Thursday, April 6, 2023 @ 7:00pm
“Shanghai Express” is a part of the collaboration with Union College Film Studies titled “Breaking the Rules: Great Women of the Pre-Code Era,” curated by Professor Jenelle Troxell. Professor Troxell and her colleagues will introduce several Pre-Code Hollywood classics and participate in an informed Q&A about each film immediately afterward.
This film’s Q&A will be led by Union College’s Megan M. Ferry, Professor of Chinese. This film is also a part of “Hollywood’s Golden Age Movie Series.”
Synopsis: In Peking, China, during a civil war, British Capt. Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) meets his old flame Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich) and learns with dismay that she has become a courtesan known as Shanghai Lily. Both are traveling to Shanghai via train, and while they grow reacquainted, they remain unaware that they are traveling with spy and rebel army leader Henry Chang (Warner Oland). On Chang’s orders, his forces attack the train, terrorize the passengers and hold Donald hostage.
1932. Run time 1 hour 22 minutes. Not rated.
