Without lights and in a driving rain, a bus is lumbering along the muddy Assam Road en route from Chungking to the Indian border. Passengers include Albert Pasavy (
Otto Kruger), a European of unknown nationality; a missionary, the Rev. Dr. Van Der Linden (
Steven Geray); a French officer Major Raoul Brissac (
Ernst Deutsch as Ernest Dorian) and Countess Olga Karagin (
Tamara Geva), a White Russian. There are also Madame Wu (
Soo Yong), an ancient Chinese lady on an important diplomatic mission to India, and her traveling companion, Ann Richards (
Ellen Drew), an American Red Cross nurse.