The first in our Quine / William Holden double bill we hadn't seen before. Street-smart, illiterate prostitute Nancy Kwan becomes artist Holden's model / friend in Hong Kong. Meanwhile Sylvia Syms falls for the artist but he's falling in love himself..
Filmed much on location, (thus I actually could have seen my mum or dad in the background at any point) by Geoffrey Unsworth, and at MGM British; he and production designer John Box cunningly disguise the joins. Have actually eaten at Sea Palace restaurant. (Well, it may have been the Jumbo. But it's the same sort of thing.) Edited by Bert Bates again.
It's an exotic feeling film, which works well primarily because of Kwan, who was spotted by Ray Stark dancing in the British Ballet School and cast in her debut. Maybe that's why she's so good - she hadn't had the time to pick up any actorly tricks. Her later career was patchy.
Oh yes, someone wrote it. Novel = Richard Mason. Adaptation = Paul Osborn. Screenplay = John Patrick. There are other ways the plot could have gone. She might have disappeared and despite his attempts to find her she remains gone, so he drifts into relationship with Syms - a sort of L'Avventura. Or, that happens, but it's only Act Two, and maybe in the third act she reappears, with his child. But I like it the way it is - he's going to look after her... though whether he continues to paint remains to be seen..
With Laurence Naismith, Michael Wilding, Jacqui Chan, Bernard Cribbins (completely missed him), Ronald Eng (waiter).
Stuff with her friends / prostitutes and sailors is all good.
There's possibly more cheongsams in it than even In the Mood For Love.
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