CHINATOWN NIGHTS (1929) Wallace Beery, Florence Vidor & Warner Oland | Action, Drama |B&W|Cinema Gem

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Chinatown Nights, also known as Tong War, is a 1929 film starring Wallace Beery and begun as a silent film then finished as an all-talking sound one via dubbing. Directed by William A. Wellman and released by Paramount Pictures, Chinatown Nights also stars Florence Vidor, former wife of director King Vidor, who did not dub her own voice and quit the movie business immediately afterward, preferring not to work in sound films; her voice in Chinatown Nights was supplied by actress Nella Walker. The supporting cast includes Warner Oland as a Chinese gangster and Jack Oakie as a stuttering reporter. The movie was based upon the story "Tong War" by Samuel Ornitz.

Synopsis

Society woman Joan Fry falls in love with Chuck Riley, the white leader of a powerful gang in Chinatown, and he quickly drags her down into the depths with him. But seeing her so much in love with him causes him to realize that he is in love with her, and he determines to lift her up again. "Boston" Charley, the rival gang-leader, has other plans.

Cast & Crew

Wallace Beery as Chuck Riley
Florence Vidor as Joan Fry (voice dubbed by Nella Walker)
Warner Oland as Boston Charley
Jack McHugh as the Shadow
Jack Oakie as the Reporter

Directed by: William A. Wellman
Written by: Samuel Ornitz (story), Ben Grauman Kohn, Oliver H.P. Garrett, William B. Jutte
Produced by: David O. Selznick
Cinematography: Henry W. Gerrard
Edited by: Alyson Shaffer
Music by: Max Bergunker, Gerard Carbonara, Karl Hajos (all uncredited)
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date: March 30, 1929
Running time: 83 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English