In the splendid court scene, with a great crowd of courtiers, lords and ladies in the background with a backdrop of a giant lavish unicorn apestry and chandeliers, the courtier Duc d""Anjou bows and kisses he hand of the bon-bon-eating king seated on the throne.The setting of the film is a tropical Malayan rubber plantation (a sign reads L Rubber Co., Singapore, Plantation No.1).The film""s startling opening presents the film as a mystery - it is one of the most famous opening sequences ever produced.In du Maurier""s story, the birds were attacking in the English countryside, rather than in a small town north of San Francisco.It became Dietrich""s biggest US box-office hit, taking in a record amount of $3.7 million for Paramount.It was remade asNight Plane from Chungking (1943)and asPeking Express (1951).Plot SynopsisIn the opening scene, a ""Shanghai Express"" train was being boarded and loaded with baggage at the bustling Peking Railroad Station.