Sat 19 Aug 2023
A TV Episode Review: CHINA SMITH “Devil-in-the-Godown†(1952).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Adventure[6] Comments
CHINA SMITH “Devil-in-the-Godown.†Syndicated, 16 September 1952 (Season 1, Episode 6). Dan Duryea as China Smith, Douglass Dumbrille as Inspector Hobson, Myrna Dell as “Empress†Shira, Guest star: Marjorie Lord. Written by Robert C. Dennis. Director: Edward Mann. Currently streaming online here
According to Wikipedia, the episode itself being of minimal use in this regard, China Smith was a “a soldier of fortune, an opportunistic con artist and sometimes private eye who sought adventure.†His base of action is Singapore, and this particular episode opens scene a man (later identified as a newspaper reporter) is unceremoniously dumped off a dock into the water below.
Smith is hired to investigate, by whom is not clear, and after using a league of assassins to help finds himself tackling a gang of warehouse arsonists. Marjorie Lord plays a reporter, perhaps for the same newspaper as the dead man.
This is all I know. The whole story is a horrible mess. You get the gist of it, and maybe that’s all you need. Perhaps if you were to watch it, you could fill me in on some of the details I missed.
The players are more or less fine. I watched this mostly for the star, Dan Duryea, one of my all time favorite bad guys. I can tell you that he can also play a shifty kind of good guy too, and of course, either way he is his usual insouciant self. That might be all you need to know to give this one a try yourself, but keep in mind I warned you.
August 19th, 2023 at 11:28 pm
I remember when the series ran, my father really liked it, I could never get through an episode.
August 20th, 2023 at 12:41 am
Like the movie that inspired it the series was mostly Duryea some good performers and tons of atmosphere. That was usually enough. Duryea’s Smith, unlike Harry Lime, didn’t reform all that much for the series. He was still more than a little shady, which gave the series a certain cachet missing from most such programs.
Other than the movie I don’t think I’ve seen an episode since the Sixties, but it remains a fond memory.
August 20th, 2023 at 2:26 am
David,
If you mean World for Ransom, and that is much better, it comes two years later. Yes…?
August 20th, 2023 at 9:53 am
Yes, WORLD FOR RANSOM was released in 1954, and the good news is that it can be found on YouTube:
August 20th, 2023 at 5:27 am
WORLD FOR RANSOM is no doubt loosely related to the “China Smith” show — like DR X is related to MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM –but not actually based on the series.
August 26th, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Dan Duryea has a devoted sect of aficionados among film fans. Female classics buffs are especially mesmerized by DD.
I myself gotta admit I’ve never seen him turn in a boring performance. He has a natural, effortless swagger in any scene.
No matter whether playing a bit-part (innocuous sportscaster in “Pride of the Yankees”); some slimy sleaze (‘Whitey’ in “Winchester ’73”; or a hapless hero (‘Dark Angel’).
He could shape himself to suit any need.