Shanghai Express
1932 · Movie · Approved · 82 min · ★ 7.0 · 90% critics
On a tense train journey from Beijing to Shanghai, a captivating woman reconnects with an old romance while trying to outrun her past. With secrets among the passengers and a dangerous takeover unfolding, loyalty and survival turn into a high-stakes test for everyone on board.
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Details
- Years
- 1932
- Release date
- 1932-02-12
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 82 min
- Critic score
- 90/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (236 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy Shanghai Express if you want a glamorous, tension-filled train romance with strong mood and unforgettable screen presence; Not for you if you dislike melodrama, early-era stereotypes, or prefer light escapism over danger.
Pros: sultry star power; stylish menace; gripping ensemble | Cons: wooden lead performance; unsettling brutality; dated attitudes
Themes
- prostitute
- rape
- china
- shanghai, china
- rebel
- ex-lover
- insurgence
- chinese civil war
- black and white
- beijing, china
- pre-code
- based on short story
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · 1932
- Academy Award — Best Director · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · nominated
Cast & crew
Marlene Dietrich
as Shanghai Lily
Clive Brook
as Captain Donald 'Doc' Harvey
Anna May Wong
as Hui Fei
Warner Oland
as Mr. Henry Chang
Eugene Pallette
as Sam Salt
Lawrence Grant
as Reverend Carmichael
Louise Closser Hale
as Mrs. Haggerty
Gustav von Seyffertitz
as Eric Baum
Émile Chautard
as Major Lenard
George Blagoi
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Directed by Josef von Sternberg