Hong Kong Confidential Film Review

Those damn commies. The good old days of Cold War films in this low rent outing from director Edward Cahn who spent a career making second features. They make a minimal effort to make certain scenes look like Hong Kong or Macau with a few legitimate Asian extras and a Chinese New Year celebration. But most of the film is shot indoors. It also asks the question as to how Gene Barry became a star of sorts. He was Bat Masterson which I loved once upon a time. On a recent re-visit not so much. It doesn't seem to matter if he is in a Western or a detective (Burke's Law) or a secret agent, he is always suave in an oily preening smug way. Someone I would dislike immediately upon meeting. Here he plays a singer secret agent and we have the pleasure of listening to him belt out a few songs that would make a baby cry for mercy. The term Lounge Lizard would be appropriate.

Russia is at it again. The well-known Middle Eastern country of Thayer at the head of the Nile - you must have heard of it - is in negotiations with the USA to allow them to install a missile base because you can never have enough missile bases around the world. The Russkies though kidnap the Amir's son and tell him to let us build a base instead or your son dies. From what we see of the boy this would be no great loss. Somewhere in the world the boy is being hidden and it turns out to be a sleazy hotel in Macau of all places. Barry who is a nightclub singer along with his pianist girlfriend (Beverly Tyler) is also an undercover agent and gets on the case. He suspects an alluring female gold smuggler in Macau (Allison Hayes - Attack of the 50-foot Woman) and infiltrates the gang as easily as ordering a malt chocolate. But there are despicable Commies everywhere - the only one we would recognize is Philip Ahn. Sluggish and tedious it treads along just as one expects with no thrills or surprises. Too much Barry and not enough of the 50-Foot Woman.