A beautiful temptress re-kindles an old romance while trying to escape her past during a tension-packed train journey.
In 1930s China, a group of disparate travelers boards the Shanghai Express, bound for Shanghai amidst the backdrop of civil war. Among the passengers is Shanghai Lily, a former courtesan traveling with her former lover, a British army surgeon. As the train is hijacked by a group of Chinese revolutionaries led by Hoi-Tang, tensions rise and old flames are rekindled amidst the danger.
Shanghai Express was a critical and commercial success upon its release, praised for its exotic atmosphere, thrilling plot, and Marlene Dietrich's star-making performance. It is considered a classic of pre-Code Hollywood and Josef von Sternberg's most commercially successful film.
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Won the Academy Award for Best Director (Josef von Sternberg) at the 5th Academy Awards. Nominated for Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
The film's cinematographer, Lee Garmes, won his Oscar for his work on Shanghai Express, although he shared the award with another cinematographer, Conrad Hall, who also worked on the film. The story of how Garmes won the Oscar is a bit unusual as he was fired from the film and replaced by Hall, but eventually Garmes was credited for his contribution.
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