''Shame'' is a 1921 American film directed by

Emmett J. Flynn Emmett J. Flynn (November 9, 1891 in Denver, Colorado – June 4, 1937 in Hollywood, California) was an American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. Filmography As director * 1917 : ''Alimony'' * 1918 : '' The Racing Strain'' ...

. It is based on the story ''Clung'' by Max Brand, which appeared in the magazine ''All Story Weekly'' (10 Apr - 15 May 1920 edition). This black and white

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

was distributed and produced by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film ...

. It is considered a drama and has a runtime of 90 mins. It is presumed to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

Plot

William Fielding, a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

in China, loses his wife after she gives birth to a son named David. He then marries a Chinese woman named Lotus Blossom, who treats the child as if it were her own. A trader named Foo Chang is madly in love with the woman. Believing the child to be hers, he kills William and brands David. Lotus Blossom commits suicide as a result. However, Li Chung, aware of the child's true parentage, takes David to the home of his wealthy grandfather in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. There, the boy befriends Li Chung and later inherits his grandfather's business and the Fielding estate when he becomes older. David marries an American woman named Winifred Wellington. Following David's marriage, however, Foo Chang appears. He is now the head of an

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...

ring and tries to bribe David to help him bring a cargo of opium into the city. When David refuses, Foo Chang tells David that he is half-Chinese. Although he has no proof other than the brand on David's arm, that is enough to convince David. He goes to pieces and flees with his infant son to

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. Winifred goes to Li Chung, who kills Foo Chang and also promises to take her to David but not telling her about her husband's true ethnicity. Li Chung only reveals the truth when Winifred is reunited with her husband. The family returns to San Francisco to live happily ever after.

Cast

* John Gilbert as William Fielding / David Field * Michael D. Moore as David, age 5 (credited as Mickey Moore) *

Frankie Lee Frankie Lee (December 31, 1911 – July 29, 1970), was an American child actor. He appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1925. Best remembered in the 1919 film '' The Miracle Man'', he was the little boy on crutches healed by the phony fait ...

as David, age 10 *

George Siegmann George A. Siegmann (also credited as George Seigmann; February 8, 1882 – June 22, 1928) was an American actor and film director in the silent film era. His work includes roles in notable productions such as ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915), ' ...

as Foo Chang *

William V. Mong William V. Mong (June 25, 1875 – December 10, 1940) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1910 and 1939. His directing (1911–1918) and screenwriting (1911–1922) were mostly for ...

as Li Clung * George Nichols as Jonathan Fielding *

Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain intern ...

as Lotus Blossom *

Rosemary Theby Rosemary Theresa Theby (born Rose Masing, April 8, 1892 – November 10, 1973) was an American film actress. She appeared in some 250 films between 1911 and 1940. Early life and career The daughter of George and Katherine Masing, Theby ...

as The Weaver of Dreams *

Doris Pawn Doris Pawn (born Doris Alice Pahn; December 29, 1894 – March 30, 1988) was an American silent era film actress. Early life Pahn was born on December 29, 1894, to Louise Marie Hasse (1867–1925) and Martin Pahn. She had three sister ...

as Winifred Wellington *David Kirby as 'Once-over' Jake (credited as 'Red' Kirby)

References

External links

* * 1921 films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Films directed by Emmett J. Flynn Silent American drama films 1921 drama films Fox Film films Lost American films Films with screenplays by Bernard McConville 1921 lost films Lost drama films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub