AllMovie

Stuntman extraordinaire Richard Talmadge starred in several movie vehicles in the 1920s and 1930s, few of which advanced the art of film but all of which made money. One of Talmadge's last silent efforts was Back From Shanghai, in which our hero tries to save Vera Reynolds from a band of Chinese fanatics. It seems that Reynolds' father has stolen a sacred Chinese vase and has smuggled it to America, prompting its owners to follow the culprit, knives at the ready. Talmadge leaps, hops and sprints about trying to stay one step ahead of the villains, but ultimately must face down the principal heavy, a revenge-seeking high priest. In a way, it is a blessing that Back From Shanghai was a silent picture; Richard Talmadge's thick Swiss accent somewhat compromised his image as an All-American hero.