William Wellman's BLOOD ALLEY begins with the inhabitants of a local Chinese village liberating political prisoner Captain Tom Wilder (John Wayne). The oppressed villagers are disillusioned by communism's stranglehold and want the former merchant marine to sail their ship through the treacherous Formosa Straits--the infamous Blood Alley--to Hong Kong and freedom. The Duke complies and heads off down the Yangtze aboard an old steamer, with Cathy Granger (Lauren Bacall) along for the ride. The strong arm of the plot is taken from the novel by Aaron Sidney Fleischman. Widescreen CinemaScope adds to the effective shots of the panoramic scenery, and it is an absolute delight to watch Wayne and Bacall, so reminiscent of Bogie and Hepburn in THE AFRICAN QUEEN.