The Little Tokyo Historical Society in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will screen a classic silent film produced by and starring silent screen superstar Sessue Hayakawa (1886-1973).
The screening of “The Dragon Painter” (1919) will take place at the JANM Democracy Center, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo, on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m. and will also have live musical accompaniment by musician Goh Nakamura, who composed a background score for the film.
In addition, Dr. Daisuke Miyao, a professor at UC San Diego and a noted expert on the life and career of Hayakawa, will speak on the spectacular rise in the actor’s career after being discovered acting on a stage in Little Tokyo, which then led to him being cast in “The Cheat” (1915), directed by Cecil B. DeMille and also starring Fannie Ward.
This film rocketed Hayakawa’s fame to rival that of Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks and made Hayakawa a “forbidden heartthrob” for American women across the country.
Directed by William Worthington, the feature was the first of Robertson-Cole Distributing Corporation’s new series of “Hayakawa Superior Pictures.” In an effort to appeal to American audiences, it was publicized as if it showed authentic Japan, with a story set the village of Hakone.
For a while, Hayakawa and his wife, Tsuru Aoki, who also starred in “The Dragon Painter,” lived the high-society life with a mansion in the Hollywood Hills and a gold-plated, chauffeured automobile.
His other films include “Daughter of the Dragon” (1931) with Anna May Wong, “Tokyo Joe” (1949) with Humphrey Bogart, “House of Bamboo” (1955), “The Geisha Boy” (1958) with Jerry Lewis, and “Hell to Eternity” (1960).
Hayakawa was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his unforgettable role as Col. Saito in “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957), which won the Oscar for best picture.
The screening is free but reservations are required. Go to janm.org/events for tickets and information.