Special Features: Introduction by film historian Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong

"It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." The befeathered courtesan (Marlene Dietrich) meets a stoic Army man and ex-lover (Clive Brook) on the titular Shanghai Express traveling across war-torn China, but their wistful reminiscing is interrupted when a bandit (Warner Oland) demands an unscheduled stop. While the real Sino-Japanese war was in the headlines and revolution in the air, director Josef von Sternberg chose to portray a dreamscape of atmosphere, threat and sexual tension. Legendary cinematographer Lee Garmes won an Oscar® for his striking cinematography and Anna May Wong shines as a reformed courtesan trying to leave her past behind. The motley crew of characters share a train compartment as well as murky pasts and uncertain morals, yet it is ultimately Wong's character who exerts control over her destiny. DIR Josef von Sternberg; SCR Jules Furthman, from a short story by Harry Hervey; PROD Adolph Zukor. U.S., 1932, b&w, 82 min. NOT RATED