China Seas
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Movie Reviews of China Seas
Movie Review: Harlow rocks this campy boat!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is so corny and hilarious (sometimes unintentionally). It's one of my feel good fav's. I bought this one for Harlow and she is at her trashy, sarcastic, platinum blonde best!Movie Review: They don't make them like this anymore.
Summary: 5 Stars
Who needs special effects, computer generated images and "sweat and grunt" scenes, when you have got good acting, good dialogue and humour? Brilliant.Movie Review: China Seas
Summary: 5 Stars
Love the movie.
Glad I got it.
More young people should watch movies made in the 30,40,and 50.
Movie Review: Red Dust Part 2
Summary: 4 Stars
"China Seas" stars MGM's 3 top stars (Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Wallace Beery) in an exotic adventure tale produced by Irving Thalberg with a score by Herbert Stothart.
The pairing of these 3 stars was an enormous box office draw. All 3 had top 10 films the previous year (Beery in "Viva Villa", Gable in "It Happened One Night" and Harlow in "The Girl from Missouri") and in 1933 Harlow teamed with Gable in "Hold Your Man" (1933) and with Beery in "Dinner at Eight" and both films were in the top 10. In fact, from 1932 through 1935 these 3 actors appeared in the top 10 every year without fail.
Of course, Gable + Harlow were already a tremendous draw. They did 6 films together, starting in 1931 with "The Secret Six". Their second film in 1932, "Red Dust", cemented Gable's rising stardom. That film was #4 at the box office and "Hold Your Man" was #7 in 1933. "China Seas" came in #6 in 1935. The next year, "Wife vs. Secretary" was #10 at the box office and the following year "Saratoga" was #2, beaten out by "Snow White". So, with the exception of their first film, 5 of their next 5 films all made the Top 10 box office.
BTW - Their first film, "The Secret Six", starred Wallace Beery and the co-stars were Lewis Stone and Johnny Mack Brown (the cowboy star). Harlow received 4th billing and poor Clark Gable's name was way down the list. By 1935, Gable got top billing and Beery had fallen to third; Lewis Stone went from co-star to also ran. Such are the vicissitudes of a Hollywood career.
Clark Gable (1901-60) was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century, and a pretty good actor to boot. We remember him best as Rhett Butler for "GWTW" (1939), for which he received one of his three Oscar nominations (the other nomination was for 1935's "Mutiny on the Bounty" and he won in 1934 for "It Happened One Night"), but he gave us many memorable performances in films like "Teachers' Pet" (1958) and "But Not for Me" (1959) both of which earned him Golden Globe nominations. My favorite Gable flick is "Run Silent Run Deep" (1958). Gable plays a sea captain with a checkered past.
Jean Harlow (1911-37) plays Gable's girl friend. Harlow was the biggest sex symbol of her times having specialized in playing the gangster's moll in such films as "Hell's Angels" (1930), "The Secret Six" (1931), and "Public Enemy" (1931). She evolved as an actress, exploring different personas, such as the comedienne ("Bombshell"), the brassy girl friend ("Red Dust"), and the girl next door ("Wife vs. Secretary"). Here she reverts to the brassy slightly risqué girl friend she was most famous for.
In 1935 Wallace Beery (1885-1949) was at the height of his popularity, having starred in the popular "Min and Bill" (1930) and "The Big House" (1930) and won the Oscar for "The Champ" (1931). He co-starred in one of the first blockbusters ever made, "Grand Hotel" (1932). In 1934 he played Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" and Pancho Villa in "Viva Villa" - two of the biggest hits of the year. In this film Beery plays a shady character who is in love with Harlow.
Rosalind Russell (1907-76) plays a sophisticated English woman who knew Gable "in the old days" when he was a proper gentleman and when she was married to his best friend. Now a widow, Russell has tracked Gable down and hopes to light the flame that merely sparked years ago. Russell is best known for her award winning performances in "Auntie Mame" (1958) and "Gypsy" (1962), and her great role as Hildy Johnson in "His Girl Friday" (1940).
Lewis Stone (1879-1953) plays a disgraced former sea captain. He was a major star in the 20s and 30s and was nominated for an Oscar for "The Patriot" (1930). Between 1914 and 1953 he made more than 150 films; his memorable roles were as the warden in "The Big House" (1930), Doctor Otternschlag in "Grand Hotel" (1932), and "Doc" in "Three Godfathers" (1936). Gretta Garbo used him in 7 of her films. He's probably best known for his continuing role as Judge Hardy in the Andy Hardy films (1937-46).
C. Aubrey Smith (1863-1948) was a great actor known for his roles as an aristocrat. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1915 to 1949. He gave us memorable roles in a host of films, including Major Hamilton in "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer" (1935), Lord Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet" (1936), and Colonel Zapt in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937). I remember him best as Col. Williams in "Wee Willie Winkie" (1937) with Shirley Temple. Smith plays the owner of the shipping line that Gable works for.
Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952) has an uncredited role as Harlow's maid. She once said - " I'd rather play a maid than be one." She's best known for her Oscar winning role as Mammy in "GWTW" (1939), one of more than 300 roles she played in a career from 1932 to 1952. I remember her best from her TV series "Beulah" (1952). McDaniel and Gable were good friends, and she appeared in several films with Harlow and Gable.
Director Tay Garnett (1894-1977) keeps the action moving. Though not well known today, Garnett was a busy director in the 30s and 40s and made films like "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949), "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1945), and "Bataan" (1943).
There are some spectacular scenes during a Typhoon, and 50 tons of water are used to simulate the storm, nearly killing two stuntmen. Gable himself performs his stunts, which involve roping a steam locomotive that is thrashing around the deck. Though generally well shot and edited, there are periodic studio shots, especially close ups that are jarring. Most of these involve Harlow. Of course, it's difficult to complain about a close up of Harlow.
The great Herbert Stothart (1885-1949) was the composer. Stothart won the Oscar for "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) and was nominated 9 more times. He was often used in period pieces, and his films include "Treasure Island" (1934), Viva Villa" (1934), "David Copperfield" (1935), Anna Karenina" (1935), "Tale of Two Cities" (1935), and "Romeo and Juliette" (1936).
"China Seas" was the #6 box office film for 1935. The top films were "Mutiny on the Bounty" (with Gable), "Becky Sharp", "Top Hat", "The Littlest Rebel", and "The Informer". The Oscars went to "Mutiny" (Picture), "The Informer" (Actor), and "Dangerous" (Actress). Other notable films that year were "Captain Blood", "Anna Karenina", "The 39 Steps", "The Bride of Frankenstein", "David Copperfield" and "A Tale of Two Cities", Frederic March's "Les Miserables", and "A Night at the Opera". In Germany, Leni Riefenstahl released "Triumph of the Will".
If you like Gable and Harlow, this is the film for you. Think of it as "Red Dust" Part 2. There are certainly better action films and better special effects, but where else will you see the top 3 stars in such good roles.
Movie Review: "Just showering dewdrops off the body beautiful..."
Summary: 4 Stars
CHINA SEAS reunited Clark Gable and Jean Harlow following their celebrated partnership in "Red Dust"--exchanging the sultry jungle setting for an exciting adventure on the seas. Rosalind Russell and Wallace Beery co-star.
Clark Gable plays Captain Alan Gaskell, at the helm of a ship bound for Singapore; and trying to shake off his unwelcome stowaway, former mistress Dolly "China Doll" Portland (Jean Harlow). Adding even more complications is Gaskell's prim fiancee Sybil Barclay (Rosalind Russell). The love triangle is set against the Hong Kong-Singapore voyage, complete with a ferocious storm and a pirate attack.
CHINA SEAS is a briskly-paced romantic adventure, peppered with razor sharp dialogue. Clark Gable and Jean Harlow fall effortlessly back into the easygoing chemistry they shared in "Red Dust". In a severely under-written role (which might have originally been pegged for Mary Astor), Rosalind Russell tries her best; Wallace Beery puts in a good-humored performance as the resident heel of the piece.
The DVD includes Vitaphone musical short "A Girl's Best Years", Fitzpatrick TravelTalk short "Cherry Blossom Time in Japan", and the trailer. Also available as part of Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)
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