China Sky

Director: Ray Enright Ray Enright

Overview

An adaptation of the novel by Pearl S. Buck about a dedicated American doctor who fights the Japanese in World War II with his Chinese comrades.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/24/2016
UPC:	0888574404819
Original Release:	1945
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:18:00
Sales rank:	51,766

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Randolph Scott	Dr. Gray Thompson
Ruth Warrick	Dr. Sara Durand
Ellen Drew	Louise Thompson
Anthony Quinn	Chen-Ta
Carol Thurston	Siu Mei
Richard Loo	Col. Yasuda
Ducky Louie	'Little Goat'
Philip Ahn	Dr. Kim
Benson Fong	Chung
Chin Kuang Chow	Charlie
Kermit Maynard	Actor
Layne Tom Jr.	Actor
Weaver Levy	Actor
H.T. Tsiang	Magistrate
Roy Webb	Composer
Leigh Harline	Composer

Technical Credits

Brenda Weisberg

Joseph Hoffman

Ray Enright	Director
Maurice Geraghty	Producer
Vernon L. Walker	Special Effects,Special Effects
Brenda Weisberg	Screenwriter
Jack Gross	Executive Producer
Joseph Hoffman	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

China Sky is a well-produced World War II propaganda film about two dedicated doctors, Randolph Scott and Ruth Warrick, who must battle a soap-opera script to keep the Chinese village where they work safe from invading forces. Released shortly before action in the Pacific ended in 1945, the film removes much of the texture of Pearl Buck's source novel, though the chemistry between Scott and Warrick compensates somewhat. In part because he was limited by RKO's comparatively moderate budget, veteran director Ray Enright takes a conventional approach to the material, allowing the melodramatic elements to outshine the story's war themes. The cultural credibility of the Chinese settings is hampered by inappropriate casting, such as Mexican-born Anthony Quinn as a guerilla leader. Nonetheless, what works about the film is its production design, and Enright's ability to deliver the story in a straightforward, audience-pleasing manner.