Singapore
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
John Brahm
Fred Macmurray
Ava Gardner
Roland Culver
Richard Haydn
Spring Byington
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After serving five years in the Navy during World War II, Matt Gordon, an erstwhile pearl smuggler and schooner captain, returns to Singapore. As his plane is about to land, Gordon gazes at the striking ring on his finger. At the airport, Gordon is questioned by Deputy Hewitt, who warns him against smuggling pearls out of the colony. Proceeding to his hotel, Gordon asks for his old suite but is told that it already has been occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Bellows, American tourists. Taking a seat at the hotel bar, Gordon reflects back five years to when he was seated at that exact table with the love of his life, Linda Grahame: Although Singapore is threatened by imminent invasion, Linda refuses to leave Gordon and they decide to apply for a marriage license. When news comes of the Japanese attack, Rev. Barnes waives the legal waiting period of three weeks and agrees to move up the ceremony. On Christmas night, the eve of their wedding, Gordon and Linda retire to their hotel room to celebrate. Sensing that something is wrong, Gordon finds petty thief Sascha Barda hiding in the closet. After ominously remarking that Mr. Mauribus is expecting Gordon, Barda leaves, after which Linda presents Gordon with a ring inscribed "one life, one love," and Gordon gives her a strand of magnificent pearls. The next day, Hewitt questions Gordon about the origin of the necklace and Linda claims that she bought it in New York. On the way to the church to be married, Gordon admits to Linda that he is a pearl smuggler and has hidden an invaluable cache of pearls. As they wait to say their vows, Gordon learns that the military has occupied the hotel and rushes back to his room to retrieve the pearls he has concealed in the ceiling fan. Refused entry to his room, Gordon hurries back to the church in the midst of a bomb raid and arrives to find the building in flames and Linda missing. Certain that Linda is dead, Gordon boards his schooner and leaves Singapore. Gordon's reverie is interrupted when Barda appears and informs him that Mauribus has something that belongs to him. Gordon immediately proceeds to Mauribus' shop, where Mauribus produces Linda's necklace, which was found in the wreckage of the chuch and offers it in exchange for Gordon's cache of pearls. That night at the hotel bar, Gordon is stunned to see Linda dancing with a strange man. When Gordon approaches her on the dance floor, however, she fails to recognize him. Discovering that Linda, now know as Ann, is married to plantation owner Michael Van Leyden, Gordon visits her the next day and tries to jar her memory by mentioning the name of her former servant, Ming Ling. When Linda, who is suffering from amnesia, becomes flustered, Michael pulls her aside and they confront the realization that someone from her past has finally appeared to identify her. Asserting that Gordon is disreputable, Michael convinces Linda to discard her ties to the past. Michael then tells Gordon that Linda lost her memory in an air raid and is no longer interested in reclaiming her former life. Later, a curious Linda seeks out Ming Ling, who recalls Linda's profound love for Gordon. Linda then goes to see Gordon at his hotel, and when he begs her to resume their romance, she replies that she will not hurt her husband, the man who gave her a future. Pulling the ring from his finger, Gordon sorrowfully returns it to Linda. After Linda leaves the hotel, Barda, who has learned from passport forger Peppe that Gordon plans to kidnap her, follows her. Alone again, Gordon breaks into the Bellows' room, and pretending to be Mr. Bellows, phones the front desk to bring a ladder to fix the broken ceiling fan. After tricking the bell boy into leaving the ladder, Gordon climbs up to the fan and is about to remove the pearls when he hears Hewitt in the room next door and quickly stashes the pearls in the Bellows' suitcase. When Hewitt passes Gordon in the hallway, he informs him that Linda is missing. Hurrying to the docks, Gordon finds Peppe and questions him about Linda's disappearance. Linda, meanwhile, is being held prisoner by Mauribus and Barda, who are interrogating her about the pearls. Learning from Peppe that Barda owns a nightclub, Gordon goes there and demands to see Barda. Pretending that Linda has betrayed him and stolen the pearls, Gordon tricks Barda into taking him to Linda. After throwing Linda onto the floor, Gordon pulls a concealed gun, shoots Barda and Mauribus, then carries Linda to freedom. When Linda regains consciousness, she is in her husband's bed and calling for Gordon. Realizing that she is still in love with Gordon, Michael remorsefully admits that he has been aware of her true identity for three years and frees her from her commitment to him. Having checked out of his hotel, Gordon, meanwhile goes to the airport, where his bags are meticulously searched by customs agents. When he sees the Bellows' suitcase conveyed into a back room, Gordon follows, and finding Hewitt there, confesses that the pearls are hidden in a shoe bag. Hewitt releases Gordon, who then boards his plane. Michael, meanwhile, speeds Linda to the airport, arriving just as Gordon's plane takes off. Sympathetic to the lovers' plight, Hewitt arranges for the aircraft to return to the terminal, and Linda jubilantly races down the runway to a reunion with her lost love.
Director
John Brahm
Cast
Fred Macmurray
Ava Gardner
Roland Culver
Richard Haydn
Spring Byington
Thomas Gomez
Porter Hall
George Lloyd
Maylia
Holmes Herbert
Edith Evanson
Frederic Worlock
Lal Chand Mehra
Curt Conway
H. T. Tsiang
Rudy Robles
Phillip Ahn
Richard Abbott
George Sorel
Reginald Sheffield
Pat Aherne
Leland Hodgson
Gerald Oliver Smith
Leslie Denison
Cha Bing
Monica Winckel
Dick Elliott
Bruce Riley
George Leigh
Alita Salve
Joseph Kim
Maxine Chevalier
Luke Chan
Eddie Lee
David Ralston
Angel Cruz
Weaver Levy
Kei Thing Chung
Wong Artarne
Joe Bautista
Herbert Evans
Edwin Luke
Pete Katchenaro
Norman Ainsley
Don Maccracken
Spencer Chan
Don Escobar
Tom Stevenson
Arthur Gould-porter
Crew
Daniele Amfitheatrof
Jack A. Bolger Jr.
Jerry Bresler
John Datu
Carmen Dirigo
Oliver Emert
Charles Felstead
Russell A. Gausman
Maury Gertsman
Harold Herman
Bernard Herzbrun
William Hornbeck
David S. Horsley
Seton I. Miller
Seton I. Miller
Gabriel Scognamillo
David Tamkin
Robert Thoeren
Bud Westmore
Michael Woulfe
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
So let me ruin you fast.- Linda
How many have you ruined?- Matt Gordon
You're my last victim, darling.- Linda
Trivia
Notes
Actor Curt Conway's name was misspelled in the onscreen credits as "Kurt Conway." According to a May 1947 Variety news item, Seton I. Miller sold his shooting script to Universal for $100,000. Philip Dorn was signed to appear in this film, but had to withdraw because of a bout with pneumonia, according to late February and early March 1947 Hollywood Reporter news items. According to studio publicity items, the airport scenes were filmed at the Palmdale, CA airport. Technical advisor John Datu lived in the Far East for twelve years, according to an April 1947 Hollywood Reporter news item. Spring Byington was borrowed from M-G-M and William Hornbeck from Liberty to work on this picture. On November 3, 1947, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast a radio version of the story starring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. In 1957, the story was remade by Universal as Istanbul, starring Erroll Flynn and Cornell Borchers and directed by Joseph Pevney.
