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'''''Chu-Chin-Chow''''' is a 1925 British-German [[silent film|silent]] [[adventure film]] directed by [[Herbert Wilcox]] and starring [[Betty Blythe]], [[Herbert Langley]] and [[Randle Ayrton]].
'''''Chu-Chin-Chow''''' is a 1925 British-German [[silent film|silent]] [[adventure film]] directed by [[Herbert Wilcox]] and starring [[Betty Blythe]], [[Herbert Langley]] and [[Randle Ayrton]].

⚫
It was produced and directed in 1923 in Germany by Wilcox with financial assistance from the German [[Ufa Film Company|UFA]] company. Wilcox may have had [[Erich Pommer]] also as a financier on the production. It is based on the extraordinarily successful [[musical theatre|stage musical]] ''[[Chu Chin Chow]]'' by [[Oscar Asche]], with music by [[Frederic Norton]], that ran in London from 1916 to 1921.<ref>[http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/archive/2008/chuchinchow.htm ''Chu Chin Chow'' (2008)] at the Finborough Theatre, London, website archive, accessed 23 December 2010</ref>

⚫
The film starred American actress [[Betty Blythe]] fresh from her scantily clad triumph in 1921's ''[[The Queen of Sheba (1921 film)|The Queen of Sheba]]'' at [[Fox Film|Fox]]. Sources state this film had early experimental synchronised sound but this process could only be viewed at the special theaters outfitted for the sound equipment.<ref>[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/C/ChuChinChow1923.html '''Chu-Chin-Chow''' listed at the silentera.com database]</ref> This film was released in the United States by [[MGM]] two years after its production with a drastically reduced footage count by almost half.

⚫
A sound film ''[[Chu Chin Chow (1934 film)|Chu Chin Chow]]'', with the score intact, was made by the Gainsborough Studios in 1934, with [[George Robey]] playing the part of [[Ali Baba]], [[Fritz Kortner]] as Abu Hassan, [[Anna May Wong]] as Zahrat Al-Kulub and [[Laurence Hanray]] as Kasim.<ref>[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=980DE6DB103CE23ABC4A51DFBF66838F629EDE&oref=slogin "Chu Chin Chow (1934): A Robust Operetta"]. ''The New York Times'', 22 September 1934, accessed 2 August 2010</ref>

==Cast==
==Cast==
*[[Betty Blythe]] – Zahrat
*[[Betty Blythe]] – Zahrat
Line 38: Line 31:
*Dora Levis – Mahbubah
*Dora Levis – Mahbubah
*Dacia – Dancer
*Dacia – Dancer
==Production==
⚫
It is based on the extraordinarily successful [[musical theatre|stage musical]] ''[[Chu Chin Chow]]'' by [[Oscar Asche]], with music by [[Frederic Norton]], that ran in London from 1916 to 1921.<ref>[http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/archive/2008/chuchinchow.htm ''Chu Chin Chow'' (2008)] at the Finborough Theatre, London, website archive, accessed 23 December 2010</ref>

Wilcox had a box office success with ''[[Flames of Passion]]'' (1922) starring imported Hollywood actor [[Mae Marsh]]. This enabled him to raise the ₤20,000 to buy the film rights - a record amount at the time. The cost of making the film was another ₤20,000.<ref>Wilcox p 24</ref>

To save money, Wilcox decided to make the film in Germany with the German [[Ufa Film Company|UFA]] company. Wilcox may have had [[Erich Pommer]] also as a financier on the production. In exchange, Wilcox agreed to distribute ''[[Die Nibelungen]]'' in Britain.<ref>Wilcox p 54</ref>

⚫
The film starred American actress [[Betty Blythe]] fresh from her scantily clad triumph in 1921's ''[[The Queen of Sheba (1921 film)|The Queen of Sheba]]'' at [[Fox Film|Fox]]. Sources state this film had early experimental synchronised sound but this process could only be viewed at the special theaters outfitted for the sound equipment.<ref>[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/C/ChuChinChow1923.html '''Chu-Chin-Chow''' listed at the silentera.com database]</ref>

The film was shot in Berlin at on the studio lot at Steglitz.<ref>Wilcox p 54</ref>

This film was released in the United States by [[MGM]] two years after its production with a drastically reduced footage count by almost half.

==Reception==
Wilcox later said the film "was only a moderate success".<ref>Wilcox p 55</ref>

⚫
A sound film ''[[Chu Chin Chow (1934 film)|Chu Chin Chow]]'', with the score intact, was made by the Gainsborough Studios in 1934, with [[George Robey]] playing the part of [[Ali Baba]], [[Fritz Kortner]] as Abu Hassan, [[Anna May Wong]] as Zahrat Al-Kulub and [[Laurence Hanray]] as Kasim.<ref>[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=980DE6DB103CE23ABC4A51DFBF66838F629EDE&oref=slogin "Chu Chin Chow (1934): A Robust Operetta"]. ''The New York Times'', 22 September 1934, accessed 2 August 2010</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:01, 16 August 2017

Chu-Chin-Chow
Directed byHerbert Wilcox
Written byOscar Asche (play; Chu Chin Chow)
Herbert Wilcox (scenario)
Produced byHerbert Wilcox
UFA
 ?Erich Pommer
StarringBetty Blythe
CinematographyRené Guissart
Music byFrederic Norton (Chu Chin Chow)
Distributed by
*Graham-Wilcox productions; England 1923
*Metro Goldwyn Mayer (February 1925; USA)
Release dates
  • 30 December 1923 (1923-12-30) (Finland)
  • 10 February 1925 (1925-02-10) (New York, by MGM)
Running time

*3,733 meters (circa 12,247 feet; European release)
*1,939 meters or 6,362 ft., US)
CountriesWeimar Republic
United Kingdom
LanguagesSilent film (intertitles: German, Finnish, English)

Chu-Chin-Chow is a 1925 British-German silent adventure film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Betty Blythe, Herbert Langley and Randle Ayrton.

Cast

Production

It is based on the extraordinarily successful stage musical Chu Chin Chow by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, that ran in London from 1916 to 1921.[1]

Wilcox had a box office success with Flames of Passion (1922) starring imported Hollywood actor Mae Marsh. This enabled him to raise the ₤20,000 to buy the film rights - a record amount at the time. The cost of making the film was another ₤20,000.[2]

To save money, Wilcox decided to make the film in Germany with the German UFA company. Wilcox may have had Erich Pommer also as a financier on the production. In exchange, Wilcox agreed to distribute Die Nibelungen in Britain.[3]

The film starred American actress Betty Blythe fresh from her scantily clad triumph in 1921's The Queen of Sheba at Fox. Sources state this film had early experimental synchronised sound but this process could only be viewed at the special theaters outfitted for the sound equipment.[4]

The film was shot in Berlin at on the studio lot at Steglitz.[5]

This film was released in the United States by MGM two years after its production with a drastically reduced footage count by almost half.

Reception

Wilcox later said the film "was only a moderate success".[6]

A sound film Chu Chin Chow, with the score intact, was made by the Gainsborough Studios in 1934, with George Robey playing the part of Ali Baba, Fritz Kortner as Abu Hassan, Anna May Wong as Zahrat Al-Kulub and Laurence Hanray as Kasim.[7]

References

  1. ^ Chu Chin Chow (2008) at the Finborough Theatre, London, website archive, accessed 23 December 2010
  2. ^ Wilcox p 24
  3. ^ Wilcox p 54
  4. ^ Chu-Chin-Chow listed at the silentera.com database
  5. ^ Wilcox p 54
  6. ^ Wilcox p 55
  7. ^ "Chu Chin Chow (1934): A Robust Operetta". The New York Times, 22 September 1934, accessed 2 August 2010
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