China Gate (1957)
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45% of users liked it
(274 ratings)
Writer-director Samuel Fuller applies his kino-fist to this raw-boned war drama -- one of the first American films to deal with Vietnam. The film concerns the battle between the Vietnamese and the Chinese, through the efforts of a small band of soldiers to locate and destroy a hidden communist arms… More Writer-director Samuel Fuller applies his kino-fist to this raw-boned war drama -- one of the first American films to deal with Vietnam. The film concerns the battle between the Vietnamese and the Chinese, through the efforts of a small band of soldiers to locate and destroy a hidden communist arms depot. Gene Barry stars as Sgt. Johnny Brock, the cynical leader of the patrol, who is an American Korean War veteran. Leading the expedition to find the munitions dump is the half-Asian Lucky Legs (Angie Dickinson), Brock's ex-wife. One of Brock's less-endearing qualities is his rabid racism -- he can't accept the fact that their five-year-old son is completely Oriental in appearance. The other members of the patrol are also haunted by past memories -- Goldie (Nat "King" Cole) is a veteran of Korea and World war II who hates war and wants to see peace at all costs; Corporal Pigalle (George Givot) is an ex-French gendarme who doesn't like taking orders; and Private Andreades (Gerald Milton), is a hard-nosed Greek expatriate. When the patrol arrives at the compound, they are greeted by Major Cham (Lee Van Cleef), the communist commander who immediately falls in love with Lucky Legs -- complicating the situation immensely. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Samuel Fuller
- Written By
- Samuel Fuller
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Romance, Classics
PG,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1957 Wide
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though not one of Samuel Fuller's best films, it's still worth seeing as an early Hollywood drama-actioner about Indo-China and for Angie Dickinson, who became a star a year later.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Both the overloaded heroic war drama and the heavy-handed romance narrative have an air of phoniness.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Gene Barry
as Brock
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Angie Dickinson
as Lucky Legs
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Nat 'King' Cole
as Goldie
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Lee Van Cleef
as Maj. Cham
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George Givot
as Cpl. Pigalle
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Warren Hsieh
as The Boy
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Paul Dubov
as Capt. Caumont
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Gerald Milton
as Pvt. Andreades
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Neyle Morrow
as Leung
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Marcel Dalio
as Father Paul
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Maurice Marsac
as Col. De Sars
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Paul Busch
as Cpl. Kruger
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Sasha Harden
as Pvt. Jaszi
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James Hong
as Charlie
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Weaver Levy
as Khuan
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Walter Soo Hoo
as Guard
