Son of the Gods

Interesting story and sympathetic treatment of racial discrimination, Son of the Gods is rather too long and contains some hammy acting, but on the whole remains a fascinating film.

Story about a Chinese passing as White (Rchard Barthelmess) starts as Barthelmess leaves college after being insulted by a trio of brainless co-eds. He embarks on a world tour to discover himself and ends up as secretary to a British playwright (Claude King). In Monte Carlo he meets beautiful Alanna Wagner (Constance Bennett) and they fall in love. But when she discovers he is Chinese she goes berserk in a memorable scene.

Plagued by guilt and love, Alanna goes into a mental spiral and makes a few attempts to contact Barthelmess. After his father dies he takes over the business (banking?) and dons Chinese garb as a symbol of his hatred of the White race that has spurned him. After a San Francisco detective tells him the truth about his birth, Barthelmess makes the decision to honor his Chinese father and mother.

And I agree that one reviewer here never saw this film. Alanna declares her love for Sam BEFORE he tells her of his recent discovery. And that makes all the difference in this film.

Barthelmess and Bennett each have a few scenes where they chew the scenery, but on the whole this is a solid and interesting drama. Frank Albertson is good as the nice college pal, Claude King is solid as the playwright Bathurst, Bess Flowers has one scene as an Oklahoma Indian, and E. Alyn Warren is the Chinese father, Dorothy Mathews is nasty Alice. Not so good are Anders Randolf as Bennett's father and Mildred Van Dorn as Eileen. Also note the gorgeous blonde to the right of Barthelmess at the roulette table. What a stunner whoever she was!

Oh, what a cringe-inducing moment it is, to see Constance Bennett's face contort in shock and anger when she discovers her new lover (Richard Barthelmess) is "Chinese", and then goes and strikes him repeatedly in public. There is some solace in her being suitably apologetic afterwards, getting chastised, and then still loving him, but the film's real triumph is in treating Asian-Americans with dignity, and showing the hypocrisy of white people. How fantastic is it when early on he says "They are liars and hypocrites. Their religion teaches love and brotherhood and equality, but they worship money and prejudice!"

Now you may be thinking as I did, Richard Barthelmess is Asian? And this is one of the film's weaknesses, as is E. Alyn Warren (another Caucasian) playing his father. You'll have to bear with that part, and forgive the film for not putting Asian actors in primary roles, though in Barthelmess's case, it is eventually explained. If you can do that, you may find it refreshing that the characters (including the servants) speak eloquently, and have a sense of class in the face of the racism of others. It's far from perfect, but its heart is in the right place, respecting the culture, and pointing out one's character is more important than one's race ("love knows no barriers"). Another great quote, practically reading the mind of the viewer 88 years later, is when he questions "Why should I be glad..." to be Caucasian, and not Asian.

Now, how it resolves itself takes away from a little of the message, but what a difference this one is from others from the time which were hyping 'yellow peril'. It is a little creaky in places, with slow and stilted dialogue, but Bennett livens things up a bit with her playful presence and defiance of her father. "Take me in your arms, and dance with me," she implores Barthelmess, and then later "Kiss me, and don't talk." It's an average film and certainly not going to blow you away, but I bumped it up a bit for the step it took in the racial dialogue, even if it can't be judged by today's standards.

Wealthy Caucasian-looking Chinese student Richard Barthelmess (as Sam Lee) is accepted by some of his school chums, but many girls shun him when they find out he's really a "Chinaman". Not knowing where he fits in, Mr. Barthelmess drops out of college and sails for Europe. Barthelmess settles in the south of France, assisting English author Claude King (as Mr. Bathurst) with a play he is writing about Chinese culture. Barthelmess is "popular with the ladies," and catches the eye of beautiful blonde Constance Bennett (as Allana Wagner). Perhaps recalling his earlier rejections, Barthelmess does not reveal his Chinese ancestry to Ms. Bennett...

Her father Anders Randolf (as Mr. Wagner) wonders about Barthelmess' background but Bennett doesn't care, or does she...

Bennett's reaction to the news should not to be missed. You should note that the very next scene begins her turnaround, and that she has transferred feelings to her victim. This trading off of prejudice is artful and interesting; and, for the time, this film takes a positive stand regarding miscegenation. That doesn't make it convincing, however. Barthelmess was a top actor, and placed #8 in "Quigley Publications" 1930 annual money-makers list. He has some good scenes, and the production values are high, but his characterization is askew. Barthelmess was getting too old for the college boy roles. And Bennett is saddled with a difficult to redeem scene.

***** Son of the Gods (3/9/30) Frank Lloyd ~ Richard Barthelmess, Constance Bennett, Anders Randolf, E. Alyn Warren

I am not exactly 'Mr. Politically Correct', but I hate when old films have white actors playing Asians...especially when they look not one bit Asian. In the case of "Son of the Gods" it's worse than usual for the era, because Richard Barthelmess* is even LESS Asian looking than you might imagine in your worst case scenario! Frankly, he looks about as Chinese as Shirley Temple or Mantan Moreland! Because of this, the film has a HUGE strike against it from the onset. It's odd that the film features a non-Asian playing the lead...especially since the story is all about racial bigotry towards Asians and is meant to oppose it...not reinforce it...which it unfortunately did by casting Barthelmess.

When the story begins, Sam Lee (Barthelmess) is a well liked member of the American upper crust. However, when it comes to women, the white 'ladies' refuse to have anything to do with him because he's a Chinese-American. However, it seems different with another woman. Allana (Constance Bennett) tells Sam that she hates bigotry and folks should be able to marry whoever she likes. Amazingly, she has no idea he is Chinese when she says this. When he reveals this secret(?), she overreacts to the point of being unintentionally funny. Although she tries to apologize later, Sam's heart has become hard...hard against all white people. And, when he gains control of his father's business, he's ruthless when it comes to white-owned companies....and who can blame him?! What's next? And, what BIG surprise is in store for Sam concerning his Chinese heritage?!

While Barthelmess is clearly NOT Chinese, his acting isn't bad and he avoids broad stereotypes. Instead, the bad acting is by Bennett, as she overreacts so badly that I laughed at her acting. She normally is a decent actress...but here she's just ridiculous.

So is the film any good? Well, it is DEFINITELY a mixed bag...some good, some bad. The script is actually very good and could have been a great film. The direction is poor (a decent director would have had Bennett provide a more realistic and less histrionic performance) and casting...well, I've already commented about that! What also was pretty bad was the 'surprise' near the end which makes it possible for Sam to marry a white woman!! Uggh! Talk about sending a mixed message to the audience!!

*Amazingly, although Richard Barthelmess doesn't look the least bit Chinese, he ALSO played a Chinese man in "Broken Blossoms" back in 1919. If you want to see a few other silly films due to their casting of Caucasians as Asians, try "Dragon Seed" (with Katharine Hepburn as a Chinese woman) and "The Conqueror" (with John Wayne as the Mongol leader, Genghis Khan!). By comparison, the Charlie Chan films were much more believable.

Richard Barthelmess is a college student, and a rich one. He has at least two polo ponies, a "petting wagon" and is quite willing to lend Frank Albertson a sawbuck. He's diffident when Albertson suggests he drive them, their girls, and an extra for him, and pays for them to go to a roadhouse. The reasons for his shyness become clear when the girls and other boys get into an argument when none of the girls will dance with Barthelmess: he's Chinese.

He leaves college, and goes to Monte Carlo to look after the interests there of his father, E. Alyn Warren. One night at the Casino, Constance Bennett spots him and falls in love.

This early talkie by Frank Lloyd has a lot of issues, both in the performances, which are staged for the microphones, and Barthelmess' low-level depression which he portrays quite ably, makes him dull. Ernest Haller's camerawork is lovely, and the themes of racism and class are well done, but even though it has a lot going for it, it isn't on my list of movies to look at again very often.

There's half a reel of two-strip Technicolor that doesn't survive in current prints.