The central topic in this story is human traffic, in particular, one gang that is smuggling Chinese labour into the USA. The illegal aliens are brought in by plane or by sea and distributed through-out various communities where the gangs make a business an offer that they should not refuse or else. In San Francisco, shop owner Ching Wah Lee (Quan Lin) is approached by the gang but refuses to play along and take up the labour offer. That evening, he and his daughter, Anna May Wong (Lan Ying Lin) are invited to dinner by wealthy customer Cecil Cunningham (Mrs Hunt), who is hosting an undercover detective Philip Ahn (Kim Lee) who is in town to bust the people-smuggling crooks. However, they don't make it and here begins the tale of murder and revenge as Wong takes it upon herself to root out this particular gang and bring them to justice. Ahn has his methods and Wong has hers. They need to work together...
Quite a lot happens in this film so it is not lacking in action. It also has moments of suspense as well as a really cool club that I would love to hang out in. It's a cheap dive in a port on a small Central American island where significant shenanigans take place. This is where Wong joins a troupe of dancing girls and the atmosphere is hot and sleazy. "Nice'n'Sleazy does it" sang the Stranglers in homage to this club.
For some reason Ching Wah Lee isn't given a credit even though he is the trigger for the whole film and has a significant role. Outrageous! Also, why is Philip Ahn so far down the cast list - he is the leading man, for goodness sake!
The cast are ok - look out for Anthony Quinn as the ruthless pilot at the film's beginning, whose action on being tracked by a Government plane serves to illustrate that the cargo of people is nothing more than a $ sign.
This lack of care for fellow human beings is still going on today as seen very openly by the people smuggling gangs sending over 'migrants' in dinghies only to see them capsize in the waters with continual loss of life. I am shocked how we never put a solution in place to anything truly dangerous yet we obsess with trivial domestic health and safety laws, eg, you can't stand on a footstool without a second person being present in case you fall over! The world is indeed bonkers.
Quite a lot happens in this film so it is not lacking in action. It also has moments of suspense as well as a really cool club that I would love to hang out in. It's a cheap dive in a port on a small Central American island where significant shenanigans take place. This is where Wong joins a troupe of dancing girls and the atmosphere is hot and sleazy. "Nice'n'Sleazy does it" sang the Stranglers in homage to this club.
For some reason Ching Wah Lee isn't given a credit even though he is the trigger for the whole film and has a significant role. Outrageous! Also, why is Philip Ahn so far down the cast list - he is the leading man, for goodness sake!
The cast are ok - look out for Anthony Quinn as the ruthless pilot at the film's beginning, whose action on being tracked by a Government plane serves to illustrate that the cargo of people is nothing more than a $ sign.
This lack of care for fellow human beings is still going on today as seen very openly by the people smuggling gangs sending over 'migrants' in dinghies only to see them capsize in the waters with continual loss of life. I am shocked how we never put a solution in place to anything truly dangerous yet we obsess with trivial domestic health and safety laws, eg, you can't stand on a footstool without a second person being present in case you fall over! The world is indeed bonkers.