{"id":82886,"date":"2022-04-10T23:03:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T06:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82886"},"modified":"2022-04-11T09:42:33","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T16:42:33","slug":"china-gate-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82886","title":{"rendered":"China Gate (1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;What did you expect? A notarized guarantee that the baby would be born with eyes aimed your way?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster-195x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-82887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster-176x270.png 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Poster.png 537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nDuring the French Indochine War, a racist American mercenary (Gene Barry) reconnects with his half-Chinese wife (Angie Dickinson) whose son he has rejected for looking &#8220;too Chinese&#8221;. Meanwhile, &#8220;Lucky Legs&#8221; (Dickinson) agrees to accompany Barry and a small group of international soldiers to a Communist munitions stockpile known as &#8220;China Gate&#8221;, where one of Dickinson&#8217;s would-be lovers (Lee Van Cleef) eagerly awaits her.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Angie Dickinson Films<\/li>\n<li>Cold War<\/li>\n<li>Cross-Cultural Romance<\/li>\n<li>Lee Van Cleef Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Race Relations and Racism<\/li>\n<li>Soldiers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nSam Fuller&#8217;s ninth feature-length film &#8212; made between <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82273\"><em>House of Bamboo<\/em> (1955)<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=77162\"><em>Run of the Arrow<\/em> (1957)<\/a> &#8212; was this staunchly anti-Communist adventure flick taking place just before America&#8217;s formal engagement in the Vietnam War. Interestingly, its primary focus is on race relations, with Dickinson&#8217;s &#8220;booze smuggler&#8221; (she&#8217;s a thinly veiled prostitute) demonstrating spectacularly awful choice in men through her marriage and procreation with bigoted Barry. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-1024x436.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-1024x436.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-768x327.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry-604x257.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Dickinson-Barry.png 1187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Barry&#8217;s rejection of his own son based <em>purely<\/em> on his appearance is at least a refreshingly forthright depiction of white supremacy at its most insidious; but watching Dickinson try again and again to make things work with her estranged husband &#8212; simply for the opportunity to send her son to America, though we get the sense she still loves Barry for some reason &#8212; leaves us feeling decidedly icky. Adding some much-needed pathos to the storyline is Nat &#8220;King&#8221; Cole as a Black American mercenary named Goldie who is openly disgusted by Barry&#8217;s treatment of his son, and who is (thankfully) able to show this emotion without fear of racial reprisal. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-1024x442.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"276\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-1024x442.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-768x332.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole-604x261.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Nat-King-Cole.png 1169w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>The bulk of the drama focuses on the group&#8217;s intrepid journey across a jungle of wilderness, using Dickinson as a decoy and featuring plenty of gritty violence along the way. Joseph Biroc&#8217;s atmospheric cinematography is top-notch throughout, effectively portraying the shadowy dangers this group undergoes: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography-604x262.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography.png 1181w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While this film isn&#8217;t must-see viewing, it will be of interest to Fuller fans, and is worth a one-time look. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joseph Biroc&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-1024x472.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"295\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-1024x472.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-768x354.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2-585x270.png 585w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/China-Gate-Cinematography2.png 1179w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s worth a look. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0050252\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4136gate.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1957\/05\/23\/archives\/screen-rollicking-english-comedy-farce-film-is-new-feature-at-guild.html\">NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/70836\/china-gate#articles-reviews?articleId=626248\">TCM Article<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What did you expect? A notarized guarantee that the baby would be born with eyes aimed your way?&#8221; Synopsis: During the French Indochine War, a racist American mercenary (Gene Barry) reconnects with his half-Chinese wife (Angie Dickinson) whose son he has rejected for looking &#8220;too Chinese&#8221;. Meanwhile, &#8220;Lucky Legs&#8221; (Dickinson) agrees to accompany Barry and a small group of international soldiers to a Communist munitions stockpile known as &#8220;China Gate&#8221;, where one of Dickinson&#8217;s would-be lovers (Lee Van Cleef) eagerly&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82886\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82886"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82921,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82886\/revisions\/82921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}