Peking Express (1951)

Set in the People's Republic Of China, a doctor (Joseph Cotten) with the World Health Organization is traveling on the express train to Peking to perform an operation on a high ranking Nationalist general. His fellow passengers include an old flame (Corinne Calvet), a Catholic priest (Edmund Gwenn), a communist reporter (Benson Fong) and a mysterious businessman (Marvin Miller). Directed by William Dieterle (HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME), this is a remake of the 1932 Josef von Sternberg film SHANGHAI EXPRESS. It's been updated to make an emphasis on the "horrors" of communism which turns the film, unintentionally or not, into one those typical 1950s "red scare" movies. The movie lapses into ludicrousness toward the end when the peace loving doctor played by Cotten suddenly grabs a machine gun and starts killing commies. I have a soft spot for movies set on trains so I might be more tolerant of it than others. The film is nicely shot in B&W by Charles Lang (SOME LIKE IT HOT) and has a rousing score by Dimitri Tiomkin. With Soo Yong and Victor Sen Yung.