THAT LADY FROM PEKING
Australia/US, 1970, 86 minutes.
Carl Betz, Nancy Kwan.
Directed by Eddie Davis.
That Lady From Peking is the third collaboration between Goldsworthy Productions and Commonwealth United. Three films were made on Australian locations with American stars and Australian supporting cast. This was in 1968-69 before the rebirth of the Australian industry. It Takes All Kinds and Colour Me Dead were quite effective routine thrillers. However, this film is rather poor. The films were written and directed by Eddie Davis. Jack Thompson and Tom Oliver amongst others can be seen in the supporting cast. Sid Melton tries his best in a gangster-comic role. However, the plot is complicated and rather unreal and many of the Hong Kong streets look remarkably like Sydney suburbs. There is use of Luna Park and Palm Beach and Bar Lighthouse. Of interest only as made in Australia.
1. The appeal of the action thriller? The standard of this film?
2. The conventions of the genre - Hong Kong backgrounds, gangsters, Russian and Chinese spies? Journalists? Tough attitudes, violence, sex? Comedy? The transition from Hong Kong to Australia? Chases? How well were these conventions used?
3. Location photography - Hong Kong, Australia? Special effects for fights and chases etc.? The score? Bobby Rydell's songs?
4. The plausibility and implausibility of the plot? The escape from Communist China, life in Hong Kong and spies and contacts,, violence? The transitions to Australia and the quick access of Chinese spies. Russian spies and ordinary citizens in getting into Australia and rushing round Australia chasing one another? Credible for this kind of plot - or far-fetched?
5. Max as hero - the escapee from China.. the possibility of writing his book? The contacts with the various women ~ Marissa? The being chased by the Russian spies and leaping out windows etc., off bridges,, disappearing? His relationship with Buddy? With Miss Singleton? The talks with the lady from Peking and the pursuit in Australia? Dangers, the final confrontation and the fight in the church? A credible hero or not?
6. The title and the reference to the Chinese spy, her presence in Hong Kong, the chase to Australia, the final pursuit and the fight in the church? Marissa and her courier service in Hong Kong - and her death? The daughter of the Russian writer and her presence on the ship, the time bomb, the chase in the church - and romance!
7. Buddy as the American singer, younger brother, his songs? His not knowing what was going on, the Luna Park chase, the boat off the lighthouse, the church?
8. The mixture of villains - Russians and their continually turning up, the toughs in Sydney, the Chinese? The attempts at characterisation - the action sequences?
9. The issues involved. the special effects to make them credible and the finale with the heroes disguised as monks!
10. The purpose of this kind of film - entertainment, television fodder? An Australian-American? co-production?
