China Venture

The interesting thing about this picture is it is based on a true story which at the time was highly classified, so the film could only be made eight years posthumously. A high Japanese officer of the secret service fails to land in the Chinese mountains, the plane crashes, and the officer, an admiral, is badly wounded. The Chinese bring the news about the crash to the Americans, who send a patrol into the jungle to save the admiral's life if possible and bring him down to the coast and to America, since he is likely to be in possession of highly vital information. The patrol sets off headed by Edmond O'Brien, who is always good, and a team of escorting soldiers and doctors with even a nurse. They reach the general after immense ordeals on the way, but there are complications as they are confronted with a Chinese war lord who demands money for the admiral, 60.000 dollars. Well, they did bargain for an arduous affair of uncertain outcome, and they were sure to get it, with naturally casualties on the way. The tension and excitement is all right throughout the movie, Don Siegel succeeds in keeping up the spirits and the action all the way, and also the Chinese actors are quite satisfactory. There is nothing wrong with this film, while its chief asset lies in its documentary value as a decisive instant in the difficult management of the war to bring it to an end. President Truman has the final say.