skiddoo
One reviewer mentions the lack of trash talk and beastly violence. I guess that's true if you don't mind what the Japanese are called and Chinese bodies tossed into a trench as our hero escapes imprisonment. Or the bombing of the very authentic-looking school and village including the terror and apparent death of trusting little kids who weren't evacuated to a safer place very much like in the 1937 movie The Hurricane. I found those things realistic and repulsive.Why Montgomery had to do a Clark Gable impression is beyond me and it makes his acting hard to endure. I gather from movie dramas that China was full of Americans and Brits as missionaries and business people when the Japanese invaded. Apparently you could hardly swing a cat without hitting one or two. :) I found Tierney's character uninteresting compared to Bari's and I was unmoved by what happened to her at the end, with the obligatory "inspirational" speech complete with heavenly rays of light. I could see why the rough and ready but perennially well-shaved and clothed photographer from Akron would be fascinated by a beautiful and aloof Vassar girl who was half Chinese instead of all the "dames" who were throwing themselves at him, but I wasn't. She seemed a false note in the village scenes and she never made me care about her. Actually, I just cared about the Chinese in the village because we know what they would have to endure in the years to come if they survived to maturity.There are lots of good lines and moments which make this watchable. It's interesting to me to see the changing view of the war in movies as the situation on the ground changed. In the late 30s movies indicated that this war was just a reprise of the last one, with greedy and powerful men manipulating behind the scenes and international alliances bringing the situation to a head although there was no consensus on which countries would be fighting which, even France vs Britain was considered plausible! Then it was a British war with peripheral Americans. And then it was an American war with us in the thick of things against obvious villains and no reference to the time when it was seen as just another European land grab and whatever happened in China etc was very remote indeed.
jbacks3
Henry Hathaway starts this seldom-seen WW2 drama off with some of the most effectively brutal executions seen in a wartime movie. Then there's the scene where hero George Montgomery and Victor McLaglen crawl through a ditch of dead Chinese. As if 1942 audiences didn't hate the Japanese enough in the year since Pearl Harbor... The problem with China Girl is the Ben Hecht (I can't believe it's possible to complain about Hecht) script (based on an idea prodded out of the prolific ghost-pen of Darryl F. Zanuck). Montgomery plays a faux-Clark Gable-ish newsreel cameraman suspected of being a spy, who in the midst of his escape snatches some intelligence seemingly vital to the Japanese. Now unfortunately, you can forget all that. It becomes a love story as Montgomery woos exotic (but not very Chinese looking) Gene Tierney. Except that McLaglen and his confederate moll (Lynn Bari, who also has the hots for George) have their own agenda. Except you can forget all about that too. The plot goes nowhere and serves as an excuse to show further Japanese atrocities against Chinese children. No spoilers here... it's just that the movie feels pointless plot-wise. Tierney was the hottest actress at 20th Century Fox from '41-44... her acting ability was respectably serviceable (best when playing a cold bitch from hell) but few ever melted a camera the way she did. I was astonished how Montgomery moved around on credit--- I think he still owed stereotypical-yet-now un-P.C. Bobby Blake at least $450 (in reality the kid probably would have cut him). The best part of China Girl is the set design, the worst part is how it manipulates the audience. Where'd the plot go?
jotix100
Johnny Williams, an American photographer, finds himself a prisoner of the Japanese during the invasion of Burma. With the help of a couple, Weed and Fifi, that are also being held in jail, escape their captors by getting on a small plane parked nearby, after almost being killed by their enemies. Luckily for the trio, Johnny, who is an expert in many things, knows how to fly. The problem, as they try to land in Mandalay, in upper Burma, near the Chinese border, the aircraft, with Japanese markings, is almost shot down.From the moment these three arrive in Mandalay, things begin to change. Not only are the so-called-friends spies for the Japanese, they want to do a number on Johnny. The arrival at their hotel of the exotically beautiful Haoli Young, awakens a passion in Johnny, who falls head over heels with the gorgeous woman. Haoli and her father, want to get to Kunming, in China, where they have established a mission for orphans. Sadly, the Youngs get to their destination, but war in the area comes with a deathly toll for them and their school. Johnny is helpless trying to save the woman he loved.Coming from a writer like Ben Hecht, the film is somewhat disappointing. Not even Henry Hathaway, a good director, was able to make this movie work. The trouble is the way the main characters are conceived. Johnny Williams romance with Haoli doesn't ring true. After only one day, he is madly in love with this woman, ready to do anything to keep her forever. Then there is Fifi, who sees right through Johnny and ends up wanting to have him. It might have worked in the 1940s, but it feels false today. We are not trying to demean what the creators tried to give the public, but much of the story makes no sense.The fun comes in watching George Montgomery's take on Johnny. He was an action hero whose work in films gave him opportunities to display a charming personality. Gene Tierney, on the other hand, seems wooden in her approach to Haoli. She was a lovely woman with a screen presence to match. Lynn Bari, who appears as Fifi, fares better. Her Fifi is a dubious character that feels real. Victor McLaglen, as Weed, has nothing to do. Robert Blake, who was a child actor, turns up as Chandu, the little boy that is befriended by Johnny and acts as his personal accountant.Fans of Henry Hathaway and the stars will enjoy "China Girl" even if it is flawed.
rfkeser
Elaborate WW2 adventure follows a newsreel photographer's intrigues and romance in China and Burma. Although Ben Hecht's screenplay is lively with macho action and jingo dialogue, the women stand out: Gene Tierney looks ravishing , while Lynn Bari steals all her scenes by underplaying with a haunting edge. Much less successful is hero George Montgomery who apparently took Clark Gable lessons, projecting all the brashness but none of the humor. Victor McLaglen gives stolid support and Robert Blake is fine as an Indian child. The real attraction here is the production: exquisite Oriental decor, imaginative lighting, and some spectacular mayhem.
