International Settlement ** (1938, Dolores del Rio, George Sanders, June Lang, Dick Baldwin, Ruth Terry, John Carradine, Keye Luke) – Classic Movie Review 10,669

Director Eugene Forde’s 1938 black and white 20th Century Fox romantic adventure thriller International Settlement stars George Sanders as gun runner adventurer Del Forbes, who is catapulted into intrigue, danger and romance with French cabaret singer Lenore Dixon (Dolores del Rio) when he collects money from gun suppliers and impersonates an arms magnate in the International Settlement in the heart of Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese war.

This short, 75-minute, plot-heavy support feature is well set up and is directed at a quick lick by Eugene Ford, who incorporates newsreel footage of the Japanese invasion of China, including the bombing of Shanghai, showing Japanese bombers attacking Peiping and Chinese refugees fleeing south.

There are keen, agreeable performances by the pleasant stars, both very good value, and they are supported by the useful portraits of villainy from John Carradine as Murdock, Harold Huber as Joseph Lang, Leon Ames as Monte Silvers and Pedro de Cordoba as Maurice Zabello, among a fine collection of quirky and compelling character actors.

Also in the cast are June Lang, Dick Baldwin, Ruth Terry, John Carradine, Keye Luke, Harold Huber, Pedro de Cordoba, Leon Ames, Nora Cecil, Russ Clark, Hal K Dawson, Neil Fitzgerald, Rosina Galli, Creighton Hale, Al Kikume, James B Leong, Walter Miller, James C Morton, Forbes Murray, Bert Roach, Jeffrey Sayre, Edwin Stanley, and Bruce Wong.

It was shot in black and white at 20th Century Fox Studios, 10201 Pico Blvd, Century City, Los Angeles, from 22 November to late December 1937 and released on 4 February 1938.

It is the film debut of Ruth Terry.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,669

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