Disputed Passage

1939
Approved
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

172

YOUR RATING

John Howard, Dorothy Lamour, and Akim Tamiroff in Disputed Passage (1939)

Drama Romance War

A doctor's medical studies are threatened by his infatuation with a Chinese girl. The girl returns to China, but complications ensue when she runs into him in Nanking during a Japanese bombi... Read allA doctor's medical studies are threatened by his infatuation with a Chinese girl. The girl returns to China, but complications ensue when she runs into him in Nanking during a Japanese bombing raid.A doctor's medical studies are threatened by his infatuation with a Chinese girl. The girl returns to China, but complications ensue when she runs into him in Nanking during a Japanese bombing raid.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

172

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since; its earliest documented telecasts took place in Denver Friday 1 May 1959 on KBTV (Channel 9) and in Seattle Monday 20 July 1959 on KIRO (Channel 7); it was released on DVD 1 November 2016 as part of the Universal Vault Series.

Goofs
Lamour and the Chinese actors variously speak Cantonese and Mandarin, but have no trouble understanding each other. (Though in fairness, this inattention to differences in foreign cultures was quite common back then.)

Crazy credits
The novel's author, Lloyd Douglas, appears briefly during the opening credits, writing a note telling us he approves of the adaptation and hopes we enjoy it.

User reviews4

Review

Featured review

8/10

Father, Son and the Holy Spirit

Father represents the OLD: The art of the miracle (medical treatment/well-being/health) is practiced in the temples (hospitals) and the masses should visit the temple to receive the miracle.

The Holy Spirit puts the idea in the Son's head that the miracle should not be confined to the temples and be taken to the masses.

The Son is drawn to a MISSION in a remote location by the Holy Spirit where he receives his spiritual/religious/shamanic initiation by sharing his GIFT with the masses.

The Holy Spirit was a mystery to me in its role until recently when I had a revelation that one of the sure-shot sign of its role is to guide the Son into doing what he would never had thought of doing himself AND TO MAKE HIM DO IT ALL BY HIMSELF. You see, A GHOST: only the son can see it and receive guidance from it, but the son is doing all the work himself. Like Tyler Durden in Fight Club.

Here, the role of The Holy Spirit is played by Audrey. Watch this film and do a thought experiment: what if Audrey is Tyler Durden? The revelation doesn't change the story at all. Because all the charitable work is shown to be done by The Son. She just puts the idea in his head... that's all.

And in the end, it's his head where she impresses her presence and revives him AFTER the father acknowledges her role.

A brilliant story!