Singapore (1947 film)
Encyclopedia
Singapore is a American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...

 romance film
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...

 directed by John Brahm
John Brahm
John Brahm was a film and television director possibly best known today for directing a dozen of the original Twilight Zone episodes including the now classic "Time Enough at Last"...

 and starring Fred MacMurray
Fred MacMurray
Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....

 and Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...

. The film was remade as Istanbul
Istanbul (film)
Istanbul is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Errol Flynn, Cornell Borchers and John Bentley. An American becomes mixed up with various criminal activities in Istanbul...

(1957) with the location moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

.

Plot

Pearl smuggler Matt Gordon (MacMurray) finds romance with Linda Grahame (Gardner) just before the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He proposes to her, and she accepts. However, when the Japanese attack Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...

, the hotel where she is waiting for him is bombed; Gordon searches frantically in the wreckage, but cannot find her. He is forced to sail away on his schooner.

With the end of the war, Gordon returns after five years and is met by Deputy Commissioner Hewitt (Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn was an English comic actor in radio, films and television.-Early life and career:Born George Richard Haydon in London, he was known for playing eccentric characters, such as Edwin Carp, Claud Curdle, Richard Rancyd and Stanley Stayle. Much of his stage delivery was done in a...

), who is convinced he has returned for a hidden cache of pearls. So are Gordon's old criminal associates, Mr. Mauribus (Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez was an American actor.Born Sabino Tomas Gomez in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater during the 1920s and was a student of the actor Walter Hampden...

) and his underling Sascha Barda (George Lloyd
George Lloyd (actor)
George Lloyd was an American character actor. Born in Edinburg, Illinois, Lloyd appeared in over 270 films between 1932 and 1956.-Career:...

). Mauribus offers to buy the pearls, but Gordon denies he has any.

Then, to his shock, Gordon sees Linda. However, she denies knowing him. She cannot remember anything prior to waking up in a hospital during the war. After spending years together in a prison camp with plantation owner Michael Van Leyden (Roland Culver
Roland Culver
Roland Culver OBE was a British stage, film, and television actor.-Life and career:...

), she married him. Gordon tries to help her remember her past, but to no avail. She does, however, go to see Linda's pre-war servant, Ming Ling (Maylia). Ming Ling recognizes her, but her memories are still blocked.

Giving up, Gordon retrieves the pearls from his old hotel room and hides them in the luggage of the current occupants, American tourists Mr. and Mrs. Bellows (Porter Hall
Porter Hall
Porter Hall was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s...

 and Spring Byington
Spring Byington
Spring Byington was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride. She was a key MGM contract player appearing in films from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:Byington was born Spring Dell Byington in Colorado Springs,...

). Hewitt questions and searches him after seeing him exit the room, but discovers nothing. However, he informs Gordon that Ann Van Leyden is missing.

Gordon goes to Mauribus. He deceives Mauribus and Sascha into believing that Linda double crossed him and has the pearls. They take him, at gunpoint, to her. He pulls out a gun taped to his ankle and dispatches the two crooks. In the excitement, Ann is knocked unconscious. Gordon takes her back to her husband.

The blow restores Ann's memories. She is willing to resume her life with Michael, but he confesses he knew all about her past. With her happiness in mind, he drives her to airport. At the airport, not only is Gordon's luggage thoroughly searched, but so are the bags of the Bellows. Giving up, he tells Hewitt where the pearls are.
Hewitt lets him board the plane, which takes off just before Linda arrives. Spotting her, Hewitt has the aircraft return.

Cast

  • Fred MacMurray
    Fred MacMurray
    Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....

     as Matt Gordon
  • Ava Gardner
    Ava Gardner
    Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...

     as Linda Grahame / Ann Van Leyden
  • Roland Culver
    Roland Culver
    Roland Culver OBE was a British stage, film, and television actor.-Life and career:...

     as Michael Van Leyden
  • Richard Haydn
    Richard Haydn
    Richard Haydn was an English comic actor in radio, films and television.-Early life and career:Born George Richard Haydon in London, he was known for playing eccentric characters, such as Edwin Carp, Claud Curdle, Richard Rancyd and Stanley Stayle. Much of his stage delivery was done in a...

     as Deputy Commissioner Hewitt
  • Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride. She was a key MGM contract player appearing in films from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:Byington was born Spring Dell Byington in Colorado Springs,...

     as Mrs. Bellows
  • Thomas Gomez
    Thomas Gomez
    Thomas Gomez was an American actor.Born Sabino Tomas Gomez in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater during the 1920s and was a student of the actor Walter Hampden...

     as Mr. Mauribus
  • Porter Hall
    Porter Hall
    Porter Hall was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s...

     as Mr. Gerald Bellows
  • George Lloyd
    George Lloyd (actor)
    George Lloyd was an American character actor. Born in Edinburg, Illinois, Lloyd appeared in over 270 films between 1932 and 1956.-Career:...

     as Sascha Barda
  • Maylia as Ming Ling
  • Holmes Herbert
    Holmes Herbert
    Holmes Herbert was an English character actor who appeared in Hollywood films from 1915 to 1952.Born as 'Horace Jenner', Holmes Herbert emigrated to the United States in 1912. He was the first son of Ned Herbert , who worked as and actor/comedian in the English Theatre...

     as Rev. Thomas Barnes
  • Edith Evanson
    Edith Evanson
    Edith Evanson was an American film actress.-Career:Her first film role came in The Man Who Wouldn't Talk in an uncredited role. In the 1940s she was in supporting roles mostly as a maid, a busybody, landladies, or middle-aged secretaries...

     as Mrs. Edith Barnes
  • Frederick Worlock as Cadum
  • Lal Chand Mehra as Mr. Hussein
  • Curt Conway
    Curt Conway
    Curt Conway was an American actor. He was sometimes billed as Curtis Conway or Kurt Conway.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Conway began his career with small parts in films of the late 1940s, but appeared principally on TV from 1960 until his death...

    as Pepe
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