Intrigue **½ (1947, George Raft, June Havoc, Tom Tully, Helena Carter) – Classic Movie Review 12,551

The 1947 film noir crime thriller Intrigue stars George Raft as former smuggler turned hero Brad Dunham, who confronts hordes of heavies in post-war Shanghai and tracks down the head of a gang of black marketeers.

Director Edwin L Marin’s 1947 American black and white film noir crime thriller Intrigue stars George Raft as former smuggler turned hero Brad Dunham, who confronts hordes of heavies in post-war Shanghai and tracks down the head of a gang of black marketeers smuggling whisky and cigarettes.

Luckily, this helps starving Chinese orphans and clears his name too.

Court-martialled pilot Brad Dunham flies smuggled goods into post-war China He tries to get more money out of his boss Ramon Perez (Marvin Miller) but Perez refuses and Dunham steals back the cargo. Tamara Baranoff (June Havoc) is the boss of the black-market operation. Dunham meets social worker Linda Arnold (Helena Carter) and later distributes jealous Tamara’s black-market goods to needy citizens.

This acceptable time-filler, with a busy, complex plot and a good noirish atmosphere thanks largely to Lucien N Andriot’s moody black and white cinematography, is a useful outing for a star who doesn’t receive his proper due now.

Also in the cast are June Havoc, Tom Tully, Helena Carter, Martin Miller, Dan Seymour, Philip Ahn, Jay C Flippen, Charles Lane, Marc Krah, Nan Wynn, Peter Chong, Michael Ansara, Paul Fierro, Bess Flowers, Bob Gilbert, Edna Holland, David Leonard, Rodd Redwing, Stan Ross, Michael Visaroff, Phil Taylor, and Victor Sen Yung.

It was the first film Raft made, with producer Sam Bischoff, for his own production company Star Films, as well as one of several movies Raft made with Marin.

Principal photography took place from April 28 to mid-June 1947 and it was released on June 13, 1947 (New York City premiere) and October 15, 1947 (US).

It was meant to involve smuggling blood plasma but it was changed at the request of Chinese-American organizations. Raft said: ‘If we had been able to retain the original idea, it would have been a lot more exciting.’

George Raft and Bischoff followed it with Outpost in Morocco.

The cast are George Raft as Brad Dunham, June Havoc as Mme. Tamara Baranoff, Helena Carter as Linda Parker alias Linda Arnold, Tom Tully as Marc Andrews, Marvin Miller as Ramon Perez, Dan Seymour as Karidian, Jay C Flippen as Mike the bartender, Philip Ahn as Louie Chin, Charles Lane as Hotel Desk Clerk, Marc Krah as Nicco, Nancy Hsueh as orphan girl Mia, Nan Wynn as Dinner Club Singer, Peter Chong as Editor, Michael Ansara as Ramon’s Radio Man, Paul Fierro, Bess Flowers, Bob Gilbert, Edna Holland, David Leonard, Rodd Redwing, Stan Ross, Michael Visaroff, Phil Taylor, and Victor Sen Yung.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,551

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