China Gate *** (1957, Gene Barry, Angie Dickinson, Nat ‘King’ Cole) – Classic Movie Review 5383

Writer/ producer/ director Samuel Fuller’s 1957 movie is gung-ho war adventure stuff, but with considerable edge and intelligence, in which a French-led multinational group of adventurers attack a Communist ammo dump in Indo-China in 1954. American gun-for-hire Sergeant Brock (Gene Barry), his battling separated wife, Eurasian smuggler Lucky Legs (Angie Dickinson), Eurasian guerilla leader Major Cham (Lee Van Cleef) and an activist all team up with the adventurers for the expedition.

Lucky Legs agrees to help the adventurers in return for getting her son (Warren Hsieh) to America. Brock is the boy’s racist father.

Fuller’s work is a typically gustsy movie, full of cult writer-director Fuller’s raw edges and power, even if the politics and moral standpoint are hard to accept.

Unexpectedly, Nat ‘King’ Cole plays a cynical soldier called Goldie, though more expectedly he also sings the theme song ‘China Gate’). Also in the cast are Paul Dubov as Capt. Caumont, George Givot as Cpl. Pigalle, Marcel Dalio as Father Paul, Maurice Marsac Col. De Sars, Neyle Morrow as Leung, Paul Busch as Cpl. Kruger, James Hong as Charlie and Gerald Milton as Pvt. Andreades.

Composer Victor Young passed away during production and his work was completed by Max Steiner. And this lovingly crafted movie is well shot in black and white and CinemaScope by Joseph F Biroc.

Fuller made it the same year as his Western Forty Guns (1957 ), which also stars Gene Barry.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5383

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