Shanghai Express (1932) in Color — Starring Marlene Dietrich & Clive Brook

Shanghai Express (1932) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover Shanghai Express, Josef von Sternberg’s 1932 drama starring Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, and Anna May Wong, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

The Peking-to-Shanghai express, a luxurious train threading through the dangerous chaos of civil war-torn China in the early 1930s, carries an extraordinary collection of passengers whose lives will be forever changed during the three-day journey. Among them are Shanghai Lily, the most notorious woman in all of China, a legendary courtesan whose beauty and reputation have made her infamous from Hong Kong to Manchuria, and Captain Donald Harvey, a stiff-upper-lip British Army surgeon on his way to operate on the Governor General in Shanghai.

Five years earlier, Shanghai Lily was Madeleine, the woman Harvey loved desperately before a cruel misunderstanding drove them apart. She became what she is because he walked away from her — or so she tells him with devastating calm. Reunited in the cramped confines of the train, they discover that the passion between them still burns, but pride, suspicion, and the weight of years stand between any reconciliation. Harvey cannot trust a woman the world calls Shanghai Lily, and Lily cannot bear to beg for the love she never stopped wanting.

Their personal drama becomes suddenly, terrifyingly irrelevant when the train is seized by Henry Chang, a powerful Eurasian rebel warlord traveling in disguise among the passengers. Chang plans to use a hostage as leverage against the government forces that have captured one of his lieutenants. He selects Harvey, and when Harvey resists, Chang threatens to blind him with a white-hot iron as punishment. It is Shanghai Lily, the woman Harvey no longer trusts, who offers herself to Chang in exchange for Harvey’s safety — the ultimate sacrifice of love disguised as submission. Meanwhile, Hui Fei, a fellow courtesan traveling aboard the express, takes her own devastating revenge against Chang’s brutality. As the train finally reaches Shanghai, Harvey learns the truth of what Lily has done, and must decide whether love or pride will have the final word.

Cast & Crew

Director: Josef von Sternberg

Stars: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, Eugene Pallette, Lawrence Grant

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

Shanghai Express was originally filmed in breathtaking black and white cinematography by Lee Garmes, who won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his extraordinary work on this film. His mastery of light and shadow created some of the most iconic images in cinema history — Dietrich’s face illuminated through veils and latticed screens, the train cutting through fog and darkness. This professionally colorized restoration brings new dimensions to the lavish production design, revealing the exotic richness of Chinese silk costumes, the warm mahogany interiors of the first-class compartments, and the atmospheric landscape of war-torn China glimpsed through train windows. The colorized version adds vivid life to this restored classic film. Now also available in colour.

Buy Shanghai Express in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Shanghai Express was the highest-grossing film of 1932, a massive commercial and critical triumph that cemented Marlene Dietrich’s status as one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. It was the fourth of seven legendary collaborations between Dietrich and director Josef von Sternberg, a creative partnership that produced some of the most visually stunning films in cinema history. The film won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American Hollywood star, delivers a performance of quiet, devastating power that modern audiences have come to appreciate as one of the film’s greatest strengths. The film’s influence on exotic adventure cinema and train-set thrillers can be traced through decades of filmmaking. Through professional colorization, this masterpiece of pre-Code Hollywood reaches new audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 82 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Did this film win any awards?
A: Yes, Shanghai Express won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Lee Garmes’s extraordinary work. It was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.

Q: How does this rank among Dietrich’s films?
A: Shanghai Express is widely considered one of Marlene Dietrich’s finest films and one of the greatest achievements of her legendary collaboration with Josef von Sternberg. It was the highest-grossing film of 1932.

Q: What is the historical setting?
A: The film is set during the Chinese Civil War of the early 1930s, with the dangerous train journey from Peking to Shanghai serving as both literal and metaphorical battleground for the characters’ personal conflicts.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

Related Colorized Classics

• Conquest (1937)
• The Crusades (1935)
• Golden Salamander (1950)
• The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
• Arch of Triumph (1948)