Java Head (Anna May Wong)

JAVA HEAD. 1934 British historical drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and J Walter Ruben. Based on the novel by Joseph Hergesheimer, “Java Head” takes place in the English port city of Bristol during the 1850s. The local maritime trade is commanded by the Ammidon family, headed by the old salt patriarch played by EDMUND GWENN (best known today for his Oscar-winning role as Santa Claus in “The Miracle on 34th Street”). Old Ammidon’s sons are polar opposites : snarky William (RALPH RICHARDSON) never went to sea and spends much of his time trying to get his father to update and modernize his fleet, while dashing Gerrit (JOHN LODER) has sailed all over the world. Gerrit is a handsome guy but he’s also somewhat dumb — he doesn’t realize that lovely Nettie Vollar (ELIZABETH ALLAN) is madly in love with him. Alas, Nettie’s father is a dour Bible-thumper who’s had a running feud with Old Ammidon for 20 years and this long-standing bitterness prevents Nettie from hoping to become Gerrit’s wife. Gerrit, to everyone’s surprise, eventually marries a girl from out of town. Way out of town, to be precise — China! He returns from an around-the-world sail with a new bride in the form of the Manchu Princess Taou Yuen (ANNA MAY WONG). With her exotic colorful clothing and dramatic make-up, Taou Yuen seems like she came from another planet to the pale, colorless people of Bristol. Although initial sneering about having “that heathen” in the neighborhood greets her arrival, Taou Yuen slowly manages to integrate herself into the Ammidon household and the community. But too quickly, Gerrit begins to have second thoughts about his Chinese wife. He begins spending more time with Nettie and begins to realize that she might have been a more appropriate wife. Meanwhile, old man Ammidon discovers that his sneaky son William has been using the family fleet to import illegal opium from China. This proves too much and the elder Ammidon spins around the room while clutching his chest, collapsing into a cardiac death. When Taou Yuen mourns for her dead father-in-law in the traditional Buddhist manner, she is berated by her husband for the “barbaric ways” she expresses grief. Realizing this cannot go on much longer, Taou Yuen poisons herself with a cup full of opium. Gerrit immediately sails off with his second wife, Nettie, to points unknown.........