Blood Alley (1955)

Too much of everything

People are voting emotionally.

How sad is this?

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Outside of his Western and war films, John Wayne sometimes appears to be a bit out of his element. That's the way it struck me here, teamed up in a film opposite Lauren Bacall in a tale of Chinese villagers looking for a way to escape the depredations of the Chinese Communists. With most of the story taking place aboard a crusty, old paddle wheeler, I couldn't help make the connection to Bacall's escapade with Bogie aboard the African Queen, especially when the 'Chiku Shan' made it's way through the reed choked channel to outsmart the Reds. Bogart had to pull his boat along all by himself, fortunately Wayne had the entire village towing him along to make the escape.I had to place myself back in the day and began to wonder who in 1955 might have been the target audience for a film like this. I just don't see the subject matter to be of much interest to most movie goers, so if John Wayne's name at the top of the bill was supposed to pack them in, well then, I suppose that might have worked. I've read a few reviews where it was noted he was a replacement for Robert Mitchum in the role of Captain Wilder, but quite honestly, I don't see Mitchum as pulling it off successfully either. It could be just me.Now if you fast forward twenty years and put John Wayne and Lauren Bacall in a Western setting and call it "The Shootist", I think you might have something. Actually, that one is my favorite John Wayne film of all time with Bacall's character Bond Rogers connecting with Wayne's J.B. Books in a hint of a romance that engenders mutual respect. It was a lot more credible than the relationship on display here; I think 'baby' would agree with me on that one.

His ship seized by the Chinese Communists, American Merchant Captain Tom Wilder (John Wayne) languishes in prison but Chinese villagers help him escape to sail them to Hong-Kong.Wayne plays a role originally intended for Robert Mitchum prior to an altercation with the producers. Mitchum was fired from the production by Wellman. Wayne took over the lead after Gregory Peck turned the film down and Humphrey Bogart requested a large amount of money to assume the role.Many people have focused on the way China and the Chinese are treated in the film. Many of the Chinese roles are filled by obviously non-Chinese actors. And because this is shortly after the Korean War, Chinese-American relations are not great. But I think Wayne getting the part is the more interesting story... this is clearly a role Mitchum would have dominated at, Peck would have brought acting chops to, and Bogart would have the Bacall rapport. But Wayne? Other than his fan base, he seems like an unlikely choice.

This movie seems to get a bum rap in John Wayne histories as a trite anti communist movie, just pushing Wayne's right wing politics. Speaking as a long time leftie, it is worth noting the politics in China was not Marxist socialism at the time but a fascist dictatorship under Mao. And shocking as this may seem the film, while the communist are the heavies, is not anti-Chinese but is about the Duke taking a group of boat people to safety over terrible waterways in a rickety boat where they are received by a British soldier with the words "Refugees God bless them" Like that would happen today. More likely to spend the next 10 years in a refugee camp than get a welcome. A curious thing that a film made by someone who is often accused of being a right wing extremist is so 'liberal' in its response to refugee issues.The character is not quite in the usual Duke mode. Apparently they were negotiating with Bogart to do the role and then Duke had to step in and its a little like they did not change the role to make it a John Wayne role. There is a little bit of Casablanca 'I stick my neck out for nobody' before he comes to support the villagers wholeheartedly. And a little bit of African Queen bum. Wayne is a lot less heroic than usual, the bravest thing he does is steer the boat and save the heroine from being raped by using a gin with a bayonet. He even needs a couple of Chinese monks to help him when he can't punch out one small Chinese assassin. And the Chinese are the ones who do all the planning, work out how to get away and solve most of the problems.The costuming is interesting too. Wayne either looks ridiculous (intentionally) in European clothing 3 sizes too big for him, or wears a Chinese villager's costume that integrates him into the village.The film is beautifully shot, William Clothier is the photographer, and the old ferry they use sort of has an African Queen quality to her, a character in herself.Lauren Bacall is Lauren Bacall but at least she and Duke have some chemistry going. The kiss at the end looks like they are really connecting not like Duke is wishing to god he is somewhere else which can happen with some leading ladies. Some people have criticised the talking to "Baby" but I thought it was rather fun and a really clever way to get some quick exposition.The film does have European actors playing Chinese, including the buffoon, but most of the performances are pretty restrained and not caricatures. There is a little bit of fifties pigeon English, mimicked quite affectionately by Duke and Laureen Bacall but as the character that does it is the one that pulls Wayne's character into line, it does not grate like some fifties films that use it.All in all, Blood Alley is a film I had not seen for a long time but surprised myself how much I enjoyed it and found quite relevant in its presentation of the boat people/ refugee picture.

Them poor, pesky redskins are given a break at last; this time its the commies' turn to take a larruping.Big John pretty well epitomised the United States as it saw itself on screen, and being a true patriot himself it's hardly surprising that he was co-opted for the purpose of national propaganda.The year 1955 is right at the heart of cold-war paranoia. The Chinese cultural revolution is under way. Though quite why Uncle Sam should think it necessary to demonise the Chinese is not quite clear. Russia was far and away a greater threat at the time. However...Here, he's a yank imprisoned by the Chinese, and sprung by corruption and bribery. His task is to pilot a steam ferry that a whole village mean to hijack and collectively sail to freedom. That means Hong Kong.It's a sturdy, 1950's 'Boy's-Own' adventure, a sort of 'Von Ryan's Express' with noodles. Many of the 'Chinese' actors are played by Caucasians, there being an evident shortage of trained English-speaking Oriental players. But non of them are quite so bad as Kurt Jurgen's comic parody in 'Inn Of The Sixth Happiness'. Slyly-vixenish Lauren Bacall provides the love interest as a fellow escapee. There isn't much for her to do than what she does best, and she gets little enough opportunity even then. There's plenty of interesting little surprises and turns. Action and irony are served-up in about equal measure. And, of course, the capitalist way prevails.The two things that I think let it down are the two for which it is mostly remembered. Firstly, Wayne's frequent confidential asides with his invisible familiar, referred to as 'Baby' come across as a little contrived these days. And likewise; the needlessly laboured emphasis on the evils of communism seem way out of place in a movie. Today, most people (in the west) are slightly better informed about the political shape of our planet than they were in the blinkered black & white times of MAD morality. Even those of us who grew up under its shadow find the old jargon a little jarring, now.Without these things I'd give it at least another point. As it is, the work seems to resemble a piece of Pentagon propaganda rather than imaginative entertainment.Still, there's some nice set-pieces and camera work, a believably created sense of place, an adequate script, and two top-dollar actors. Hardly collectible, but worth a wet afternoon.