Alarm in Peking

Did You Know?

• Actress Rosa Jung, the only ethnic Chinese woman in the film, was born in Beijing and lived in Berlin-Friedenau.
• Rosa Jung also appeared in Richard Eichberg's films The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb in 1938.
• Viktor Klemperer described the film as 'a really good piece', noting that the boxers are portrayed as patriots and nationalists, not just cruel villains.

Plot

The story begins on July 5, 1900, with the slogan 'China to the Chinese' echoing across Asia, bringing hardship to Europeans and Americans. That night, two European telegraph operators are murdered by Chinese boxers near a railroad line. German lieutenant Brock and Sergeant Mück hear the shots but arrive too late. Brock stops an express train, loads his cavalry patrol and horses aboard, and rides to Tientsin.

Earlier, crates in the baggage car were found to contain grenades, not machine parts as claimed. Tu-Hang, the Chinese managing director of a German-owned factory, had the baggage master stabbed and thrown from the train after the discovery. Maria, the factory owner's sister, is on the train and unaware of the plot. Sergeant Mück nearly discards the explosive cargo to make room for the horses, but Maria's appearance leads Brock to stow the crates elsewhere, allowing the ammunition to reach its destination.

In Tientsin, rail traffic is shut down. Maria learns that her friend Captain Cunningham has been sent to Beijing with 416 soldiers from eight nations to protect the legation district. Tu-Hang persuades Maria to travel to Beijing and lobby the German consul general to release the crates without inspection.