High Road to China (film)

Last updated
High Road to China
High Road to China.jpg
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
Screenplay by Sandra Weintraub
S. Lee Pogostin
Based on High Road to China
by Jon Cleary
Produced by Fred Weintraub
Starring
Cinematography Ronnie Taylor
Edited by John Jympson
Music by John Barry
Production
companies
Golden Harvest Company
City Films
Jadran Film
Pan Pacific Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Umbrella Entertainment
Fortune Star Media Limited
Release date
  • March 18, 1983 (1983-03-18)
Running time
105 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Yugoslavia
Hong Kong
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million
Box office$28.4 million

High Road to China (a.k.a. Raiders of the End of the World) is a 1983 American adventure-romance film set in the 1920s starring Tom Selleck in his first major starring role, playing a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve "Evie" Tozer (Bess Armstrong) to find her missing father (Wilford Brimley). The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film (released by Warner Bros.) is loosely based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jon Cleary. However, little beyond character names and the basic premise of an aerial race to China survived the translation to film.

Contents

While Brian G. Hutton ended up as the final director, originally, High Road to China was to be helmed by John Huston, and then Sidney J. Furie, before both left the project. The musical score was composed by John Barry. It was the 27th highest-grossing film of 1983, bringing in $28,445,927 at the domestic box office. [1]

Plot

Eve Tozer is a society heiress and flapper living the high-life in 1920s Istanbul. She needs to find her father, Bradley Tozer, before he is officially declared dead or risk losing her inheritance to his scheming business partner, Bentik. She only has 12 days. Eve hires World War I ace pilot Patrick O'Malley and his aircraft. O'Malley is eager to take the job as he needs to leave town rather urgently himself. Eve, also an accomplished pilot, however, is determined to accompany him in his other aircraft, which causes the first of many arguments on the way from Istanbul to China.

Their journey in two biplanes (named "Dorothy" and "Lillian" after the famous Gish silent film star sisters [2] ) through six countries leads them to finally find the eccentric Bradley Tozer in China, where he is helping a small village defend itself against a local warlord. Tozer informs O'Malley that all of the patents are in his name, and when he dies, they will be transferred to Eve. She will have all the real wealth when that happens. Also, he does not want to leave the place. The warlord attacks with his troops. Eve flies the remaining plane to help counter the attack. The battle is won, the warlord dies. The plane crashes, and thinking Eve is injured O'Malley rushes to her side. She is alive and well. The two of them kiss. End of movie.

Cast

Production

High Road to China is regarded as one of the 'imitators' that populated movie theaters in the years following Raiders of the Lost Ark . [3] However, as in the case of Romancing the Stone , another so-called 'imitator', the source material actually predated the aforementioned Lucasfilm production by four years. [4] [ circular reference ] Rumor has it that it was "given" to Selleck as a sort of consolation prize for having to pass on Raiders of the Lost Ark due to scheduling conflicts with Magnum, P.I. [5]

In early development, the film was slated to star Roger Moore and Jacqueline Bisset under the direction of John Huston. [6] Then Huston and Bissett dropped out and Bo Derek was to co star with Moore. The budget was to be $16 million. Then Derek dropped out because she only wanted to be directed by her husband. [7]

Filming for High Road to China took place in Yugoslavia with a crew of 231 (145 Yugoslavs, 60 British, 15 Italians, 10 Americans, and one Frenchman). They also added 50 Yugoslav actors to the speaking cast and hired 4,000 extras. Headquarters for the film company was in the small Adriatic coastal town of Opatija, Croatia, located on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Rijeka at the foot of Učka mountain. It was filmed in Opatija and Istria, Croatia. Scenes set in Afghanistan were shot at Kamenjak near Rijeka, while scenes set in Turkey were filmed at Volosko, and the final battle in China was shot in Boljun.

Originally, Bristol F2B replicas were built by Vernon Ohmert of Ypsilanti, Michigan. This aircraft type was in the novel, but after construction, the replicas were thought to be dangerous to fly at high altitude and were replaced by two Stampe SV-4 biplanes, (G-AZGC and G-AZGE), provided by Bianchi Aviation Film Services.

Reception

High Road to China was the only new wide release on the March 18–20 weekend, and debuted atop the box office with $6,156,049. [1] It eventually grossed over $28 million domestically. [1]

Contemporary critics found the movie to be a substandard imitation of Raiders of the Lost Ark. [8] Roger Ebert gave the film two stars (out of four), writing that it is a "lifeless" movie, "directed at a nice, steady pace, but without flair and without the feeling that anything's being risked." [9]

Tom Selleck later recalled:

Patrick O'Malley I'm very fond of ... There were actors at that point who had left a series and started a feature career, but there was no one at that point who was trying to do both at the same time. So that was unique. It also made the jury rather tough, because a lot of people didn't see it that way, so I was walking into an arena where that wasn't accepted. But it's a good movie. It holds up. [10]

Aerofiles, a historical aviation website, considered the film as "Strictly mediocre, with substandard action scenes and the flattest dialogue this side of the Great Wall." [11] Aviation film historian Christian Santoir said: "Arriving two years after 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Raiders of the End of the World' was in the same vein, despite certain missing qualities." [2] Film historian Stephen Pendo found High Road to China "... notable mainly for its aviation sequences, for it lacks character and plot development." [12]

C.J. Henderson reviewed High Road to China in The Space Gamer No. 63. [13] Henderson commented that "Unless one is looking for a pleasant, harmless, non-sexy, non-violent, disinteresting film to take the grandparents to its best to pass this one by." [13]

Christopher John reviewed High Road to China in Ares Magazine #14 and commented that "At best, it's cute, and somewhat endearing, but it's not what people who expect another Raider have in mind. Aside from its breath-taking photography, it is a simple movie which the media people have tried to target for the wrong audience." [14]

Honors

High Road to China was nominated for the 1984 Saturn Award as Best Fantasy Film, while Bess Armstrong was nominated as Best Actress at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films Festival. [15]

Home media

High Road to China was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in February 2012. [16] In February 2013, Umbrella Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> 1981 film directed by Steven Spielberg

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a globetrotting archaeologist vying with Nazi German forces to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant which is said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his tough former romantic interest Marion Ravenwood, Jones races to stop rival archaeologist René Belloq from guiding the Nazis to the Ark and its power.

<i>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</i> 1984 film directed by Steven Spielberg

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jones film series, but as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film features Harrison Ford who reprises his role as the title character. Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone and Ke Huy Quan, in his film debut, star in supporting roles. In the film, after arriving in British India, Indiana Jones is asked by desperate villagers to find a mystical stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery, black magic, and ritual human sacrifice in honor of the goddess Kali.

<i>In & Out</i> (film) 1997 comedy film directed by Frank Oz

In & Out is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz, written by Paul Rudnick, and starring Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Newhart, Shalom Harlow, and Wilford Brimley. Cusack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, but lost to Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Selleck</span> American actor (born 1945)

Thomas William Selleck is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1985. Since 2010, Selleck has co-starred as New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the series Blue Bloods. Beginning in 2005, he has portrayed troubled small-town police chief Jesse Stone in nine television films based on the Robert B. Parker novels.

Magnum, P.I. is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on the American television network CBS. Magnum, P.I. consistently ranked in the top 20 U.S. television programs in the Nielsen ratings during the first five years of its original run, finishing as high as number three for the 1982–83 season. The series entered syndication in 1986 under the title Magnum in order to differentiate reruns from new episodes still airing under the original title on CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilford Brimley</span> American actor (1934–2020)

Anthony Wilford Brimley was an American actor. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working odd jobs in the 1950s, Brimley started working as an extra and stuntman in Western films in the late 1960s. He became an established character actor in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as The China Syndrome (1979), The Thing (1982), Tender Mercies (1983), The Natural (1984), and Cocoon (1985). Brimley was known for playing characters at times much older than his age. He was the long-term face of American television advertisements for the Quaker Oats Company. He also promoted diabetes education and appeared in related television commercials for Liberty Medical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bess Armstrong</span> American actress (b. 1953)

Elizabeth Key "Bess" Armstrong is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films The Four Seasons (1981), High Road to China (1983), Jaws 3-D (1983), and Nothing in Common (1986). Armstrong also starred in the ABC drama series My So-Called Life and had lead roles in a number of made-for-television films.

<i>The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell</i> 1955 film by Otto Preminger

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell is a 1955 American CinemaScope biographical drama film directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Gary Cooper and co-starring Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger, and Elizabeth Montgomery in her film debut. The film is based on the notorious 1925 court-martial of General Billy Mitchell, who is considered a founding figure of the U.S. Air Force.

<i>Julie</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Andrew L. Stone

Julie is a 1956 American thriller starring Doris Day, Louis Jourdan, Barry Sullivan, and Frank Lovejoy. Produced by Day's own Arwin Productions, it is one of the earliest recognized stalker films. Both written and directed by Andrew L. Stone, the picture received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Original Screenplay and Best Song.

<i>Lassiter</i> (film) 1984 film by Roger Young

Lassiter is a 1984 American heist spy film starring Tom Selleck and Jane Seymour. The movie was made to cash in on Selleck's popularity as the character Thomas Magnum in the television show Magnum, P.I., but it failed to return its budget at the box-office on release. The Magnum, P.I. connection is perhaps most clearly seen by the movie poster tagline: The Magnum Man Hits the Big Screen with a Vengeance.

<i>Central Airport</i> (film) 1933 film

Central Airport is a 1933 American pre-Code aviation drama film directed by William A. Wellman, based on the John C. "Jack" Moffitt story, "Hawk's Mate". The film stars Richard Barthelmess and Sally Eilers. Central Airport was produced and released by Warner Bros., on April 15, 1933. John Wayne had an uncredited part in the film, playing a co-pilot, and this film features his first on-screen death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Chinn</span> Guyanese supporting actor

Anthony Chinn was a Guyanese actor based in England who appeared in over 50 films and television series throughout a career which spanned more than four decades.

<i>Lost in the Stratosphere</i> 1934 film by Melville W. Brown

Lost in the Stratosphere is a 1934 American aviation drama film directed by Melville W. Brown and starring William Cagney, Edward J. Nugent, and June Collyer. In one of his few roles in front of the cameras, Cagney was the lookalike younger brother of James Cagney.

<i>Cloud Dancer</i> 1980 American film

Cloud Dancer is a 1980 aviation drama film directed by Barry Brown. The film stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. Cloud Dancer follows a competition aerobatics pilot throughout his show season.

<i>China Clipper</i> (film) 1936 film by Ray Enright

China Clipper is a 1936 American drama film directed by Ray Enright, written by Frank Wead and starring Pat O'Brien, Ross Alexander, Beverly Roberts, Humphrey Bogart and, in his final motion-picture appearance, veteran actor Henry B. Walthall. Walthall was gravely ill during production and his illness was incorporated into his character's role. He died during production.

<i>High Road to China</i> (novel) Book by Jon Cleary

High Road to China is a 1977 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.

<i>The Fighting American</i> 1924 film

The Fighting American is a surviving 1924 American silent romantic drama film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and directed by Tom Forman. The young Mary Astor plays a young college student who is the object of desire in the eyes of the hero.

<i>The Flight That Disappeared</i> 1961 film by Reginald Le Borg

The Flight That Disappeared is a 1961 American science fiction film, produced by Robert E. Kent, directed by Reginald Le Borg, that stars Craig Hill, Paula Raymond, and Dayton Lummis. The film was released by United Artists.

<i>Jet Attack</i> 1958 film by Edward L. Cahn

Jet Attack is a 1958 American aviation war film set in the Korean War, featuring United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft.

<i>The Flying Fool</i> (1929 film) 1929 film by Tay Garnett

The Flying Fool is a 1929 aviation-themed film produced and distributed by Pathé Exchange as both a silent film and sound film just as Hollywood was transitioning to filming with sound. Tay Garnett directed and William Boyd, Russell Gleason and Marie Prevost starred.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "High Road to China". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Santoir, Christian (October 18, 2010). "Review: Raiders of the End of the World". Aeromovies (in French). Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  3. Whiteley, Aliya (January 10, 2014). "How High Road To China broke all the rules of adventure movies". Den of Geek . Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  4. High Road to China (novel)
  5. Bricken, Rob (March 6, 2014). "Tom Selleck sets the record straight about him and Indiana Jones". io9.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  6. Warga, Wayne. "Author! Author!: Upwardly Prolific Down Under". Los Angeles Times , July 4, 1980, p. e2.
  7. At the Moviews; The Man Behind Bad Timing; The New York Times September 19, 1980: C.6.
  8. "High Road to China (1983)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  9. Ebert, Roger (March 21, 1983). "High Road to China". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  10. Harris, Will. "Tom Selleck on Jesse Stone, Friends, and fighting for Magnum, P.I." The A.V. Club , October 14, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  11. "Review: 'High Road to China'." Aerofiles. Retrieved: December 4, 2015.
  12. Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. p. 31. ISBN   0-8-1081-746-2
  13. 1 2 Henderson, C.J. (May–June 1983). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer . Steve Jackson Games (63): 38–39.
  14. John, Christopher (Spring 1983). "Film". Ares Magazine . TSR, Inc. (14): 10.
  15. "Awards: 'High Road to China' (1983)." IMDb. Retrieved: December 4, 2015.
  16. "Dvd: 'High Road to China'". Archived February 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Umbrella Entertainment. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  17. "Blu-ray:'High Road to China'." Archived April 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Umbrella Entertainment. Retrieved: December 4, 2015.