The Shanghai Gesture (1941)

I've only seen this film once before -- a long time ago -- and I had fond memories of a baroque folly.  Although it does boast one of the most unusual casts ever assembled and although it is a late hurrah from director Josef von Sternberg (Marlene Dietrich's favourite and the brain behind the amazing "Scarlet Empress"), it was in fact something of a disappointment the second time around.  What we are presented with is a highly stylized and unreal Shanghai filled with larger than life characters who come and go at the gambling den run by Mother Gin Sling.  In the play on which the film was based, it was a brothel and the character's name was Mother Goddam.  She in turn is played by Ona Munson (who was also a madam in "Gone with the Wind") who looks not at all Chinese, but definitely is a most exotic creation.  Others in evidence are Walter Huston, Victor Mature in an early role as an Arab doctor, burly Mike Mazurki as a coolie (!), Eric Blore on crutches,  a silent Maria Ouspenskaya, Albert Basserman, and the positively gorgeous Gene Tierney as the main protagonist -- I finally realised that the poor dear was actually a terrible actress, but my gracious she looked great.  All their dramas are played out on elaborate sets framed by mighty murals which were painted by the Chinese actor Keye Luke (Charlie Chan's Number One Son).  Put all of this together and a curiosity remains, but frankly not a particularly great movie.