East Is West (1930)

Ming Toy is on the auction block in China. She is saved by Billy and taken to San Francisco by Lo Sang Kee. To save her from deportation she is sold to Charlie Yong, the Chop Suey King. Billy kidnaps her with plans of marriage.

Director:

Monta Bell

Writers:

John B. Hymer (play), Tom Reed (screenplay),

Stars:

Lupe Velez, Lew Ayres, Edward G. Robinson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lupe Velez	...	Ming Toy
Lew Ayres	...	Billy Benson
Edward G. Robinson	...	Charlie Yong
E. Alyn Warren	...	Lo Sang Kee
Tetsu Komai	...	Hop Toy
Henry Kolker	...	Mr. Benson
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Benson
Edgar Norton	...	Thomas
Charles Middleton	...	Dr. Fredericks
Jean Hersholt	...	Man

Storyline

Ming Toy is on the auction block in China. She is saved by Billy and taken to San Francisco by Lo Sang Kee. To save her from deportation she is sold to Charlie Yong, the Chop Suey King. Billy kidnaps her with plans of marriage.

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Plot Keywords:

based on play

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Taglines:

Sold into bondage when the Love Boat sailed!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'appello dell'innocente

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Alternate-language version of Oriente es Occidente (1930)

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Soundtracks

"Happy Feet"
(uncredited)
Music by Milton Ager
Lyrics by Jack Yellen
Played by band

User Reviews

Difficult film to find but worth your effort.

This is not an easy film to see but if you turn over the right rocks you may be able to. It's fun to watch devout Jew Robinson and lovely Mexican Lupe Velez play orientals (it was o.k. to use that term back then; don't understand why it no longer is....). This is possibly the second of Robinson's Asian portrayals; "possibly" as Robinson's Cobra Collins in OUTSIDE THE LAW is of somewhat ambiguous ethnicity although his mother in that film is clearly of Asian extraction. Seeing Robinson in virtually any film in which he appeared prior to LITTLE CAESAR is both fascinating and of cinematic historical significance. EAST IS WEST is no exception. Don't let your viewing and possible enjoyment of the film be marred by revisionist thinking i.e. it being racially stereotypical and thus now more than 80 years later we should deem it offensive etc. It was a different if not necessarily a better time. Just accept this film at face value as well as in its proper historical and chronological contexts and you might have some fun with it. It's clear to see Robinson was enjoying it all; much more so than he did the somber hatchet man he played 2 years later in a film of the same title. Hope you can find a decent, watchable copy as did I.