DVD Review: Shanghai Gesture, The (B)

Shanghai Gesture, The (1941)
Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Ona Munson, Victor Mature and Phyllis Brooks
USA: UR
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

Directed by the talented Josef von Sternberg, this is one of those classic black and white dramas that you see running late on one of your local channel's "Late Show Movie". But don't pass The Shanghai Gesture up, it deserves to be singled out for the nice camerawork and some excellent performances.

Like many films of it's kind, the overly dramatic plot is a mess. A young gal named Poppy visits a Shanghai casino owned by "Mother" Gin Sling. Gin Sling is battling Sir Guy Charteris, a real estate magnate that has bought up huge portions of Shangha. She stands in his way so he tells her to close her business by Chinese New Year. Gin Sling realizes that Poppy is Charteris' daughter so she encourages her gambling addiction. Before long, Poppy is deeply in debt to Gin Sling. Advantage: Gin Sling. But Sir Guy Charteris is not easily defeated and he has some tricks of his own up his sleeve.

A solid B-movie classic, The Shanghai Gesture is rarely mentioned in the same company as The Blue Angel and Casablanca, but it certainly aims to fit in that mold. Sure, it falls way short, but you could do a lot worse.

Looking for a nice old black and white drama with intrigue and a slight touch of film noir? The Shanghai Gesture should do the trick.

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