Highly Overrated But Still Good

Disappointment for a huge fan!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

TARGET HONG KONG 1953 This low budget Cold War quickie was released by Columbia Pictures for independent producer Sam Katzman's Clover Productions.The film stars Richard Denning, Richard Loo, Philip Ahn, Nancy Gates, Michael Pate, Henry Kulky, Soo Yong and Ben Aster.The film is about soldier of fortune type Denning getting mixed up in a Red Chinese plot to invade Hong Kong. The Reds, led by Ben Aster and Richard Loo are bankrolling their plan with a spot of blackmail. They are forcing Chinese civilians to ask family in America for cash to ensure their safety.Aster and Loo are then funnelling the money to a triad operator, Soo Yong, in Hong Kong. Soo Yong is loyal to the Nationalist cause and believes that Aster and Soo are Nationalist agents. The money is being used to buy arms and pay for mercenaries.The Red plan is to fool Yong and the mercenaries into attacking Hong Kong. Then the Red Chinese will occupy Hong Kong and say that they are there to stop Nationalist aggression. (Far-fetched, but so what) Denning gets involved when he loses all his cash in a gambling club. He is offered a job working for a legitimate Nationalist spy cell. The cell is led by Philip Ahn. Also in the mix are several pals of Denning from the late war, Michael Pate and Henry Kulky.Denning is wired up with the latest in miniature two way radios gear, and sent back to the gambling den. (The radio stuff is worth the price of admission)It seems that the Commie Loo is often at the den passing money to owner, Yong.Of course a pretty girl, Nancy Gates, needs to be thrown into the story. Miss Gates happens to be the adopted daughter of the triad leader and club owner, Soo Yong. As all this is going on, the Reds have moved plenty of weapons and explosives into a series of tunnels running under Hong Kong. They plan on setting off a large bomb under Hong Kong Police headquarters.Now there is a whole series of fights and gun battles needed in order to throw the old monkey wrench into the Red plans. (There is plenty of stock footage from earlier Columbia productions used here) The Reds hash is finally settled with Denning filling Red leader, Aster, with a lead overdose. Of course Denning gets the girl, Gates, and Hong Kong is saved.This one is not as bad as I might be making it out to be. It rockets along with any plot holes nicely covered by the capable hand of b-film whiz, Fred C Sears. Between 1949 and 1958, Sears directed 50 lower end feature films. These include several well done works like, WORLD WITHOUT END, UTAH BLAINE, RUMBLE ON THE DOCKS, THE 49th MAN, CELL 2455 DEATH ROW and CHICAGO SYNDICATE.

I searched for this one since a while. A real rare gem. An anti-red yarn, of course, set in China. Richard Denning plays here an American adventurer, a lousy gambler, who is recruited by US and nationalist agents to help them to fight against communist subversive activities. Prevent the red to get weapons and ammunitions. Lots of action in this fast paced feature, very well done. This movie is directed by Fred Sears and produced by Wallace Mc Donald, far better than Sam Katzman, another Columbia Pictures producer.I recommend this one. You won't regret it.But it's not a masterpiece.