Mr. Wu (1927)

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Maurice Vernon (play) and
Harold Owen (play) ...

Release Date:

26 March 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Raised by his grandfather to adhere to the ancient laws of China, Mandarin Wu is a strict authoritarian...

Plot Keywords:

Mandarin | Blind Man | Forbidden Love | Pregnant Woman Murdered | Offscreen Killing

Cast

Lon Chaney	...	Mr. Mandarin Wu / Mr. Wu's Grandfather
Louise Dresser	...	Mrs. Gregory
Renée Adorée	...	Wu Nang Ping
Holmes Herbert	...	Mr. Gregory
Ralph Forbes	...	Basil Gregory
Gertrude Olmstead	...	Hilda Gregory
Mrs. Wong Wing	...	Ah Wong
Claude King	...	Mr. James Muir
Sonny Loy	...	Little Wu
Anna May Wong	...	Loo Song
Toshia Mori	...	Friend of Nang Ping (as Toshia Ichioka)

Runtime:

90 min (22.5 fps) | USA:91 min (2000 alternate version)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The original play opened in New York on 14 October 1914.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Titus Andronikus (1970) (TV)

Proof that not all of Lon Chaney's characters were golden

By 1927, Lon Chaney had clearly established that he could play practically any role--ranging from Quasimodo to the Phantom of the Opera to sideshow freaks to maniacs. However, one type of role that Chaney did that just looks pretty shabby today is his Asian characters. In MR. WU, Chaney plays two characters--a very, very old Chinese man and his grandson. As the grandfather, Wu looks really weird--not all that Chinese. As the grandson, with his shaved head and painted eyebrows he looks a little more like Joan Crawford circa 1970 than a Chinese guy! Interesting performances, yes--but not at all believable to anyone but the rather unsophisticated audiences of 1927 (who were used to seeing White guys dressed as Asians).

As for the story, it's odd because from the point of view of the Western characters, they didn't seem racist but were very open towards Asians. In contrast, Wu was a bigoted old guy who, according to some ancient teachings, could NEVER allow a child of his to marry anyone who wasn't 100% Chinese.

In light of this, it certainly isn't surprising that the grandson (I guess that would be Wu III) freaked out when his daughter fell for an American man. This of course leads to a sad and rather crazy conclusion that certainly is interesting--though it also seemed rather silly and tough to believe.

So it it worth seeing? Well for silent film fans (particularly lovers of Chaney), of course. For others NOT familiar with silents or who mistakenly think they are bad, then they should try some other films first. This film is like a strong cigar--it can be appreciated by someone used to them but for novices it's best to just stay away for now.