Halfway to Shanghai (1942) User Reviews (4)

No Surprises In This Sturdy Cheapie

[boblipton · 6/10 · 11 February 2020]

A train hurtles from Lashio, end of the Burma Road, towards Rangoon, with a bunch of Occidental travelers with a bunch of back stories. There are also Axis spies on board, with information on a munitions dump. Its destruction can close the Burma Road. When one of the passengers turns up as a corpse, enters Inspector J. Edward Bromberg, legendary founder of the Group Theater as Inspector Vinpore, with two Sikhs, to uncover the murderer.

It's a very cheap Universal mystery, shot entirely on sound stages, with some obvious back projection. It's got two things going for it: a cast of competent B players, including Kent Taylor, Irene Hervey, Henry Stephenson, George Zucco, and Fay Helm, and a script by Stuart Palmer, best known for his Hildegarde Withers mysteries.

Clearly intended to fill out a double or even a triple bill, it uses every cliche in the book, it certainly wastes neither money or time in its 62 minutes. Producer Paul Malvern was expert at turning out these cheapies, and in ex-editor John Rawlins, he had a director who could bring it in on budget. Despite those shortcomings, the performers, like many unremembered actors during Hollywood's factory era, hit their marks, speak their lines, and don't trip over the furniture, making this a fine time-waster.

Decent but far from a must-see film.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 5 February 2020]

"Halfway to Shanghai" is a B-movie from Universal Pictures. And, like a B, it's about an hour in length, features mostly unknown actors and was quickly made. Since it was made during WWII, it's also not surprising that there is an element of propaganda within it as well.

The story is set aboard a train in Asia (I assume China or Burma). On board are lots of folks with a variety of backstories that you see and hear about as the film progresses. However, a few are also Axis spies or pro-Nazi and not surprisingly, there is some intrigue and even a murder. Can our Burmese version of Charlie Chan solve the mysteries and help the Allies?

The film benefits from having George Zucco. While nearly everything he did was a B-movie, he was an excellent actor...particularly playing villains like he does here. The rest of the actors and acting are pretty much uninspired...but there's enough Zucco to make Zuccophiles happy. Easy to watch and mildly enjoyable.

Intrigue on the Orient Express.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 30 January 2018]

There's air raids. Nazis, speeding trains and all sorts of danger around on this hour long rollercoaster ride, made in the midst of World War II and showing how the war could be fun. It's all about a group of passengers on a train dealing with various secrets, among them a bunch of fifth columnist spies determined to get their secrets to their various Nazi organizations, and it's pretty clear from the beginning, who is who. Pretty Irene Hervey is the secretary to the aggressive Charlotte Wynters, obviously up to no good and not too discreet in letting her anti-American feelings be known. George Zucco, just by his sinister presence, is also instantly suspicious, while missionary's Mary Gordon and Oscar O'Shea seem to be emulating the Strauss's from the Titanic, refusing to get under a table during an air raids. It's up to Hervey and handsome Kent Taylor to unmask the Nazis, while the ensemble provides a mixture of suspicion and comic relief. Poor Willie Fung, the Asian Willie Best, is as stereotypical cowardly and effeminate, providing uncomfortable comic relief. Henry Stephenson, J. Edward Bromberg and Fay Helm are others among the big cast in this fast moving adventure that won't win any awards, but certainly doesn't warrant any boo's either. It's a lot of fun from start to finish, the type of film that will keep you glued to the screen.

Sleeping Car to Trieste Remake

[jphammond-63009 · 6/10 · 1 February 2020]

Just as there are a few versions of the Maltese Falcon, this is a near copy of Sleeping Car to Trieste with a few minor changes. Worth an hour and a bit. Always like George Zucco.