China Gate

Samuel Fuller (The Big Red One) wrote, produced and directed this raw-boned action-packed war film - Near the end of the French phase of the Vietnam War, a group of mercenaries are recruited to travel through enemy territory to the Chinese border, to blow up an arms depot. A Eurasian smuggler, Lucky Legs (Angie Dickinson), agrees to use her connections to help them, in return they agree to take her illegitimate son to America. The racist father of the boy, Sergeant Brock (Gene Barry), is also part of the multinational group. Lucky Legs must use the love of a Eurasian guerilla leader, Major Cham (Lee Van Cleef), to get access to the base. The other members of the patrol are also haunted by past memories - Goldie (Nat "King" Cole) is a veteran of Korea and World war II who hates war and wants to see peace at all costs; Corporal Pigalle (George Givot) is an ex-French gendarme who doesn't like taking orders; Captain Gaumont (Paul Dubov) is the mercenary leader; Charlie (James Hong) is an Vietnamese-American private; and Private Andreades (Gerald Milton), is a hard-nosed Greek expatriate. Beautifully shot in black-and-white by legendary cinematographer Joseph F. Biroc (It's a Wonderful Life). Original score by Victor Young (Johnny Guitar) and Max Steiner (Casablanca) with a title song written by Victor Young and Harold Adamson and performed by Nat "King" Cole.