Hong Kong Confidential (1958)

Very Cool!!!

How sad is this?

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

"Hong Kong Confidential" is a product of the Cold War era. The plot is all about Soviet attempts to destabilize a country by kidnapping a young prince and forcing his father to sign a peace treaty with them...or the kid will die! While this seems like a dopey plot, the Soviets DID involve themselves in many assassinations and arrests in order to force free countries into the communist bloc. Sadly, however, the film itself is very pedestrian and ordinary.Gene Barry plays a special secret American agent. He's carefully created the persona of a devil-may-care guy who will do practically anything for money...and he's a successful lounge singer. This part is pretty funny, as Barry's singing is god-awful to the point where it must have elicited a few laughs in the theaters! He follows clues which take him to the prince...but this may not matter very much, as the kidnappers welcome him...and plan on killing him and making him appear to have been one of the kidnappers!Ordinary in every way (at best). Okay acting, okay direction and an okay plot...this film is clearly mediocre and mostly what I could consider a time passer.

It's Gene Barry vs. the Commies in this workmanlike programmer that merits one watch, but no more. Barry even gets to sing, twice; you may feel free to fast forward through those parts. Allison Hayes has a small role as a gold-smuggling villainess and she is a real knockout - I would place her in Jane Russell's league, and that is a compliment indeed. There is a voice-over narration running throughout "Hong Kong Confidential", and it often states things that we already know; nonetheless, it gives the film a nice matter-of-factness, plus the narrator has a great voice. The ending is a little rushed, but on the whole this is an adequate second-feature. **1/2 out of 4.

This low-budget, back-lot Cold War thriller casts Gene Barry as American secret agent Casey Reed who masquerades as a lounge singer when he isn't conducting undercover operations for Uncle Sam. The evil Communists have kidnapped the son of an Arab monarch in the fictitious county of Thamen and the NATO agents have only two weeks to find him before the Arabs hand over their tiny state to the Soviets. NATO wants to build a missile base in Thamen, but the Soviets try to thwart this move with the abduction of Prince Abdul. "Jet Attack" director Edward L. Cahn and Oscar-nominated scenarist Orville H. Hampton keep things moving quickly in this inconsequential but atmospheric, nail-biter as Reed heads off to Macao after he misses getting vital information from an Englishman, Dennis Brooks (Brian Roper), who has information about Prince Abdul.British Secret Service agent John Blanchard (Michael Pate of "Hondo"), contacts Reed's superior, CIA Field Chief Dan Young (King Calder), about Brooks' former girlfriend. Elena Martine (Allison Hayes of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman") knows a thing or two about smuggling gold. Reed concocts a crazy scheme to smuggle gold into Hong Kong after his accompanist Fay Wells (Beverly Tyler) complains that Casey is running off and leaving her again. Reed assures her that she will one day be able to afford expensive baubles when he figures out his scheme for sure-fire gold smuggling. Reed leaves Fay and heads off to Macao where he manages to track down Elena. Elena and his boss Owen Howard (Noel Drayton) like Casey's idea and decide to test it by having him take $50-thousand dollars worth of genuine gold in fake jewelry to Hong Kong. The night before he takes off for Hong Kong, Casey sneaks into the warehouse where Howard's office is located and discovers a medallion with palm trees on it. Immediately, he suspects that Howard and Elena may have something to do with the disappearance of Prince Abdul. The villains observe Casey meeting Blanchard at Customs and witness the passage of the medallion. They nab Blanchard before he can turn the information over to the local authorities. Inevitably, to test Casey and determine if he is an American CIA agent, Howard offers him the opportunity to kill Blanchard. The valiant British agent surprises everybody and makes a break before Casey can kill him. As it turns out, the clock is ticking down to the final minutes when the Arab monarch will sign an agreement with the Soviets to do as they wish in his country. Howard decides to kill the young Prince as well as Casey and frame the Americans for kidnapping the monarch's son. Predictably, Casey overpowers Elena when he offers to light her cigarette and the tiny country of Thamen is saved from enslaved by the Soviets. This qualifies as a rainy day thriller that will like the potboiler that it is keep you distracted throughout its 68 minute running time. Barry is fine as the secret agent, but the nightclub act is dubious. The rest of the cast perform well in small roles.

I just got through watching this. This is a good little spy movie for the time. It seems totally made on sets so it has a "made for TV" feel, but good quality. And I am not sure what to think of Gene Barry's singing for a guy touted as a good singer, and got a scholarship, and won contests, and was in musical shows, etc...he can't seem to sing a lick in this film, OR...that is what he is playing, a BAD LOUNGE SINGER. Which is likely...You can say you have "seen everything" after you see this.It has many Bond Movie elements, except for looking at his watch while kissing the girl,and 5 years before Dr. No. It has bad girl, good girl. A favorite drink, it seems. An undercover ID. A charming and relaxed manner, especially under pressure. A Lighter type character, a contact agent, but no gadgets, no secretary, just the good girl/bad girl conflict. No cool car...so a low budget prototype, which holds up pretty well. Some pretty good action for what it is.I liked other movies and shows Mr. Barry was in. Thanks for the entertainment, and R.I.P.I was entertained.