China Seas
Theatrical Release Poster
Main Cast
Character
Actor
Captain Alan Gaskell
Clark Gable
Dolly 'China Doll' Portland
Jean Harlow
Sybil Barclay
Rosalind Russell
Jamesy McArdle
Wallace Beery
Third Officer Tom Davids
Lewis Stone
First Officer Dawson
Dudley Digges
Sir Guy Wilmerding
C. Aubrey Smith
Charlie McCaleb
Robert Benchley
China Seas Clark Gable as Alan Gaskell, the captain of a steamer Kin Lung that sails from Hong Kong to Singapore. The ship transports a large sum in gold bullions, and this cargo becomes the target of Malay pirates with whom one of the passengers is in league. Meanwhile, Captain Gaskell is suffering from personal problems, as there are now two women on his ship with whom he had an affair: actress Dolly 'China Doll' Portland (Jean Harlow) and aristocratic Sybil Barclay (Rosalind Russell).
The following weapons were used in the film China Seas :
Handguns Smith & Wesson Military & Police A Smith & Wesson Military & Police is Captain Alan Gaskell's (Clark Gable ) handgun. An M&P revolver is also seen in hands of a passenger.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Smith & Wesson Model M&P Revolver with 4" barrel - .38 Special Error creating thumbnail: File missing Captain Gaskell grabs his revolver when he hears someone covertly entering his cabin. Error creating thumbnail: File missing When the pirates board Kin Lung , one of the passengers runs on the deck with a revolver in hand but is gunned down. Mauser C96 The Malay pirates' leader Ngah (Ivan Lebedeff) and several of his men carry Mauser C96 pistols.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mauser C96 "Pre-War Commercial" - 7.63x25mm Mauser Error creating thumbnail: File missing Ngah carries his Mauser tucked into his belt. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate carries the Mauser C96 in wooden holster. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Ngah's lieutenant carries the Mauser C96 in holster and dadao large sword. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Ngah (Ivan Lebedeff) holds his Mauser C96 on a promotional image. The character doesn't draw the pistol in the movie. Colt M1911 Two of the pirates who tried to sneak on the steamer under the female disguise carry M1911 pistols.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original Colt M1911 (dated 1913) - .45 ACP Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate under female disguise carries the M1911 in the shoulder holster. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A good view of the holstered pistol of another pirate. Unidentified revolvers Error creating thumbnail: File missing Third Officer Tom Davids (Lewis Stone) fires at pirates. His revolver is seen too briefly for a positive identification. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Sikh NCO in Singapore carries a typical holster for Webley .455 revolvers . Submachine Guns Thompson M1921 In the climactic scene Captain's cabin boy Ah Sing (Willie Fung) fires a Thompson M1921 at pirates (where the SMG came from is a mystery, as the pirates thoroughly searched the ship and looted every item worth stealing).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Colt M1921A Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP Error creating thumbnail: File missing Ah Sing aims at the retreating pirates. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing He fires, barely able to hold the heavy Thompson. Rifles Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III In the scene in Hong Kong British Sikh soldiers are armed with Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III rifles. Many pirates are also armed with No.1 Mk.III rifles, some of those are stolen from the ship armory. Most rifles are original Mk III.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing SMLE Mk.III* / Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* with Pattern 1907 Bayonet - .303 British. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sikh soldiers hold rifles with bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III - .303 British Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pirates take rifles from the ship armory. Most rifles are Lee-Enfield except for two rifles at the far right that seem to be Krag-Jorgensen . Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pirates aim their rifles at Captain Gaskell. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Same scene on a lobby card. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Captain Gaskell and Second Officer Kingston (Pat Flaherty ) under the guns of pirates. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate at the right holds a Lee-Enfield. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A good view of a Lee-Enfield in hands of a pirate in center. Judging by the sights, this is the original Mk III. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate at the right holds a Lee-Enfield. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Judging by the sights, this is the original Mk III. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pirates fire at Davids. Springfield M1903 Some of the Sikh soldiers in Hong Kong are armed with Springfield M1903 rifles.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Springfield M1903 Mk 1 - .30-06 Springfield Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Sikh soldier at the right holds an M1903 Springfield with bayonet. Strangely, he has two bayonets, one attached to the rifle and another one on the belt. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The buttstock of the rifle is seen. Krag-Jorgensen M1896 and M1898 Many pirates are armed with full-length Krag-Jorgensen rifles. As far as it can be said, a mix of M1896 (mostly) and M1898 rifles presents.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing US Model 1896 Krag-Jorgensen Rifle - .30-40 Krag Error creating thumbnail: File missing US Model 1898 Krag-Jorgensen Rifle - .30-40 Krag Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate aims a Krag-Jorgensen rifle at the ship's engineer. This rifle seems to be an M1898. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pirates, mostly with Krag-Jorgensen rifles, encircle wounded Davids. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Krag-Jorgensen in hands of a pirate. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A pirate at the background left holds a Krag-Jorgensen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Several Krag-Jorgensen rifles are seen when the pirates return to the junk. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sikh soldiers in Singapore are armed with Krag-Jorgensen rifles with attached bayonets. Shotguns Double Barreled Shotgun A pair of Double Barreled Shotguns is used for skeet shooting on the steamer. The guns are seen in hands of Sybil Barclay (Rosalind Russell), Yu-Lan (Soo Yong), Dolly Portland (Jean Harlow), and Jamesy McArdle (Wallace Beery).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Yu-Lan hands her shotgun to an attendant. McArdle holds another shotgun at the background. Error creating thumbnail: File missing McArdle examines the shotgun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sybil Barclay holds a shotgun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing She fires with a perfect marksmanship. Error creating thumbnail: File missing An attendant hands a shotgun to Dolly Portland. Another shotgun is seen in hands of Sybil Barclay (at the far right). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Dolly fires but without any luck. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Dolly angrily turns to Yu-Lan and Sybil, neglecting all rules of weapon safety. Other Weapons F1 Hand Grenade In the climactic scene, Third Officer Tom Davids (Lewis Stone) uses a satchel with hand grenades to damage the pirates' junk. Captain Gaskell calls the grenades Mills Bombs but in reality these are French F1 hand grenades with Billant fuze.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing F1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade with Mle1916 Billant fuse. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tom Davids, wounded and with broken legs, crawls across the deck with a grenade in hand. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of the grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Davids hands a grenade to Captain Gaskell who is locked in a storeroom. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gaskell uses the grenade to break the lattice door. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Davids sacrifices himself to blow up the pirates ship. Hotchkiss 1-pounder Gun A 1-pounder (37 mm) Hotchkiss gun is mounted on Kin Lung . Captain Alan Gaskell (Clark Gable ) uses it to sink the pirates' junk after it is damaged by Davids' grenades.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Second Officer Kingston (Pat Flaherty ) examines the Hotchkiss gun before the ship departs. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gaskell fires the Hotchkiss gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gaskell watches the burning and drowning junk. 
