I picked this up for very little, drawn partly by the fact it had Gene Tierney in and I had never heard of it. I was also drawn by the reminder of the David Bowie song! Maybe I should have steered clear, for while this probably does have its fans, this war drama was certainly not my cup of tea (Chinese or otherwise - sorry about that!). It is a ridiculous tale set in the early days of WW2 and George Montgomery spends about a third of his time escaping or avoiding the Japanese and the rest flirting, first with Lynn Bari and then quite unbelievably, Gene Tierney, who just as unbelievably plays the titular Chinese girl! Apart from Gene Tierney who is very effective, allowing for the fact you cannot accept there is anything Chinese about her, but the only other interest in the film are the politics. Here the Americans are sympathetic with the poor Chinese and try to help them as much as possible defend themselves against the Japanese who are portrayed appallingly. So Chinese good, Japanese bad - how things change.

Henry Hathaway starts this seldom-seen WW2 drama off with some of the most effectively brutal executions seen in a wartime movie. Then there's the scene where hero George Montgomery and Victor McLaglen crawl through a ditch of dead Chinese. As if 1942 audiences didn't hate the Japanese enough in the year since Pearl Harbor... The problem with China Girl is the Ben Hecht (I can't believe it's possible to complain about Hecht) script (based on an idea prodded out of the prolific ghost-pen of Darryl F. Zanuck). Montgomery plays a faux-Clark Gable-ish newsreel cameraman suspected of being a spy, who in the midst of his escape snatches some intelligence seemingly vital to the Japanese. Now unfortunately, you can forget all that. It becomes a love story as Montgomery woos exotic (but not very Chinese looking) Gene Tierney. Except that McLaglen and his confederate moll (Lynn Bari, who also has the hots for George) have their own agenda. Except you can forget all about that too. The plot goes nowhere and serves as an excuse to show further Japanese atrocities against Chinese children. No spoilers here... it's just that the movie feels pointless plot-wise. Tierney was the hottest actress at 20th Century Fox from '41-44... her acting ability was respectably serviceable (best when playing a cold bitch from hell) but few ever melted a camera the way she did. I was astonished how Montgomery moved around on credit--- I think he still owed stereotypical-yet-now un-P.C. Bobby Blake at least $450 (in reality the kid probably would have cut him). The best part of China Girl is the set design, the worst part is how it manipulates the audience. Where'd the plot go?

This is an underrated film that has received reviews too dismissing, I feel. I agree with the above reviewer on some of its shortcomings, but would also point out that there is a very nice tension set up between Gene Tierney and Lynn Bari throughout most of the story — which certainly had me watch it through to the very end. Contrary to other opinions, Tierney fans will not be disappointed here, although I agree she doesn't truly shine as in some others; and Lynn Bari is at her best and definitely makes us wish she had been given more prominent parts. Some feel that Bari actually makes this movie, but this may be going too far. Moreover, I don't believe China Girl was ever intended as a war movie per se, rather a drama. The war-scene ending just happens to be the bitter twist that closes what is essentially a war-time drama between a guy and two gals — it's no more complex than that.Also, the camera is no slouch either, in this movie. It has excellent shots in the hotel rooms where much of the action takes place, giving it a somewhat noir feel that definitely generates an overall stylish period polish that is in synch with the true noirs of the period. If you like this style, as I do, China Girl is worth seeking out. One can only hope that it will eventually become part of a Tierny Collection. I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed!

Probably "China Girl" is a movie for cinephiles (I'm not one of them, though). Hathaway is a high-level film-maker, McLaglen, Montgomery, Lynn Bari, Ruman are gifted and nice actors. The black-and-white photography is beautiful: the scenes inside the colonial hotel are indeed very evocative. Even the plot is better than one may expect and presents a noble finale. At any rate, it is so pleasant to see a film with no beastly violence and trash talk which are routine in current movies. Of course, for us happy people Gene Tierney's fans, the main recommendation for "China Girl" is the presence of our Goddess of Love and Beauty. Beyond her incomparable beauty and loveliness, Gene shows her usual (underrated) talent as an actress: with her sad dreaming eyes, her rare sweet smiles, her refusal to give way to love, even her bravery in sharing her unhappy people's sufferences, she instills in the audience the foreboding of her bitter fate.