The Hatchet Man

Robinson is the hit man of the title, a Chinaman who has made it as an American businessman, and who is called back to his traditional responsibilities when a Tong War breaks out in San Francisco. To complicate matters, his task is to kill his best friend, and he must then look after the latter's daughter. It's a subject that would surely have excited Sam Fuller. As handled by Wellman, the idea of friendship and responsibility is called into question rather than that of cultural identity. An intriguing film (from a play by Achmed Abdullah and David Belasco).