Visa to Canton

"Visa to Canton" is not an especially believable movie and a lot of the 'Asians' in the film where white folks in makeup and prosthetics...two big strikes against the movie. Despite this, I still enjoyed watching it and perhaps you will as well.

Richard Basehart plays Don Benton, an American who lives in Hong Kong...doing business as a travel agent. His political stances are not strong at all...he just wants to make money helping travelers. Out of the blue, he's approached by an American agent that want him to go into communist China to do a job for them. He refuses, but soon goes when he learns more. It seems that a good friend of his is a pilot and his plane went down near Canton. So, he sneaks in and rescues him. Well, this isn't all the agent wanted him to do, as three folks on the plane aren't accounted for...and he wants him to go back and find them. Will Don go...or will common sense keep him in Hong Kong.

The film is fast-paced and simple entertainment...nothing fancy nor sophisticated here...just a nice old adventure film.

By the way, the segment where they talk about the Chinese people going out to massacre the sparrows...that REALLY did happen. The Chinese government decided that sparrows were eating too many of the crops and they ordered everyone to go outside and make lots of noise and do everything they can to kill the birds by exhaustion. It worked and millions were killed. But soon they realized the stupidity of the plan, as bugs were now unchecked and the crops were completely decimated...killing millions due to starvation. Don't believe me? Read up on it...it's a very strange bit of Chinese history.