Shanghai Surprise

Movie artwork

Pictures

Cast

Sean Penn: Glendon Wasey
Madonna: Gloria Tatlock
Paul Freeman: Walter Faraday
Richard Griffithse: Willie Tuttle
Philip Sayer: Justin Kronk
Clyde Kusatsu: Joe Go
Kay Tong Lim: Mei Gan
Sonserai Lee: China Doll
Victor Wong: Ho Chong
Professor Toru Tanaka: Yamagani San
Michael Aldridge: Mr. Burns
Sarah Lam: China Doll's maid
George She: Wu Ch'En She
Won Gam Bor: Rickshaw King
To Chee Kan: China Doll's Boatman

Movie synopsis

Glendon Wasey is a fortune hunter looking for a fast track out of China. Gloria Tatlock is a missionary nurse seeking the curing powers of opium for her patients. Fate sets them on a hectic, exotic, and even romantic quest for stolen drugs. But they are up against every thug and smuggler in Shangai. (source: IMDB)

Production info

Directed by: Jim Goddard
Written by: Tony Kenrick, John Kohn & Robert Bentley
Produced by: Robin Douet, George Harrison, John Kohn, Denis O'Brien, Sara Romilly
Production company: Handmade Films
Locations: Hong Kong, Macau, London (UK) & Portugal
Date of filming: Jan. - Feb. 1986
Budget: $ 17 million

Release info

Released as: Shanghai Surprise
Released in theatres: Aug. 26, 1986 (US)
Released on DVD: July 22, 2003 (US)
Runtime: 97 minutes
Genre: Romance/Comedy
MPAA rating: PG-13
Box office: $ 2.3 million (US)

Trivia

With Desperately Seeking Susan - her first big movie role - Madonna might have thought she started a good movie career. Her second movie however would turn out as one of the biggest flops in her career, and more in general one of the biggest flops in Hollywood. The poor profits of $ 2.3 million couldn't make up for the production costs of $ 17 million. Unfortunately it was rather this movie than Desperately Seeking Susan that reflected her future movie career. Only Swept Away did worst at the box office.

Soundtrack

Original Music by: George Harrison & Michael Kamen
The soundtrack doesn't contain any songs by Madonna.