Details

Release year: 1955

Storyline

His ship seized by the Chinese Communists, American Merchant Captain Tom Wilder languishes in prison but Chinese villagers help him escape to sail them to Hong-Kong.

Top credits

Directors

Writers

Albert Sidney Fleischman

Cast

John Wayne — Capt. Tom Wilder
Lauren Bacall — Cathy Grainger
Paul Fix — Mr. Tso
Joy Kim — Susu

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Did you know

• Humphrey Bogart visited the set as he began to film The Left Hand of God (1955). Lauren Bacall later recalled that John Wayne was the first to send flowers after Bogart became ill with cancer in 1956, even though he hardly knew Bogart.

• In an interview Lauren Bacall said that she took the role because Robert Mitchum was to be the male lead. After John Wayne took the role following Mitchum's departure, she expected to clash with him since she was a left-wing Democrat and he was a right-wing conservative Republican. She said that he was warm and friendly and they did not discuss politics. She later starred with him again in his last movie The Shootist (1976).

• Lauren Bacall said of this film, "That was supposed to be [Robert Mitchum], but he got into some brouhaha--probably had a few too many. [William A. Wellman was great; Wild Bill, a fascinating man! Not a good movie, but I liked working with Duke [John Wayne]. We didn't agree politically, but we got along well and had a sort of chemistry."