The port city of Bristol, England, in the 1800s is home to Java Head, a sailing ship line company. The owner has two sons. One, a handsome seafarer, is in love with a local girl, but cannot marry her due to a long-running feud between their fathers. After a lengthy voyage, he returns with a very exotic, noble Chinese wife, which scandalizes the conservative town. His other son, a "landlubber", seeks to convert to steamships, to the disgust of his father. Even worse, he is secretly dealing in contraband.
Acting
Anna May Wong's regal, devastating presence steals every frame.
Costume
Qing dynasty robes crashing into Victorian Bristol.
Director
Thorold Dickinson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Anna May Wong was Hollywood's first Chinese American star but consistently denied lead roles opposite white actors—this rare romantic lead came from Britain, not racist LA.
Thorold Dickinson was fired mid-production; the clash between his arty instincts and Ruben's commercial sensibility bleeds into the film's tonal whiplash.
US
GB
