'Shanghai Express' trivia and fun facts

1000 extras were used in the making of the movie

This was the highest grossing film of 1932 in USA and Canada.

The extras in the film are all speaking Cantonese, a Chinese dialect focused mainly in southern China. If the film were to be more true to life, the extras would be speaking Mandarin, a more spoken dialect. However, most Chinese residents in the Los Angeles area spoke Cantonese, making von Sternberg use Cantonese.

China initially banned the movie, demanding its withdrawal from worldwide circulation. The ban was lifted when Paramount pledged not to make another film involving Chinese politics.

The black-and-white leather gloves Dietrich wears at the start of the film were custom-made by Hermès.

Howard Hawks made an unnoficial contribbution to the film's script.