Set in a small American mission in China in 1947, at a time of civil war, it stars Humphrey Bogart as a hunted man masquerading as a Catholic priest and Gene Tierney in the role of a nurse, with a supporting cast including Lee J. Cobb, Agnes Moorehead, E. G. Marshall, and Carl Benton Reid.

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times disliked the picture, writing, "Unfortunately, Mr. Hayes and Mr. Dmytryk have not assembled a drama that conveys either credibility of action or sincerity of mood," calling the flashback scenes "absurd, played in a style of heroics that you get in the silliest bandit films.

"[4] Variety praised the film's "top-budget values" and "authentic touch" of Chinese extras, but noted, "To sticklers of logic and realism, there are a number of scenes and incidents that strain the imagination.

"[5] Harrison's Reports agreed that the dice game was "rather fanciful", but called the film's production values "first-rate" and thought that Bogart did "an outstanding job" in the lead role.

[6] John McCarten of The New Yorker deemed the film "a fairly substantial item" in a positive review, with Bogart doing "a fine job" in his estimation though he found the plot to get "a bit shaky, and even outlandish.

One suspects that the original novel may have provided more detailed and logical characterisation than is apparent in the film's script—Carmody's allegiance to the Chinese warlord is never satisfactorily explained—and Bogart's tired and uneasy playing fails to suggest the character's dilemma.