THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN

US, 1936, 98 minutes, Black and white.
Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll, Akim Tamiroff.
Directed by Lewis Milestone.

The General Died at Dawn was a popular adventure of the thirties. There was a lot of interest in Hollywood in Chinese stories at that time, for example Shanghai Express, The Good Earth. Gary Cooper acts in a usual type of role and is matched with the cool Madeleine Carroll who at this time appeared in such films as The Thirty Nine Steps and Prisoner of Zenda. Directed by Lewis Milestone who had made such films as All Quiet on the Western Front and was soon to make Of Mice and Men.

1. The quality of this film as an adventure? The exotic atmosphere of China? The plot and its involvement of audience interest?

2. The quality of the films as made in the mid-thirties? Impact then and now? The impact of the stars?

3. The film had a contemporary setting. How realistic did it seem? The exotic atmosphere of China? The sails and the credits?

4. The emphasis on the title? The Chinese situation. the opening and the portrayal of decimated villages? Audience opinion of Yang, judgment on him? Yang an the focus of the film? O'Hara's response to the situation and to Yang? His punch to the man who asked him for the match? The importance of the attitude taken towards China and the oppression of the War Lords? The atmosphere of the War Lords, their style and the loyalty of their men?

5. How realistic was the mission given to O'Hara? The noble purpose and his explanation of oppression and his helping the Chinese? Gary Cooper and his style of film heroism?

6. The contrast with the Peries? The father and his dying, wanting money, an agent for Yang's men? The pressure on Judy to act as liaison and as a spy? Did this justify their behaviour?

7. The suspense and the episodes on the train? O'Hara and his mission? Infatuation with Judy and her leading him on? The capture and the shoot-out? The irony of what Judy had done and its effect on her? The symbolism of O'Hara's monkey?

8. The personal complications of Judy's involvement in the plot? How realistic were they?

9. The double-dealing of the father and his buying tickets home? How credible?

10. The contribution of characters like Brighton, Leach? Their overhearing bits of information, wanting to make money?

11. Their capture by Yang? Imprisonment? Games of out-manoeuvring each other? The sacrifice of the death? Yang and his executions?

12. How detailed was the portrait of Yang? His Chinese style, beliefs goals? Tricked at the end by his own sense of honour and pride? The bizarre deaths of his soldiers shooting each other? His own death and its length, his final words, symbolism and dying at dawn?

13. Was the happy ending appropriate for this kind of adventure?

14. What wore its qualities as an adventures hero and heroine, crises, suspense and danger? The Chinese background? The traditional values for popular audience response?