MovieChat Forums > The Cheat (1915) Discussion > Love those 'interchangeable Asians'!

Love those 'interchangeable Asians'!

posted 11 years ago by nycruise-1
1 reply | jump to latest

So the Japanese association of Southern California had a problem with the character of the money lender being Japanese. In response, when the movie was re-released in 1918, the character was changed to "Burmese" - and given an odd-sounding Asian name - "Arakau" - that is not-so-Jap sounding.

Well - guess what? Being Asian myself, I am more offended at the thought that Japanese Sessue Hayakawa could be described instead as Burmese person at the drop of a hat.

Japanese? Burmese? "All look same"???!!!

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 8 years ago

So you had no problem with the evil Asian manhandling the poor innocent white woman?

The movie was racist whichever way you look at it, but it was 1915, what else could you expect?

At least the guy was played by an Asian unlike in 'The Bitter Tea of General Yen' where a white man played the Asian role as usual.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried