One Way Passage

"Their tickets took them to a heaven of love...but port was the gateway to hell!"

1932 1h 8m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 67

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A terminally ill woman and a debonair murderer facing execution meet and fall in love on a trans-Pacific crossing, each without knowing the other's secret.

“Their tickets took them to a heaven of love...but port was the gateway to hell!”

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Cast

William Powell
Dan Hardesty
Kay Francis
Joan Ames
Aline MacMahon
Countess Barilhaus
Frank McHugh
Skippy
Warren Hymer
Sgt. Steve Burke
Frederick Burton
The Doctor
Glen Cavender
French Bartender (uncredited)
Mike Donlin
Hong Kong Bartender (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tay Garnett
Writers: Wilson Mizner, Robert Lord, Joseph Jackson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

94 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tay Garnett, shot by Robert Kurrle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ralph Dawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

William Powell and Kay Francis and Aline MacMahon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Their tickets took them to a heaven of love...but port was the gateway to hell!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tay Garnett directs. Robert Kurrle behind the camera. Ralph Dawson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.
494 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
5Directed by Tay Garnett, shot by Robert Kurrle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Ralph Dawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7William Powell and Kay Francis and Aline MacMahon carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Their tickets took them to a heaven of love...but port was the gateway to hell!".
9IMDB entry: tt0023305 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.