Five Golden Dragons

source: Five Golden Dragons

For it's era not too bad at all. Compared to others of that time pretty good. The bigger names in cast have only small parts but that is even still typical of Hollywood.

With an eye/view from the US or Europe it must been very exotic/exciting watching this movie shot on location in Hong Kong - obviously trying to get some Bond-Look-a-Like atmosphere as in the same time were released/made YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. While there were some Euro-Spy-wave there were also a crime-wave in germany based on Edgar Wallace books. 32 official movies were made from 1959-72 plus some "inofficial" ones made by the british movie makers and partially in co-production with Germany and international Cast. Recently watchd this movie on bluray (german release) which contains two cuts. An international 105 min version (restored) and a shorter german version (78 min). Compared to both version: the german Cut might have more tempo but it's a bit confusing when somebody suddently know something of things which had been cut from that version. This is also mentioned on the german bluray audio-commentary. In the title sequence is a major difference as in the german one are Sieghardt Rupp and Klaus Kinski listed but not mentioned in the international one. Even this movie might in some scenes to long this movie could have been much better. But there is a big issue: Bob Cummings. - Dont get me wrong: Bob Cummings is a good actor. But he was 57 years who plays "a young naiv playboy/reporter". With colored hair and "overacting" to try to be "young" he destroyed somehow the illusion/the movie. It (the movie) would have been much better when Bob cummings would have "act" more serious. Fazit: it's not that bad at all but not that great. Just passable time-killer

Robert Cummings was 57 when he made this, playing a role surely meant for someone about 25-30 years younger. I don't have a problem with actors playing younger/older characters, but this us pushing it. It is also more obvious because of his being surrounded by gorgeous girls a fraction of his age. The Hong Kong setting and attractive women are the only watchable elements if this film.

I'm sure that Bob Cummings and the guest stars who played the Golden Dragons must have looked forward to a nice trip to Hong Kong as the main reason for signing on for this film. In the case of George Raft his troubles with the IRS are well documented. It's as good a reason as any to appear in this dragging film. Five Men who are the Golden Dragons are operators apparently on both sides of the law and unknown to each other they meet in Hong Kong to dissolve a successful partnership and split their accumulated loot. They wear these silly dragon masks and have a key that opens a lock for admission. If they're not a dragon, they got shot with a turn of said lock. Four of them make it, Dan Duryea, George Raft, Christopher Lee, and Brian Donlevy. The fifth doesn't show up, he's been eliminated. They can't start without him. In the meantime kind of like Cary Grant was sucked into some espionage plot in an infinitely better film, North By Northwest, Bob Cummings gets involved in this whole business. He's an aging playboy in Hong Kong for some fun and frolic. Of course he's not what he seems. Cummings tried to make light of the whole business. Everyone else mouthed the dialog with all the satisfaction of players whose salary checks have cleared. All of you I'm sure have better memories of all the name players in the cast. Keep them.

This is an enjoyable "B" or, perhaps, "B-"film. I'm sure the cast had a marvellous holiday in Hong Kong, if only they had been there to make a better film. Rupert Davis did sterling work as Sanders, the police commissioner The four famous actors who played the dragons are woefully underused and could only have accepted the parts for the paid holiday, as the roles are just cameos. The only mystery is the Bob Cummings character (who would have been better suited to a different film) This character is clearly far more than the dizzy playboy that he purports to be but we are never told what. He does tell Sanders, who immediately treats him as an equal, but we come in at the end of that conversation and only hear Sanders' calling him a "strange duck" (not "doc" as stephenabell suggests). The actors do what they can, the faults are caused by the writer and director. I can imagine watching this film again but not for a few years.

I have a real soft spot for 1960s movies and I am a fan of all of the ones produced by Harry Alan Towers in that decade. He was frequently involved in making low budget action pictures, but they were often filmed in beautiful locations with numerous stars in the cast. Five Golden Dragons certainly has both but as a result it looks better than it is. Harry wrote the screenplay under an assumed name and I would have done the same as this script is pants. Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski, Margaret Lee and even George Raft (eternally memorable as Spats Colombo in Some Like It Hot!) are trapped in this nonsense about a mysterious and impenetratable crime syndicate. I enjoy this kind of escapist adventure but it is a bit too slow moving and cringeworthy to be of interest to most adults. Badly cast leading men are a staple of Harry's productions and Robert Cummings fits the bill perfectly here. I recently bought this film on blu-ray and the sound and picture are superb. Hong Kong looks beautiful and contributed to me giving this film more stars than it really deserves. I haven't done a very good job of explaining why I am so fond of Harry Alan Towers productions, but this is not one of his best despite having some nostalgic charm. Paroxismus (1969) for example is way better!

This ludicrous feature is atypical of the "so bad, it's kind of funny" movie. It does boast an international cast, many of whom are poorly dubbed and has been filmed on location in Hong Kong, though the scrubby print I saw, really didn't do justice to the oriental metropolis. The film aspires to be an "action - comedy", but fails miserably on both fronts. The action is generally of the Keystone Cops variety, though clearly not planned that way, whilst the comedy mainly emanates from the audience who like this writer, can't really believe they are watching the antics presented onscreen. I do encourage potential viewers to see if they feel they might be thrilled by observing: 1 A charisma-less leading man, who feels the need to constantly and very obviously chew gum throughout the film for no apparent good reason. 2 Four bizarrely staged chase sequences guaranteed to make your jaw drop at their pure inanity. One involves (sort of) row boats across the harbour, another involves rickshaws and yet another is a facepalming, totally non-suspenseful foot chase up and down a tower, whilst the last sees a couple of speedboats chasing a water-skier, would you believe. 3 Villains who feel a need to wear (golden) dragon head dresses, when meeting and discussing business arrangements. 4 One of the silliest looking swimming caps (It seriously would have made Esther Williams blush) I've ever seen displayed on film. 5 A couple of night club song numbers, for those who may be missing their Bollywood fix and to pad out the running time of this train wreck of a movie. Forewarned is forearmed.

Silly, sometimes juvenile, but generally amusing adaptation of the Edgar Wallace story by producer Harry Alan Towers, using his screen writing pseudonym of "Peter Welbeck". Fading sitcom star Robert Cummings plays Bob Mitchell, a naive American playboy on vacation in Hong Kong. He soon gets dragged into various matters of international intrigue, while a dedicated police commissioner (Rupert Davies) and his associate (Roy Chiao) work the case. The "five golden dragons" of the title are criminal masterminds who are due to meet each other in person for the first time. This is a moderately fun, rather lightweight mystery. It's not a great one by any stretch of the imagination, but it sometimes delivers some entertainment. It lessens its impact by going on too long, and losing some momentum, and it really does get too positively goofy for its own good. (The falling death of a henchman is played for laughs, for one thing.) What helps matters a fair bit is the exotic setting. The movie is shot in Techniscope and Technicolor and looks absolutely gorgeous. And now that the word "gorgeous" has been brought up, it must be said that the female cast looks ravishing: Margaret Lee as the devilish singer Magda, and Maria Rohm & Maria Perschy as a pair of sisters. The songs & score are catchy. The international cast of superstars gives it curiosity value. Cummings supplies both heroics and comedy relief, and he's likable enough. Davies and Chiao (the two of them utter quotes from Shakespeare appropriate to various situations) are excellent. Klaus Kinski is a hoot as always as the nefarious Gert, but fans might bemoan not seeing him get to do more. Giving the film a shot in the arm late in the game are the special guest star appearances by Dan Duryea, George Raft, Brian Donlevy, and Sir Christopher Lee, who play four of the five golden dragons. Still, one may rightly think that to see them so briefly is a waste of talent. Japanese pop star Yukari Ito makes a musical appearance. Enjoyable, to a degree, but also largely forgettable. One highlight, or low point, depending on your point of view, is seeing a supposedly dead body blink several times. Six out of 10.

B grade British film set (and made) in Hong Kong, although the leads are American. The Five Dragons are a confederate involved in illegal activity in Hong Kong, when they decide to dissolve the confederate. A professor meets some young women at the pool and becomes involved. The story is simple comic book stuff, and not particularly carefully made, but the film is livened up by many period scenes in Hong Kong and the comely Magda. There is a song by a contemporary Japanese star called Yukari Ito. In one scene a (new) Toyota Corona turns into an (old) Morris Oxford before blowing up.