China Smith is an adventurer.
That is, probably, being kind. Many people would (and do) think of him as a soldier-of-fortune, looking for any hustle that might help pay the bills and always on the lookout for a bigger score. Some would describe him as a rascal because he is often prone to bending the rules as he saw fit and should there be the occasional break, he would shrug in his slouchy posture way and maybe give a wry grin. I will not try to put down on paper what his out-and-out enemies - and there are a good number of those - would call him because it would not be usable in polite conversation.
One thing you would definitely not call Smith is a spy because he definitely is not one. He does, though, answer the call when he is asked on occasion to help out on a little matter here or there. There are enough of those to justify his membership in this compendium but by no means are most of his recorded adventures spy-based. Still, on numerous occasions when he is working for someone other than a government agency, he will find himself going up against such on the other side which again would qualify him to be here.
'China' is, obviously, not his real first name. He on more than one occasion will introduce himself as "William Smith" but it cannot be proven one way or the other if William is indeed his given name or just one picked for the moment's convenience. The 'China' part is a nickname and is one that he enjoys and uses himself most of the time. Why 'China', though, is not known as we find him living and operating in Singapore on the Malay Peninsula, not China; indeed, China is over 2k miles away so the mystery deepens. Making the enigma even more interesting is the fact that on at least two occasions, his sometime friend, British Inspector Hobson of the British CID has declared that Smith isn't his real name at all, China or William, but is in fact David Fitzgerald. Is it really or is this something that Smith and Hobson devised?
Smith is in his mid 40s when we first meet him. No one would ever describe him as handsome but his looks are by no means unpleasant; he is really best described as pleasant looking. At least up until you take into account his standard attire. Always found in an off-white suit with dark tie, that suit is often borderline wrinkled because of the way that Smith prefers to lounge rather than just sit and sidle rather than straight out walk. He is also likely to be seen wearing his Panama hat pushed back on his head.
As indicated above, Smith finds himself involved in all sorts of affairs, many not at all what he signed up for. He is not avarice by nature but he is always on the lookout for a profit. Unfortunately, he is also deep down good-hearted and more than a few times will find himself losing out financially even as he might prove victorious. "China Smith becomes involved with mystery, adventure, and beautiful women, especially Madame Shira, fence and bailbondsman, as he stays a step ahead of Inspector Hobson and the Singapore police."
That mention of Madame Shira, aka the Empress, is important because she is a frenemy of Smith with whom he will have several encounters, sometimes her helping him and occasionally him helping her. Of the two, another description I read stated: this show "chronicles the adventures of a guy and a gal, neither of whom are any better than they should be, as they earn their living by their wits in the Orient."
One very telling promo for these adventures puts it very nicely with: "While China [Smith] pushes no crippled mothers down no long flight of stairs, see, his methods for solving crimes are not precisely in the finest tradition of police detection. He functions as an official liaison man between the British authorities and the underworld, moving enigmatically about his job of apprehending villains and pausing only to befriend an attractive damsel in distress." Another puts it: "[China Smith is] a renegade ?Irishman? whose past is in question and whose future is in doubt, as he becomes involved with mystery, adventure, and, of course, beautiful women."
Good Lines:
- Said by a sultry female newly arrived in Singapore but sizing Smith up quite quickly and accurately: "Profession? Unknown. Means of support? Invisible."