IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
When earthy Dolly Portland is rejected by Captain Gaskell in favor of a socialite, she aids Jamesy McCardle, in league with Malay pirates, in his plot to seize Gaskell's ship.When earthy Dolly Portland is rejected by Captain Gaskell in favor of a socialite, she aids Jamesy McCardle, in league with Malay pirates, in his plot to seize Gaskell's ship.When earthy Dolly Portland is rejected by Captain Gaskell in favor of a socialite, she aids Jamesy McCardle, in league with Malay pirates, in his plot to seize Gaskell's ship.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Liev De Maigret
- Mrs. Vollberg
- (as Live de Maigret)
Lilian Bond
- Mrs. Timmons
- (as Lillian Bond)
Charles Coleman
- Undetermined Secondary Role
- (scenes deleted)
Edward McWade
- Undetermined Secondary Role
- (scenes deleted)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJean Harlow wore a wig for this film. She had cut her hair shorter and was letting her natural color grow in. But for the scene where her character Dolly is soaked, the wig could not be used because it would look fake. Thus for a few seconds Harlow's hair is shorter and a different color.
- Goofs(at around 48 mins) During the storm when Jamesy MacArdle grabs China Doll and swings her around in his room towards his dresser, her dress strap comes down revealing what appears to be her bare breast. She quickly lifts her strap and continues.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in a computer colorized version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
- SoundtracksOn the Road To Mandalay
(1907) (uncredited)
Music by Oley Speaks
Lyrics by Rudyard Kipling
Variation played as part of the score during the opening credits and at the end
Featured review
A great story and a great cast. If you set aside all the early Hollywood traps about racism and sexism, this is a terrific and watchable romance/adventure.
The story is very similar to Gable's later film, "Mogambo." He's the adventurous cad who loves two women - a beautiful ice-queen who represents his link to civilization (Russell); and the cute but stubborn and uncouth "woman of the world" who has the capacity to betray him when it suits her (Harlow). This movie is very well acted. I've always said that if you give Gable an affectation to fall back on, he does extremely well. Here, he's a barking sea captain, which, almost by accident, gives his performance a better range than it otherwise would have. I don't really like Harlow, but she's good in her role.
The editing is a bit strange - many closeups are too obviously added in later, but I guess I can partially forgive this because of the time it was made. It really shows how Harlow was on a roll when she was with the rest of the cast, though. Because these individual shots do not fit in with the movie at all.
There's some amazing effects during the typhoon sequence, with a steam engine running loose on the deck - and you actually see people get run over and flattened. It's disconcerting even though you realize the camera tricks involved. Very inventive for its day.
The story is very similar to Gable's later film, "Mogambo." He's the adventurous cad who loves two women - a beautiful ice-queen who represents his link to civilization (Russell); and the cute but stubborn and uncouth "woman of the world" who has the capacity to betray him when it suits her (Harlow). This movie is very well acted. I've always said that if you give Gable an affectation to fall back on, he does extremely well. Here, he's a barking sea captain, which, almost by accident, gives his performance a better range than it otherwise would have. I don't really like Harlow, but she's good in her role.
The editing is a bit strange - many closeups are too obviously added in later, but I guess I can partially forgive this because of the time it was made. It really shows how Harlow was on a roll when she was with the rest of the cast, though. Because these individual shots do not fit in with the movie at all.
There's some amazing effects during the typhoon sequence, with a steam engine running loose on the deck - and you actually see people get run over and flattened. It's disconcerting even though you realize the camera tricks involved. Very inventive for its day.
- How long is China Seas?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Žuti pakao
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,138,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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