6 Best Richard Loo Movies

By Vlad Zakh · July 28, 2026

Richard Loo built a long Hollywood career over five decades, often cast in wartime dramas while breaking ground as a Chinese-American character actor. The Sand Pebbles follows a US gunboat crew on a Chinese river, 5 Fingers has a valet selling wartime secrets to the Nazis, The Steel Helmet defends an abandoned Buddhist temple in Korea, and Malaya has two adventurers helping an exiled queen. Road to Morocco and Now and Forever round out the list.

The Sand Pebbles (1966)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Richard Loo features in this epic about an American gunboat crew navigating political turmoil and personal conflict on a Chinese river.

Directed by Robert Wise · 3h 16m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

5 Fingers (1952)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A British diplomat's valet secretly sells wartime secrets to the Nazis for a fortune.

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz · 1h 48m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Steel Helmet (1951)

TMDB ★ 7.0

Richard Loo features in this Korean War film about a grizzled sergeant and a ragtag squad of soldiers who defend an abandoned Buddhist temple.

Directed by Samuel Fuller · 1h 25m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Malaya (1949)

TMDB ★ 6.9

An exiled queen enlists two adventurers to help her reclaim her throne from a usurping vizier.

Directed by Richard Thorpe · 1h 38m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Road to Morocco (1942)

TMDB ★ 6.9

Two shipwrecked friends navigate desert intrigue after one is mistakenly betrothed to a princess.

Directed by David Butler · 1h 22m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Now and Forever (1934)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A con man's reunion with his young daughter forces him to reconsider his dishonest ways.

Directed by Henry Hathaway · 1h 22m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Richard Loo Movies

The Sand Pebbles (1966)

5 Fingers (1952)

The Steel Helmet (1951)

Malaya (1949)

Road to Morocco (1942)

Now and Forever (1934)

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