John Wayne vs. Chinese Communists

In the 1950s, patriotic, conservative actor John Wayne joined the bandwagon of those who believed that Communism was a serious threat to the U.S. These were the days of the cold war and McCarthyism. While some, such as Senator McCarthy, used the "Red Scare" for political purposes, there were those, such as Wayne, who were sincerely concerned about Communist threats. Historians are still debating whether the threats were real or not. It didn't matter to John Wayne or studio head Jack Warner, who agreed to make a series of films dealing with the perceived dangers of Communism.

Some of the anti-communist films Wayne made for Warner Brothers, such as "Big Jim McLain," seem very dated and even silly at times, but "Blood Alley" remains a good action adventure film with some real twists. Wayne again worked with veteran director "Wild Bill" Wellman, who had directed one of Wayne's most popular films, "The High and The Mighty," the previous year (1954). Wellman, who had directed the first film to win a Best Picture Oscar way back in 1927, "Wings," was nearing the end of his career. Although Wellman's energies were clearly diminishing, he still managed to put some exciting touches into the film, along with charm and humor, as he depicted how Wayne led a group of Chinese villagers to freedom on a battered, aging ferryboat, from the People's Republic of China to Hong Kong (then still a British crown colony).

Wayne was paired for the first time with Lauren Bacall, who was then married to the legendary Humphrey Bogart. (Years later, they again worked together in John Wayne's final film, "The Shootist.") While the romantic elements are shaky in the film, they clearly worked well together. Bacall often played strong, determined women and this is one of her better performances. Wayne and Bacall were joined by a mostly Chinese cast, along with an emerging young actress named Anita Ekberg, who would later achieve some notoriety in her famous wading scene in "La Dolce Vita." Try and spot Ekberg in the film; she is heavily made-up as a Chinese villager. Another non-Chinese actor in the film is beefy Mike Mazurki, who often played heavies or sidekicks in films; this is one of Mike's more likeable characters, as he assists Wayne on the ferryboat.

Of all of Wayne's anticommunist films, "Blood Alley" is probably the best because it is entertaining and exciting. Underscoring the action is a very enchanting musical score by Roy Webb, who benefited from the excellent Warner Brothers studio orchestra.

:)

This is so cheesy and hammy, that I love it. Also, it helps that is was shot quite beautifully. "The bleeding heart of China--you can pin one on me, baby." Or something to that effect. Delightful cheese.

Blood Alley

I enjoyed the movie, even though I have seen it many times, it is still an excellent movie to watch. Lauren Bacall and John Wayne are some of my favorite actors.