In November 1941, cynical American newsreel cameraman, Johnny Williams (George Montgomery), is detained by Japanese military officials in Luichow, a Japanese-occupied part of China. The interviewing officer tells Johnny that the Japanese will pay him twenty thousand dollars to photograph the building of the Burma Road. Johnny declines, and steals what he thinks are his press credentials.

Johnny is returned to his cell, where a captured Canadian who was fighting with the Chinese irregulars, Major Bull Weed (Victor McLaglen), is visited by his girl friend, "Captain" Fifi (Lynn Bari), who slips him a pistol. Johnny helps Weed escape to a pre-arranged meeting place, where Fifi is waiting. She has located an abandoned airplane, and Johnny flies them to safety in Mandalay, where he meets his old pal, Captain Shorty Maguire (Myron McCormick). Maguire asks Johnny to join his American Volunteer Group, "The Flying Tigers", but Johnny callously replies that he won't die for China, only for himself.

Johnny then discovers that he grabbed some Japanese military orders rather than his press credentials. Weed translates the words "pearl" and "seven," but Johnny loses interest, and pursues a beautiful Chinese woman in the lobby, Haoli Young (Gene Tierney).

Later, Johnny takes Fifi to his room and is surprised to find Haoli, who has come to tell him that her father, Dr. Kai Young (Philip Ahn), warned her that Fifi and Weed are Japanese agents, and that Johnny is now suspected as well. Johnny tells Weed and Fifi to leave Mandalay before he tells the Tigers that they are spies.

Johnny becomes more involved with Haoli, and the pair fall deeply in love, and Haoli leaves with her father for Kunming, the site of his school for orphans.

Fifi warns Johnny that Weed intends to kill him but offers to escape with him. When she mentions that the Japanese are about to bomb Kunming, however, Johnny decides that he must find Haoli.

Johnny finds Haoli, but her father has been killed in the bombing. Johnny helps her to rescue the trapped children, but Haoli is also killed. Enraged, Johnny uses a machine gun. to shoot down a Japanese plane and dedicates his actions to his "China girl" as he continues to fire at the planes.

A 1942 American Black & White drama film (a/k/a "A Yank In China", "Burma Road" and "Over the Burma Road") directed by Henry Hathaway, produced by Ben Hecht, screenplay by Ben Hecht, story by Melville Crossman, cinematography by Lee Garmes, starring Gene Tierney, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari, Victor McLaglen, Alan Baxter, Sig Ruman, Myron McCormick, Robert Blake, Philip Ahn, Tom Neal, Paul Fung, Lal Chand Mehra, and Kam Tong. Final screen appearance of Ann Pennington.

Robert "Bobby" Blake, adult actor of "Baretta" fame, plays Chandu, boy sidekick of George Montgomery. Blake was borrowed from M-G-M for the production.

Melville Crossman, who is credited as the film's story writer, was the pseudonym of Twentieth Century-Fox production head Darryl F. Zanuck.

A permanent airfield was built on the Fox Studio lot for filming because real airfields could no longer be photographed due to wartime restrictions. Hotel scenes were shot on location at the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Even though, Gene Tierney plays the title role, she actually doesn't show up until 19 minutes into the film.

Even though Haoli's (Gene Teirney) surname is spelled "Young" in the credits, it likely would have been a Westernization of the Chinese surname pronounced "Yung", the Anglicized spelling for several indigenous names with that general sound. This would explain why Johnny would be confused at a seeming Western-looking, Western-dressing, Vasser educated woman turning out to be Eurasian. And even if the family surname had been Westernized for Haoli, it is highly unlikely her very refined, clearly Chinese, father would have changed the spelling of his to "Dr. Young" from "Dr. Yung".

Kunming, China was the home of The Flying Tigers, organized as a volunteer-staffed mercenary air force early in 1941. They first flew in combat on December 20, 1941, two weeks after the U.S had entered World War II following the December 7th Pearl Harbor attack. So, in spite of the film's plot, there was never a time they were flying in combat and the United States was still neutral in that conflict.

When Williams finds Chandu gambling in the street, he makes a comment about having a "run on the bank" and then calls Chandu "J.P.". This is a reference to J.P. Morgan (1837-1913), an American financier and banker.

During the early days after America's entry into WWII, Hollywood cranked up the pro-war propaganda machine to both explain and justify our late participation and urgent need to catch up in the global battle against fascism.

An underrated classic, pre-Pearl Harbor, WWII adventure. The real attraction here is the production: exquisite Oriental decor, imaginative lighting, and some spectacular mayhem. Worth seeing for Tierny and Bari alone.