The image features a close shot of the film's two stars, Helen Hayes (Lian Wha 'Star Blossom') and Ramon Novarro (as Tom Lee/ Prince Chun) as she tenderly moistens his face while a servant assists her. Printed on single-weight stock with a glossy finish, this vintage original photograph is in very fine condition with only the outline of a small "X" in the background area above Miss Hayes' head. Veteran Hollywood director Robert Z. Leonard took over as director for about 10 days when Clarence Brown fell ill with the flu. Anna May Wong was very eager to play Lian Wha, but was turned down, by her own account, because the producers considered her "too Chinese to play a Chinese". Special lighting techniques were employed to make Chinatown look gaudy by day and drab at night. 400 Chinese extras went on strike after filming had started until they were served the kind of food they liked. The play opened in New York City, New York, USA on November 19, 1919 and had 223 performances. Writer George Scarborough filed a lawsuit against MGM over alterations in his play, but the outcome of the suit has not been determined.
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