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1941

The Shanghai Gesture

PRODUCTION

Josef von Sternberg

INTRIGUE

In Shanghai, a young woman from a good family falls into despair by frequenting a gambling house run by the mysterious Mother Gin Sling.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

A striking role that attracts attention: Gene is sensual, unsettling, already a femme fatale. The New York Times praises her “perverse, fascinating beauty”.

THE ROLE OF GENE

Poppy Smith, the fragile heroine who tumbles into intoxication and perdition. Von Sternberg, obsessed with light, shot long hours to capture the sparkle in Gene’s green eyes. She would later say that the shoot was one of the most exhausting of her career.