1938's "International Settlement" refers to the heart of Shanghai China (the shooting title was "Shanghai Deadline"), during the time when Japanese air raids bombed the city. George Sanders stars as Del Forbes, a soldier of fortune who agrees to impersonate a munitions dealer (Pedro de Cordoba) set to collect 200,000 English pounds for a little dishonest wheeling and dealing. Joseph Lang (Harold Huber) and his partner Murdock (John Carradine) complete the transaction by turning the money over to Forbes in a handy money belt; unfortunately, Monte Silver (Leon Ames) also covets the fortune, and sends his chanteuse wife Lenore (Dolores Del Rio) over to kill Forbes before the money changes hands. Lenore winds up falling for Forbes instead, and after some minor intrigues dragged out for 80 minutes, the survivors are all gathered together on a boat bound for the US, where the villains get their just desserts. Sanders proves why he would make a good Simon Templar, alias The Saint, the following year, and Dolores Del Rio, truly one of Hollywood's most beautiful stars, manages to overcome a somewhat clichéd part (and receives top billing). Among the numerous Asian actors in attendance are Keye Luke, playing a sympathetic doctor, Victor Wong (blink and you'll miss him) as a rickshaw driver, and Victor Sen Yung, still a year away from his debut as Jimmy Chan, playing dual non-speaking roles as a bellboy, and later an onlooker in the street. John Carradine has another disappointingly small part (typical of his Fox roles, just four scenes), but he does very well indeed; dressed in an immaculate white suit, complete with pipe and Scottish accent, the bearded actor warily eyes Forbes during the money trade off, then winds up getting shot with his partner later on, but that's not the last we see of him. He looks very much like his President Lincoln in "Of Human Hearts," shot and released at the same time, only without the elaborate makeup. Carradine would go on to make quite a few features with George Sanders: "Four Men and a Prayer," "Mr. Moto's Last Warning," "Man Hunt," "Son of Fury," and "The Private Affairs of Bel Ami."
Review of International Settlement
