Themes: Missionaries, Priceless Artifacts and Prized Objects, Cons and Scams
Main Cast: Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman, Richard Griffiths, Philip Sayer
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Madonna and Sean Penn, who were husband and wife at the time, starred in this notorious box-office bomb that one critic termed "Flop Suey." The film takes place in 1937, during the Japanese occupation of China. Drug runner Walter Faraday (Paul Freeman) is trying to leave the country with a large stash of opium but he is chased by armed guards and killed. A year passes and missionary Gloria Tatlock (Madonna) hires sleazy American con man Glendon Wasey (Sean Penn) to help her find the missing opium. She wants to use the drugs to relieve the suffering of wounded Chinese soldiers -- as she puts it, "Guns cause pain. Opium eases pain." Glendon reluctantly agrees. But unfortunately for the two do-gooders, there are other, more notorious seekers of the opium shipment as well. George Harrison, one of the film's producers, wrote the songs and appears in a cameo role as a nightclub singer. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Clyde Kusatsu - Joe Go; Sonserai Lee - China Doll; Prof. Toru Tanaka - Yamagani San; Michael Aldridge - Mr. Burns; Sarah Lam - China Doll's maid; Won Gam Bor - Rickshaw King; Michael Chow - Street Barker; To Chee Kan - China Doll's Boatman; Lim Kay Tong - Mei Gan; George She - Wu Ch'En She; Philip Tan - Ship's Officer; George Harrison - Nightclub Singer; Keith Bonnard - Maitre'D at Zig-Zag Club; David Li - Doorman at Zig-Zag Club; Claire Lutter - Prostitute; Samuel Tsao - Street Barker; Pamela Yang - Prostitute; Victor Wong - Ho Chong
Credit
David Minty - Art Director, John Siddall - Art Director, Robin Douet - Co-producer, Judy Moorcraft - Costume Designer, Jim Goddard - Director, Ralph Sheldon - Editor, George Harrison - Executive Producer, Denis O'Brien - Executive Producer, George Harrison - Composer (Music Score), Michael Kamen - Composer (Music Score), George Harrison - Songwriter, Jeff Lynne - Songwriter, Christine Beveridge - Makeup, Graham Freeborn - Makeup, Peter Mullins - Production Designer, Ernest Vincze - Cinematographer, John Kohn - Producer, Jack Stephens - Set Designer, Dave Beavis - Special Effects, David Watkin - Special Effects, Andrew Bradford - Stunts, Tracey Eddon - Stunts, John Kohn - Screenwriter, Tony Kenrick - Screenwriter, Robert Bentley - Screenwriter, Tony Kenrick - Book Author
Shanghai Surprise is a 1986Britishadventure/crime/romance film starring then-newlyweds Madonna and Sean Penn, produced by George Harrison's HandMade Films. Harrison appeared as a night club singer, and also recorded several songs for the film's soundtrack including the song "Breath Away From Heaven", which was re-recorded and released on his album Cloud Nine along with the song "Someplace Else", another track used in the film. The soundtrack for Shanghai Surprise was never released as a record or CD, and was only briefly available as a promotional single featuring the title song "Shanghai Surprise" and "Zig Zag"[1]. Both of these songs have since been released as "additional tracks" on the 2004 release of the "Cloud Nine" CD. Another track, "The Hottest Gong in Town", was included on "Songs by George Harrison Volume 2".
The screenplay was adapted by John Kohn and Robert Bentley from Tony Kenrick's 1978 novel Faraday's Flowers. The book was reprinted (under the film's title and with a film-centric cover) as a piece of tie-in merchandise for the film.
The movie was panned by critics and failed at the box office. It was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, "winning" one of them, Worst Actress for Madonna.
