Passport to China (1960)

An unusual Hammer offering, 26 November 2020

Don Benton (Richard Basehart) is a former WWII pilot running a travel agency out of Hong Kong.  He’s approached by a government official about help with locating a downed plane inside mainland China.  The plane was carrying an agent with vital secret information.  At first Benton doesn’t want to help, but changes his mind when he discovers the plane’s pilot is an old friend.

Passport to China (lor Visa to Canton) is a different sort of Hammer film.  Spy/adventure films aren’t what you normally associate with Hammer.  Overall, this one goes over about as well as a lead balloon.  It’s dull, overly talkative, and lacks any sort of real suspense.  The mission is handled all too easily and all too casually by Benton.  He just sort of waltzes into Canton, shoots a Russian official, and makes his way back to Hong Kong - easy peasy.  As with most Hammer films, director Michael Carreras isn’t helped by the limited budget.  The stagebound sets are distracting.  But not as distracting as the non-Asian actors poorly playing Asian roles.  Athene Seyler looks downright silly in her Chinese get-up speaking a sort of horrible pigeon English.  Finally, there’s lead actor Richard Basehart.  He’s just all wrong form the role. He never comes across as anyone capable of pulling off the mission he’s faced with.  It’s poor casting and a poor performance.  

3/10