DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON (1931)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological, sociological*

Though Rowland V. Lee directed the first two sound-features for Fu Manchu, MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR FU MANCHU and RETURN OF DOCTOR FU MANCHU, the director's chair for the third and last of this Paramount was occupied by Lloyd Corrigan, who had co-written the previous two features. He had a longer career as a supporting actor than as a director-- all of his directorial films were confined to the 1930s-- and today his only other movie that cinemaphiles might know would be the Boris Karloff vehicle NIGHT KEY. DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON, though given no bigger a budget than the first two films, proves the best of the trio. There are a couple of okay hand-to-hand struggles that elevate the movie to the combative level, and the titular "daughter," (essayed for the first and last time by Anna May Wong), has a better character-arc than her sire.

The first two Fu-films may have encouraged author Sax Rohmer to revive his long-dormant prose franchise by writing the novel DAUGHTER OF FU MANCHU, which began serialization in early 1930. However, though Paramount must have optioned the novel, there are virtually no similarities between novel and film. One of the main variances is that, while the prose daughter is raised as a member of her ruthless father's criminal "Si-Fan" organization, Ling Moy (Wong) is allowed to spend her entire existence having a normal life as a celebrated musical performer, utterly unaware of her lineage. Fu Manchu (Warner Oland) and his servants (a tiny handful of Asian thugs, far from the resources of the Si-Fan) intrude upon Ling's life. Fu, though absent for many years (presumably so that Ling could grow to maturity), suddenly returns and makes a very un-Fu-like direct assault upon one of his nemeses, John Petrie. Fu kills Petrie, and attempts to kill Ronald. However, on the scene is Ah Kee (Sessue Hayakawa), a Chinese detective investigating the rumors of the Si-Fan's resurgence, and he shoots the master criminal.

Despite being fatally wounded, Fu escapes and has his men summon the woman who does not her father's true nature. Prior to this scene, though, Ling Moy has already encountered young Ronald. Ronald and his girlfriend Joan (Frances Dade) have seen Ling perform at a nightclub, and they go backstage to express their admiration. Ling and Ronald have eye-sex almost immediately, and in a straight melodrama the story would probably be about Ronald deserting his Caucasian lover for some "Oriental intrigue." However, once Ling receives incontrovertible proof that the dying Fu is her father, she becomes fired with filial piety, and when Fu dies his daughter dedicates herself to slaying Ronald-- and for good measure, Joan, of whom Ling is fiercely jealous.

Complicating the romantic mix is that when Ah Kee meets Ling Moy, he falls hard for the glamorous female, but she only manipulates him to serve her ends. After various complications, Ling proves her indebtedness to her torture-happy dad by threatening to use a device that will channel acid to Joan's features, unless Ronald gives her a mercy death first. However, Ah Kee and the local cops come to the rescue, and Ling Moy meets her end in such a way that it seems unlikely the scripters had any thought of reviving her for future installments.

Though I don't imagine any of the raconteurs working on DAUGHTER thought of the movie as anything but a job, the film does boast a few "firsts." It's one of the first sound films to focus on a female super-villain, and Wong looks great in the role, underwritten though it is. During this period the majority of Asian lead roles were usually essayed by non-Asians, and this practice may have been Hollywood's response to laws forbidding sexual intercourse between different races. Thus DAUGHTER is one of the few films in which the principals in an Asian/Caucasian romance were played by racially accurate actors. Although Ah Kee's love is as doomed as Ling Moy's, he's saddled with none of the "fortune cookie" traits doled out to many Asian characters in Hollywood, and has a fair claim to heroic stature even as a support-character. DAUGHTER is also one of the first sound films to attempt spinning off a new character from an old one, though of course in the silent days there had been flicks like the Zorro sequel DON Q.