Evolution of China in spy entertainment

Khigh Dhiegh, who appeared in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and in many episodes of Hawaii Five-O.

The SpyHards podcast recently had an episode reviewing the 1969 movie The Chairman, where Gregory Peck goes into China on a mission. During the episode, there was a discussion concerning Mao Zedong and how he ranked with real-life figures such as Hitler and Stalin.

This post won’t make a judgment. But in the 1960s, into the 1970s, Mao was viewed as a really, really bad guy. This showed up in popular entertainment.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962): This movie, based on a Richard Condon novel, details a joint Chinese-Russian plot to assassinate a U.S. presidential candidate. The lead Chinese operative was played by Khiegh Dhiegh (1910-1991), who has brainwashed U.S. soldiers during the Korean War. One of them (Laurence Harvey) will ultimately pull the trigger.

Goldfinger (1964): In Ian Fleming’s 1959 novel, Auric Goldfinger worked for the Russians. When the book was adapted, Goldfinger formed an alliance with the Chinese government, including agent Mr. Ling.

Real life (1965): In real life, the U.S. still didn’t recognize the communist government of China until the end of the 1970s. It was extremely difficult for American reporters to get into China. On the July 5, 1965, installment of To Tell The Truth (see game 2), a Canadian-born reporter for a U.S. outlet described her experiences in China.

Hawaii Five-O pilot (1968): Five-O debuted as a two-hour TV movie in September 1968. Written and produced by Leonard Freeman, the show introduced Wo Fat (Khiegh Dhiegh again) as the arch-villain who would bedevil Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) for the next dozen years.

Hawaii Five-O, Presenting…In The Center Ring…Murder (1974): In the early 1970s, the U.S. had begun to normalize relations with China. So what to do with Wo Fat? In this episode, the villain has gone independent and is plotting to kill a high-ranking Chinese government official because he believes the leadership of the country is too weak toward the Americans.