There's a special place in Australian film heaven for those films made here in the late 60s -all of them flops except They're a Weird Mob (even that didn't make a profit), but fascinating historical documents, showing an Australia that was (generally) clean, healthy, simple, quietly prosperous. This was one of three movies made by Reg Goldsworthy for Commonwealth United, all with an eye on the international market (imported stars, 'commercial' genres, etc).
Carl Betz, apparently a TV star way back, plays the lead, a writer who comes across a diary that will "tell the truth about Red China". He goes from Hong Kong to Australia, chased by Chinese Commies (led by Nancy Kwan), Russian commies. the diary writer's daughter; he's helped by his brother, a singer played by singer Bobbie Rydell in a part that seems to have been motivated by a desire to give Bobbie Rydell a part (they incorporate it by having the Rydell character able to do things without the scrutiny given to Betz which kind of works).
Hitchcock gave the world the term the Macguffin - the item that is the object of the chase, the thing being we don't really care about it, it's the chase we care about. That doesn't work when the Macguffin is something naff (as it was in Thunderstruck eg the ashes) - a diary to expose Red China is pretty weak, esp so that a writer can write a book on it - big deal! (I'm guessing that they didn't go for microfilm because then the CIA would get involved - which they kind of do here but it should be more). There is no real sense of urgency or danger, despite a corpse or two, it is all quite jokey. It would have done service in an episode of a TV drama (eg Hong Kong, of which it is similar) - maybe it was meant to be a pilot for one. As a film it is poor.
Betz's character smokes, drinks, is expressionless, and all the women want him - Kwan, who he gets drunk (and who has quite a small role), his secretary (who winds up instead with a young though still lecherous looking Tom Oliver), a young Sandy Gore (looking gorgeous, showing a bit of T & A in the bath - it's like seeing a young nude Judi Dench), the diary writer's daughter. Rydell's character is a bit more likeable, although it is irritating how they play wacky comic relief music every time he and his wacky comic relief sidekick appear on screen).
Australian audiences will delight in early appearances from Gore, Oliver and Jack Thompson as a KGB henchman. There are some shots of Luna Park and Sydney Harbour. Tony Buckley edited.
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