The Forbidden City

19181918
1h 2m

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

311

YOUR RATING

Drama

Romance

A Chinese mandarin hopes to regain favor with the Emporer by betrothing her to him, but he doesn't know she's secretly married to the American consul and pregnant.A Chinese mandarin hopes to regain favor with the Emporer by betrothing her to him, but he doesn't know she's secretly married to the American consul and pregnant.A Chinese mandarin hopes to regain favor with the Emporer by betrothing her to him, but he doesn't know she's secretly married to the American consul and pregnant.

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

311

YOUR RATING

Director
- Sidney Franklin
Writers
- Mary Murillo
- George Scarborough(story)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

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Photos9

Norma Talmadge in The Forbidden City (1918)

Storyline

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The daughter of a Chinese mandarin is sentenced to death for her secret marriage to an American. Their child, raised in the mandarin's palace, grows up and escapes to seek her father, now a high-ranking official in the Philippines. —Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

mandarin

secret marriage

consul

interracial baby

emperor of china

8 more

Taglines
- A Chinese Mandarin offered Sn San to the Emperor, but when they found her half American baby girl the Emperor ordered San San to the Hall of Flashing Speers. The prettiest and most unique or all Oriental stories ever told on the screen---don't miss it. (Print Ad- Sentinel-Record, ((Hot Springs, Ark.)) 5 December 1918)
Genres
- Drama
- Romance
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

User reviews10

Review

Top review

9/10

Touching movie about inter-racial love

I was very moved by this film. Norma Talmadge plays the role of San-San, a mandarin's daughter, who risks all for love of Thomas Meighan's character, an American diplomat named Worden. She is very believable as an oriental girl who is longing for love. Norma also plays the love child of San-San and Worden, as a young adult, trying to escape from her brutal life in the emperor's palace.

This type of story has been done before, but perhaps never so tenderly and sweetly as in this old, old film. This is a haunting movie, with great performances from all the cast. It is not to be missed.

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