Son of the Gods (1930)
The clash of East and West, of tolerance and bigotry, of man and woman play out in this vivid early Talkie. Richard Barthelmess portrays Sam Lee, a Chinese-American who, stung by racial slurs, leaves his wealthy father’s New York home to make his own way in Europe. There he falls for a beauty (Constance Bennett) who proves beauty is only skin deep when she discovers Sam’s heritage and vents her fury in a shocking, not-to-be-missed scene of pure racial hatred. A bold look at intolerance that helped secure Warner Bros. studio’s reputation for social-conscience filmmaking, Son of the Gods was also a reprise of sorts for Barthelmess: He played a Chinese opposite Lillian Gish in D.W. Griffith’s famed Broken Blossoms.
Price: 14.49

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