Marlene Dietrich stars as Shanghai Lily, a courtesan travelling from Peking to Shanghai amid the Chinese civil war, and inspiring scandal and romance among her fellow passengers – portrayed by an array of Hollywood names, including Anna May Wong (Piccadilly), Clive Brook (Sherlock Holmes), Warner Oland (who played Charlie Chan across sixteen feature films), and Eugene Pallette (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Shanghai Express is regarded as one of Dietrich’s greatest roles and, for many, her finest picture.