Where East Is East

This is a nice little silent film - years ago TCM UK showed a 1930's re-issue print with ridiculous sound effects over an energetic orchestra at 63 minutes long that I taped. Lon Chaney only had 2 more films to make before his death the following year, while Lupe Velez had more than 30 to go before her strange death in 1944, here the pair played a rather close father and daughter (Tiger and Toyo) in steamy pre-chopper Vietnam.

The storyline's been completely given away in a previous post, all I would add is that this film is most definitely worth watching if only to gawp at Estelle Taylor playing Madame De Sylva, Toyo's prodigal mother. She was light-years more alluring than Velez in this mainly owing to her incredible eye make-up and hair style, but the daughter didn't seem to mind being overshadowed at all. And her boyfriend Booby was torn - what was there to choose?! Throughout the ensuing emotional roller-coaster Chaney snarls and generally lives up to his name, but unfortunately is guilty of a heavily contrived heinous crime against his immoral ex-wife and by the end has to pay the censor's price - literally in the last second.

All in all not fantastic, but with a realistic atmosphere generated by some intelligent photography and the usual high standard of scenic detail from Cedric Gibbons it's always a pleasant hour-filler for me.

The plot to "Where East Is East" is a bit kinky...and probably something the studios wouldn't have been allowed to make after the new, toughened Production Code took effect in mid-1934. While there's no nudity in the film, its plot is pretty odd and definitely pushed the boundaries back in 1929.

The story is set in Southeast Asia. Toyo (Lupe Velez) has fallen for Bobby and they plan on marrying. However, before this Bobby and her father, 'Tiger' (Lon Chaney) are taking a trip together. On the ship, Bobby is vamped by an older woman, Madame de Silva. However, what Bobby doesn't know is that de Silva is his fiancee's estranged mother!!! And, when Tiger tells his ex-wife what she is doing, she doesn't seem to care....and actually seems to think it's even more of a challenge! Will this horny cougar destroy the upcoming nuptials or will something happen to stop this heartless woman?

Now my first thought about all this is that the mother isn't the main villain. After all, Bobby is engaged and chasing another woman....so I was kinda hoping Tiger would punch him in the mush or toss him overboard during their trip. What actually does happen? See the film.

While the film was very well made and acted, it should, of course, be pointed out that the Asians are not played by Asians. This was the norm in 1929 and my attitude is to look past this and realize it was just a product of its times and refusing to watch a film because of this seems like a bit of an overreaction...especially since it is such a good film. I loved Chaney in particular in the movie, as he not only was a very good actor but the makeup job he did on himself to make it look like his face had been mauled years ago was VERY convincing....not gross but pretty realistic. What's a bit less realistic is the guy in the gorilla suit...albeit it's a great looking gorilla suit compared to most in older films.

As far as the story goes, it is lurid but also quite exciting. The sets and costumes are also lovely and, fortunately, most of the extras are actually Asians by heritage. Compared to other full length silents, it's quite good and still is very watchable.

By the way, after the movie I thought "What's a gorilla doing in Southeast Asia?!"....and that is a puzzler!!

"Where East is East" is another entertaining and somewhat disturbing film from Director Tod Browning and Lon Chaney, this one set in Asia. Chaney plays a wild animal trainer whose daughter (Lupe Vélez) falls in love with a young man (Lloyd Hughes). After some initial reluctance, Chaney supports their intended marriage, but then trouble comes in the form of Madame de Sylva (Estelle Taylor), an Asian seductress. As she moves in on Hughes, we find out she's actually Chaney's old wife and Vélez's mother, who abandoned them long ago. A disturbing love triangle is thus formed between a young man and a mother and her daughter. Chaney snarls and is and tries to protect his daughter, compelling as always, but it's the women who steal this show. Vélez is a bundle of energy and plays her part with a touching innocence and charm, and Taylor absolutely lights up the screen from the moment she appears – her face and hair are just stunning. The two of them and a macabre (if a bit contrived) ending easily make this a film worth watching.

Some notes of interest in the personal lives of the cast: Chaney would sadly die just one year later, and Vélez and Taylor would become such close friends that it would be Taylor at Vélez's side the night she committed suicide 15 years later.

Also, some notes on the subject of race, always a lightning rod in watching these old films: It's disappointing that none of the principal Asian roles are played by Asians, Asian countries and cultures are muddled together, and Asian characters are shown butchering basic grammar even when they should be speaking in their native languages to one another. On the other hand, Browning doesn't play to other stereotypes, wisely doesn't attempt to make Taylor or Vélez look "more Asian" with garish make-up, knowing it would be ridiculous (see Renee Adoree in 1927's Mr. Wu, among others), and also includes three lines in correct Chinese, as opposed to putting up a hodgepodge of nonsensical characters. (And interestingly enough, he doesn't even translate those lines into English.) Not bad, especially for 1929.

WHERE EAST IS EAST is an enjoyable if fairly contrived adventure saga: Chaney is a scarred trapper of wild animals, and the very first scene shows him capturing a tiger for use in a circus. Chaney adores his young daughter (Lupe Velez) and she certainly returns his affections – indeed, relentlessly so, resulting in a somewhat overbearing performance! Lloyd Hughes is her naïve boyfriend, whose father conveniently owns a circus.

Gradually, we learn that Velez's mother had left her and Chaney when still a baby. He later meets up with her on a boat, and we realize that she is nothing but a vamp who has already set her eyes on a new patsy – Lloyd Hughes! Estelle Taylor's performance rivals Chaney's here (not to mention Velez for sex appeal) – though her character is irritatingly one-note, and is unfortunately saddled with some godawful lines of cornball romanticism! Taylor is accompanied by an enigmatic servant-woman who, for some unknown reason, constantly betrays her mistresses' moves to Chaney: she reminded me of Judith Anderson in Hitchcock's REBECCA (1940), and I cracked up a couple of times watching her creep up on Chaney, give him the lowdown on Taylor's seduction of Hughes, and vanish immediately afterwards – without giving Chaney barely a chance to register what she just said!

Tod Browning's hand is not much in evidence throughout the film and, while Chaney is quite good in what he has to do, the material on offer is somewhat below-par here. If anything, from his performances in this film and THE UNKNOWN (1927), we almost feel certain there's nobody who can illustrate a character's utter disgust and contempt (without bothering to cover it up in the face of his enemies!) like Chaney does!! The finale is a typical Browning/Chaney eccentricity, however: when Taylor is certain to take away her daughter's boyfriend for good, Chaney lets loose an ape – and which also, conveniently, hates Taylor's guts (!) – from one of the cages in his yard. It climbs up to Taylor's room and kills her in some vicious manner we can only imagine – as Browning typically shies away from showing us anything but, perhaps, understandably so in this case. Chaney almost regrets having done this, and is himself wounded struggling with the gorilla.

In Southeast Asia, scar-faced animal hunter Lon Chaney (as Tiger Haynes) is very protective of "pretty as the poppies in the morning sun" daughter Lupe Velez (as Toyo), who is dating cute Lloyd Hughes (as Bobby Bailey). Mr. Chaney, who likes to play bullfighting games with Ms. Velez, grows to accept Mr. Hughes after he helps save Velez from a loose tiger. When all seems idyllic, seductive Estelle Taylor (as Madame de Sylva) arrives to heighten interest in sex and revenge among the men.

Directed by Tod Browning and top-billing Chaney, then the #2 "Box Office Star" according to the annual "Quigley Publications" exhibitors' poll, "Where East Is East" is nothing special; it features the expected Browning/Chaney formulaic moments, but they are mild when compared to some of the collaborators' other works. Despite some silly posturing and eye make-up, Ms. Taylor is most entertaining. She and Mr. Hughes are fun - and, watch out for Taylor's jealous lesbian attendant.

****** Where East Is East (5/4/29) Tod Browning ~ Lon Chaney, Lupe Velez, Estelle Taylor, Lloyd Hughes