Thriller

To the Ends of the Earth

- This is necessarily a story of violence, intrigue...and death.

A treasury agent becomes obsessed with exposing an international drug ring.

Release Date : 1948-02-07

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Kennedy-Buckman PicturesColumbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Commissioner Michael Barrows

Original Name : Dick Powell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ann Grant

Original Name : Signe Hasso

Gender : Female

Character Name : Shu Pan Wu

Original Name : Maylia Fong

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nicholas Sokim

Original Name : Ludwig Donath

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Lum Chi Chow

Original Name : Vladimir Sokoloff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grieg

Original Name : Edgar Barrier

Gender : Male

Character Name : George C. Shannon

Original Name : John Hoyt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Lariesier

Original Name : Marcel Journet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Alberto Berado

Original Name : Luis van Rooten

Gender : Male

Character Name : Binda Sha

Original Name : Fritz Leiber

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner H.J. Anslinger

Original Name : Harry J. Anslinger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Lionel Hadley (uncredited)

Original Name : Vernon Steele

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Lu (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Loo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner Amar Hassam (uncredited)

Original Name : Lou Krugman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Mary Paine (uncredited)

Original Name : Florence Wix

Gender : Female

Character Name : Naftalie Vrandstadter (uncredited)

Original Name : Ivan Triesault

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harry Hardt (uncredited)

Original Name : Harlan Warde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor Salim (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Raffetto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mahmoud (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Virgo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edward Clark (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Malcolm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hernando (uncredited)

Original Name : Leonardo Scavino

Gender : Male

Character Name : Binda Sha Henchman (uncredited)

Original Name : Blue Washington

Gender : Male

Character Name : Giant Chinese Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Kulky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chinese Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Sen Yung

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chinese Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : James B. Leong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Camel Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Lackteen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship's Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mayo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship's Cook (uncredited)

Original Name : George J. Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship's Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Horace G. Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship's Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Douglas D. Coppin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship's Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Riordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ship Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ship Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank McLure

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Nacho Galindo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Julian Rivero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Transportation Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Beal Wong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Treasury Agent in Ship's Galley (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Coleman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narcotics Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Walter Pietila

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coast Guard Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Mack Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Midgie (uncredited)

Original Name : Sally Corner

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cassidy (uncredited)

Original Name : George Volk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Wang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sketch Artist (uncredited)

Original Name : Nick Volpe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Egyptian Policeman at Gate (uncredited)

Original Name : Mahmud Shaikhaly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pastry Cook (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Godoy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ensign (uncredited)

Original Name : Jackie Barnett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joe (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Chong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Court Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Otto Han

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chian Soo (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Lee

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Utterly polished piece of adult crime drama film making. To The Ends of the Earth is directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Jay Richard Kennedy. It stars Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Maylia, Ludwig Donath and Vladimir Sokoloff. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by Burnett Guffey. Dick Powell stars as Treasury Agent Commissioner Michael Barrows, who after witnessing a terrible incident at sea goes on the trail of a major narcotics ring. Part docu-noir, part straight out crime drama, Stevenson's film is a pic that demands your full attention. Such are the intricacies of a plot involving a global narcotics operation, and the number of characters involved as Barrows literally country hops, it may even be a picture that improves because of a "needed" second viewing. Not to say that is a requisite, the structure and pace of the piece simply may not be your thing, but I'd like to put it on record that it seems an improver and definitely one to watch and listen to carefully. helps, also, that there is much narration to aid the complexity of the case. It begins in shocking fashion, with an event that has the ability to take you aback, and with your attention grabbed we are then on a jaunt with Barrows, getting up close and personal with either shifty persons or loyal international people willing to help the intrepid agent. He has dry wit and a cunning knowing, a guy we basically like to be around, with Powell (not for the first time in such a role) splendidly in character. There was a large budget afforded the production, so the near documentary approach doesn't look cheap (helps having Guffey on photography duties), while the MPA eased their "drugs in film" regulations to let the pic breath an air of much needed realism. With the evils of narcotic smuggling given intelligent filmic substance - we learn much about the manufacture of opium and how it is hidden and retrieved etc - and some very drastic scenes involving murder and suicides, this is mature film making. Not all the cast leave lasting impressions (apart from Powell they were largely unknown at the time), and some of the speech sections are a little clunky, but this is an utterly polished piece of adult crime drama film making. 7.5/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-22

This is one of those rare movies where the imperious narration provided to reassure the American public that Uncle Sam has their back isn't too annoying. It's provided by Dick Powell who's the Treasury Agent "Barrows" in this standard drug smuggling drama. The authorities know that illicit narcotics are arriving, pretty much unhindered, in California and then permeating throughout the country, but they don't really know how. His suspicions are aroused when a mass fatality at sea convinces him that Shanghai is the place he needs to be. That's where he meets the enigmatic "Ann" (Signe Hasso) of whom he is not at all sure. Quickly he picks up the scent and after travels across the globe, believes himself to finally be on the trail of the ingenious gang. It's based on a real-life investigation and actually delivers quite convincingly as it depicts just how complex and lucrative these clandestine operations were. Powell could always be relied upon to come up with the goods in set-piece affairs like this and here he's helped along by a few studio regulars to create a sense of peril as the denouement builds. Boats are always a good place to base a thriller with their claustrophobic infrastructure and loads of metal for the bullets to bounce off, and though this is easily half an hour longer than anyone needs it to be, it's written and directly tautly enough once it's underway to help each citizen sleep more easily in their beds.