Singapore

Singapore

Year: 1947

Runtime: 79 mins

Language: English

Director: John Brahm

CrimeRomanceAdventure

After the war Matt Gordon returns to Singapore to reclaim a fortune of smuggled pearls. He is haunted by memories of his pre‑war fiancée Linda, who vanished during the Japanese assault. Now she reappears, suffering from amnesia and married to wealthy planner Van Leyden. Meanwhile, the ruthless fence Mauribus plots to seize Gordon’s pearls.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Singapore (1947)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Singapore (1947). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1930s to mid-1940s (World War II era)

The story begins just before World War II and spans through the war years, including a five-year gap before the protagonists reconnect. It covers the disruption of war, imprisonment experiences, and the post-war return to normal life. The timeline centers on how memory, love, and crime intersect with this historical period.

Location

Singapore

Singapore serves as the wartime backdrop where romance and crime unfold in a colonial port city. The action unfolds across hotels, a church, and a harbor, with the looming threat of Japanese attack looming over the characters. Wartime disruption and the search for pearls shape the city’s atmosphere and the choices the characters make.

🇸🇬 Singapore 🏝️ Port city 🗺️ Wartime backdrop

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

Main Characters – Singapore (1947)

Meet the key characters of Singapore (1947), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Matt Gordon (Fred MacMurray)

A wary pearl smuggler who loves Linda and fights to protect her memory. He engineers schemes, outsmarts rivals, and acts with daring improvisation to safeguard the pearls and Linda's future. His readiness to bend rules tests his morality while keeping the plot in motion.

🗺️ Adventurous 💎 Pearl smuggler 🧭 Clever

Linda Grahame / Ann Van Leyden (Ava Gardner)

A woman who survived wartime events and carries a fractured memory, living as Ann after being renamed Linda. Her shifting identity drives the plot, forcing choices between past love and present life. Her recognition by Ming Ling and the eventual memory restoration form the emotional core.

💖 Enigmatic 🧠 Amnesiac 👩‍❤️‍👨 Complex relationships

Michael Van Leyden (Roland Culver)

Plantation owner and husband of Ann, who appears to know more about Linda's past than he reveals. His calm, decisive demeanor helps push the truth to the surface when needed. He embodies a controlled presence that links pre-war life with post-war resolution.

🏡 Plantations 🎩 Refined 🧐 Calculating

Mr. Mauribus (Thomas Gomez)

A seasoned criminal mastermind pursuing the pearls for financial gain. He is ruthless and strategic, orchestrating moves to force others to act for his profit. His confrontation with Gordon and Sascha drives the tension toward a violent climax.

💰 Criminal mastermind 🧭 Calculating 🗝️ Power broker

Sascha Barda (George Lloyd)

Mauribus's trusted enforcer who enforces the plan with a calm, dangerous demeanor. He is loyal to Mauribus and willing to take risks to secure the treasure. His presence adds menace to the pursuit of the pearls.

💼 Enforcer 🗡️ Dangerous 🧩 Loyal

Deputy Commissioner Hewitt (Richard Haydn)

A skeptical lawman who suspects Gordon's motives and tracks the missing pearls. He interrogates and investigates, guiding the pursuit with procedural authority. His presence keeps the investigation grounded amid the surrounding chaos.

🕵️‍♂️ Investigator 🗃️ Bureaucratic 🧭 Skeptical

Ming Ling (Maylia Fong)

Linda’s pre-war servant who recognizes her identity, acting as a bridge to Linda's former life. Her recognition confirms the thread of Linda's past and anchors the emotional turn in the story. She embodies loyalty and cultural ties to Linda’s origins.

🧭 Loyal 🇨🇳 Cultural connector 🗝️ Key witness

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

Major Themes – Singapore (1947)

Explore the central themes of Singapore (1947), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧠 Memory

Linda/Ann’s memory loss and eventual recollection drive the plot, forcing characters to confront identity and past loyalties. The amnesia creates tension and misdirection as relationships are tested. Restoration of memory becomes a hinge point that reshapes everyone’s destiny.

❤️ Love & Sacrifice

Romance endures amid danger and upheaval, and characters must choose between personal happiness and duty. Gordon risks everything for Linda, even as memory and truth complicate their bond. Ann’s evolving feelings for Michael add emotional weight to the decisions they face.

💰 Greed & Deception

Pearls symbolize wealth and temptation, driving Mauribus and Sascha to pursue them at all costs. Deception threads through the plot as plans unravel and loyalties shift. The climax tests who will act honorably when wealth is at stake.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

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Unlock the Full Story of Singapore

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Singapore Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Singapore, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Singapore Summary

Singapore Timeline

Track the full timeline of Singapore with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Singapore Timeline

More About Singapore

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More About Singapore