the captured Valerie of the planned Japanese attack that night. The American vaudevillians then capture the spies, and under Valerie's guidance, rush by motorboat to deliver the plan to Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek. On the way, they are attacked by a Japanese plane, which is shot down by the three sharpshooters. With their arms around each other, the reunited Rusty and Valerie then head for the Chinese mainland.
Director
William Nigh
Cast
Leo Carrillo
Andy Devine
Marjorie Lord
Don Terry
Gilbert Emery
Leyland Hodgson
Frank Puglia
Chester Gan
Frank Kelly
Paul Dubov
Tom Ung
Beal Wong
Rico De Montez
Joey Ray
Eddie Dew
Grace Lem
Crew
Woody Bredell
Bernard B. Brown
Everett Carter
Roy Chanslor
Ralph M. Delacy
Harold Erickson
R. A. Gausman
Marshall Grant
James R. Luntzel
Paul Neal
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
Milton Rosen
Melville Shyer
Vera West
Maurice Wright
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Adventure in Sumatra. According to Hollywood Reporter, this was the first film to be based on the siege and capture of "the former British crown colony" by the Japanese at the beginning of World War II. Universal press materials state that this was actress Marjorie Lord's first film for the studio, which signed her to a studio contract based on her performance in a Los Angeles stage production of Springtime for Honey. Hollywood Reporter production charts include Noel Cravat in the cast, but his appearance in the released film has not been confirmed.
