Hong Kong Reviews

Reagan stopped monkeying around with Bonzo and took up with a charming kid in this adventure. He's a crooked (that's right, Reagan crooked!) ex-soldier who hangs out in Asia after WW II. After failing in some shady deals, he gets caught in a Communist airplane raid in China. As he escapes, he meets Chang, a young Chinese orphan with a valuable antique statue. Reagan wants it, so he takes the kid with him. They meet sexy, flaming-haired Fleming at a Red Cross mission. The trio flee to Hong Kong and scam their way into a hotel room. Slowly, Reagan is wooed by the charms of the woman and the boy, and his hardened core starts to melt. But he still has some crook in him and goes to art dealer Miller to sell the boy's statue. When he discovers that Miller is involved with gangsters, Reagan's attitude changes completely, but it is too late. The gang kidnaps Chang, and Reagan's bid to save him goes awry. But everything is righted by the police, and Reagan marries Fleming. The happy couple pay regular visits to the boy at an orphanage as the film ends. The color photography nicely captures the hustle and business of Hong Kong. Chang is a natural actor (Reagan had high praise for him). This was the second of what would be three films with the team of Reagan and Fleming, THE LAST OUTPOST and TROPIC ZONE being first and last, respectively. Though Reagan is fine in his role, the film just can't be taken seriously today, for obvious reasons--just try to keep a straight face when the future President gets involved with the commies. If you can get past this, it's really a nice little thriller.