We should be thankful for the small things. Katherine Hepburn did not slip into a Asianesque accent to portray Jade Tan, the movie’s heroine. She kept the same accent she always uses, toned down a bit to do away with some of that chatty Eastern edge.
Everything else about this movie, of course, is simply bad.
“Dragon Seed” is based on the Pearl S. Buck book of the same name, a simple story of a village defending itself against Japanese invaders. The entire film was shot with an all-white cast, donning eye makeup and method acting squints to plow through a story that might have been good had the film not faltered so horribly with the casting. Of course, this was all done during an era when Hollywood thought nothing of having their very best impersonate Asians. Back then, Hollywood believed that American audiences do not want to see real Asians on screen and that comparable Asian talent that spoke English was simply non-existent.
When you realize, of course, that these same excuses still exist in casting Hollywood film, you would probably want to squint, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fazXjqg8Zv0
Hepburn is not the worst offender in this film. At least she offered some grace and grit as Jade, and I would like to think that she would chew out some Hollywood producer into mincemeat if this same role were offered to her today. Rather, Agnes Moorehead was the real terror on screen, albeit unintentionally with her evil eyes and eternal scowl.
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