The Dragon Painter (1919)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

William Worthington

Writers:

Richard Schayer (scenario)
Mary McNeil Fenollosa (novel)

Release Date:

28 September 1919 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Tatsu is a slightly delusional painter who lives in the wilderness. He spends his days painting nothing but the image of his love...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Inspiration | Dragon | Suicide Note | Tokyo Japan

Cast

Sessue Hayakawa	...	Tatsu - the Dragon Painter
Tsuru Aoki	...	Ume-Ko
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Kano Indara (as Edward Peil)
Toyo Fujita	...	Undobuchida 'Uchida'

Runtime:

USA:50 min (2005 release) | France:53 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Company:

Haworth Pictures Corporation

Sessue Hayakawa's Broken Blossoms

In the mountains of Japan, forlorn young artist Sessue Hayakawa (as Tatsu aka "The Dragon Painter") paints magnificent landscapes. He prays "Divinity" will restore his fiancée, whom he believes was changed into a dragon, 1,000 years ago. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, an forlorn older painter, Edward Peil (as Kano Indara) laments not having a son to carry on his family line of artists. When Mr. Peil sees Mr. Hayakawa's paintings, he sees a painter worthy to become his "son and disciple." Hayakawa also falls in love with Peil's daughter Tsuru Aoki (Ume-Ko), believing she's the reincarnation of his long lost princess. But, with his love fulfilled, Hayakawa loses his ability to paint…

An introduction notes, "'The Dragon Painter' was originally released in 1919 by the Haworth Pictures, a Hollywood-based production company formed the previous year by Sessue Hayakawa, a Japanese-born actor who enjoyed great popularity in the silent period. The film was ninth of twenty-two features produced by Haworth, each of which was tailored to Hayakawa's talents and to his stock company of Japanese actors." Fortunately, a print of this film was found, in France, and restored.

The description, "The Dragon Painter is a fantasy-allegory of love and creative inspiration that is lost when longing is fulfilled," is accurate. "With its production, Hayakawa intended to provide a different view of Japanese culture to American audiences, avoiding the stereotyping, violence, and melodramatic conflict expected in 'Oriental' films of the period." Hayakawa was successful in that part of his goal; although, this film probably did not and will not appeal to most viewers, and is not the best example of its intent.

**** The Dragon Painter (9/28/19) William Worthington ~ Sessue Hayakawa, Edward Peil, Tsuru Aoki