classicsoncall Outside of his Western and war films, John Wayne sometimes appears to be a bit out of his element. That's the way it struck me here, teamed up in a film opposite Lauren Bacall in a tale of Chinese villagers looking for a way to escape the depredations of the Chinese Communists. With most of the story taking place aboard a crusty, old paddle wheeler, I couldn't help make the connection to Bacall's escapade with Bogie aboard the African Queen, especially when the 'Chiku Shan' made it's way through the reed choked channel to outsmart the Reds. Bogart had to pull his boat along all by himself, fortunately Wayne had the entire village towing him along to make the escape.I had to place myself back in the day and began to wonder who in 1955 might have been the target audience for a film like this. I just don't see the subject matter to be of much interest to most movie goers, so if John Wayne's name at the top of the bill was supposed to pack them in, well then, I suppose that might have worked. I've read a few reviews where it was noted he was a replacement for Robert Mitchum in the role of Captain Wilder, but quite honestly, I don't see Mitchum as pulling it off successfully either. It could be just me.Now if you fast forward twenty years and put John Wayne and Lauren Bacall in a Western setting and call it "The Shootist", I think you might have something. Actually, that one is my favorite John Wayne film of all time with Bacall's character Bond Rogers connecting with Wayne's J.B. Books in a hint of a romance that engenders mutual respect. It was a lot more credible than the relationship on display here; I think 'baby' would agree with me on that one.

edwagreen Interesting, but predictable John Wayne venue. It is never fully explained how the villagers were able to get Wayne out of a Chinese Communist prison. Of course, when he comes to them, they tell them of their desire to flee to Hong Kong and that he should lead them on a steamer which is a lot to be desired.Surprisingly, there isn't that much violence in the film. Lauren Bacall portrays an American in the village whose father is a doctor there. Bacall is rather subdued here, and of course romance comes slowly between her character and that of Wayne's.Good vehicle for Wayne to have promoted his anti-Communist agenda. He constantly makes references to Baby, an imaginative person. Reminded me of Mike Myers.

EndlessBob Others have reviewed this film better than I could, but I would like to point out one misconception I've seen in a couple of places: "Blood Alley" is not the Formosa Straits.The Straits are approximately 420 miles ENE of Hong Kong, and are 118 miles wide at its widest point, which is practically the open sea. It's also nearly 250 miles from the end of the Straits to Hong Kong, which definitely would be open sea. The movie makes it clear that the refugees are moving 300 miles downriver to escape to Hong Kong, and at one point John Wayne's character worries about about what might happen to the boat in any kind of real waves.Most likely "Blood Alley" is the Pearl River, which is China's third longest river after the Yangtze and Yellow, second largest in terms of volume, and does empty into the sea at Hong Kong. The delta near Hong Kong is wide and deep enough for the Chinese warship that was firing at the refugees later in the film. (Terrible shots weren't they?) The refugees also would have been following the east side of the delta rather than what appeared on Wayne's hand-drawn chart to be the west side, but hey -- it's the movies.

charlytully This film has an abrupt, jarring opening, even by 1950s B-Movie standards. The "chemistry" apparently sought between John Wayne and Lauren Bacall was a blatant effort to reprise 1951's Humphrey Bogart pairing with Katharine Hepburn in THE AFR!CAN QUEEN. But Bacall makes a second-rate Kate at best, while tagging the Duke as a third-string Bogie is a charitable description. Picture Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire starring in a 1977 remake of BONNIE AND CLYDE, and you'll know what a misfire BLOOD ALLEY is. For a movie nearly two hours long, the close is just as off-putting and curt as the beginning. While Susu's pidgin English and the just off-camera attempted rape of Cathy Grainger (Bacall) by a Chinese soldier are quaint period touches, the real drama was in which of their friends Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, and Charlton Heston were ratting out to Joe McCarthy's U.S. Senate witch hunt around this time. If Bogie isn't the never-revealed key to the imaginary friend of BLOOD ALLEY's "hero" Captain Tom Wilder (Wayne), perhaps the drunken Senator Cheesehead IS?