His acting ability was amazing and truly well showcased here. This is a cautionary tale with no expiration date. Because of this ludicrous casting, I felt pretty irritated with reviewers that gave this movie a 10 (one going so far as calling this "one of the best movies ever made")!! I'm not a fan of yellow face for reasons that should be obvious, that said, I've seen a lot better. The Hatchet Man (1932) is a pre-Code film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Edward G. Robinson. In fact, apart from a silly hairstyle he only sported at the beginning of the film, he looked like Little Caesar throughout the movie!!!

Mr. Perpich. Whenever Carson appears, "Blood and Thunder" takes off. He was truly a man caught between cultures. Christopher (Kit) Carson was legendary almost before he was out of his 20s (he even gets a shout-out in "Moby-Dick"). A lengthy printed prologue spells out the story premise. Authorities … Brian feels an intense repulsion at the notion of this man, and hatred sweeps over him every time he thinks about him. “Hatchet man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatchet%20man. This is a Hard-Hitting, Mysterious Looking, Gaudy Movie that Exudes Enough Oriental Charm and Tong Gangsterism to Make it an Oddity Well Worth Seeing.

Pre-Requisite Apologies to the Politically Correct…Violent and Seductive Oddity, A Fascinating Tale Of Tradition And Honor. William Wellman, director of this film also created "Public Enemy" '31 with Jimmy Cagney.

The fact that she can be seen, as much as in her first appearance in film, dressed in modern Western attire WHILE playing an Oriental supposedly convincingly (by the Art Deco standard) testifies to this racial ideology that entertains both "the permeability and intransigence of the racial divide.". When local rackets demand protection money from the Chinatown businesses (this is "Little Caeser"/"Public Enemy" era still), King Tong demands revenge and Robinson must pull his hatchet out of storage. The film The Hatchet Man is based on an unproduced play written by one Achmed Abdullah and theatrical impresario David Belasco. However, fast forward to 1932 and the community has moved beyond the Tong wars of the past to a more Americanized and western way of life in which many of the old ways are dismissed such as foot binding and women having less freedom. When he exits, it drags. Edward G. Robinson (Wong Low Get), "The Red House" '47, was a sort of hit man for the Chinese community of San Francisco. See the full definition for hatchet man in the English Language Learners Dictionary, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hatchet man. What made you want to look up hatchet man? The story itself depicts the Chinese American community in a generally favorable light... despite its focus being on the Tongs of San Francisco's Chinatown. Mr. Perpich repeatedly insists … I am grateful for all these great actors who acted as Chinese citizens and made it possible for us to view this great film TODAY ! News. WILLIAM A WELLMAN 47/45 {D34-213} UN/DEL {2-11} = {32-202}, TULLY MARSHALL {CA25-160} UN/DEL {2-16} = {23-144}.

The man with short blond hair . However, the plot of "The Hatchet Man" is well-thought out and surprisingly respectful of Chinese culture in America. She doesn't criticize her opponent's character directly. In Home-Run Contest, Command Selection will always show Sizzle, Kaboom, Flame Slash, and Hatchet Man in that order. The explanation for this ill-ease becomes apparent during the opening scenes of THE HATCHET MAN.

Brian's old English teacher. Hideously silly dialog just makes the Caucasian actors in Chinese get-up in this thriller about Tong wars in San Francisco look all the more ridiculous, starting with the execution of a traitor by the titled "hatchet man" (Edward G. Robinson, no less!) The casting is preposterous. Miscasting doesn't even begin to cover the ridiculous sight of Eddie Robinson and Loretta Young as orientals especially against some true Asians in the cast. But in an era of Art Deco aesthetics, Young's Asian makeup paradoxically emphasizes her whiteness, as well as the versatility of whiteness, facilitated by the most advanced makeup products and techniques. User Ratings None other than Loretta Young is the grown-up daughter, with Robinson now a respectable businessman and the Tong pretty much gone, even though the head man (Dudley Digges in a ridiculous role) is still roaming around in his Fu Manchu get up like nothing has changed.

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The plot on the Tong wars was definitely riding on the gangster cycle from the year before. Robinson (although he did use some stereotyping) created a character who was not only mysterious, but both an anti-hero as well as deep & complex the likes of which would not be seen for a great long time after. It looks as if he is just playing in a sequel to Little Caesar (1931), despite the extensive use of close-ups that emphasize the flatness of his face and the added-on epicanthal ("Mongolian") fold. She could just as well be at the sock hop as an opium den for all the shading she gives her role. Made during the few years before strict enforcement of the Production Code, The Hatchet Man has elements that would not be allowed later, such as adultery, narcotics, and …

Yes as many have stated, by today's standards, the casting of this movie seems ridiculous, but please keep in mind the time period that this movie was made. Send us feedback. William Wellman Directed a Film Classic ! But verbosity is a minor sin when set against his superb description of a government's arrogant invasion of foreign territory, and its subjugation of people it never bothers to understand. was born in some far-off foreign land such as Hungary, Australia, Romania, or Canadia. | And they had no problem with slavery, as long as they were doing the enslaving. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? But Sides, to his credit, doesn't stop there. I suppose they were trying for something unusual but if they really wanted to do that they would have cast Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong in the Robinson and Young parts. After all, who would bring a gun to a hatchet fight? Casting Edward G. Robinson as a Chinese hit man is equivalent to doing a revival of "Flower Drum Song" with Hugh Jackman and Britney Spears. .

If a bunch of white people are going to act as Chinese, they could at least make it more authentic. Most other films before and since (until the late 70's early 80's) stereotyped Asian characters as clownish and comical to an absolutely racist degree. The picture had a few play dates as "The Hohorable Mr. Wong" before a title change to the more sensational "The Hatchet Man". Ultimate execution, strategy guide, tips and tricks.

I suspect while reading it that this is OK because the cultural norms to be depicted are alien and unfamiliar to a 1932 American movie audience. That has Wong dispatch by hatchet his best friend who sailed together with him as a boy to America, from Shanghai, on the same boat Sun "Not" Yet Ming played by Irish/American actor J. Carroll Nash.

In fact I gave it an 8/10 for novelty as well as pathos.

It was also surprising to see J. Carroll Naish,(Sun Yat Ming), "The Beast with Five Fingers"'46, who often played roles of Italian subjects in most of his films.

It's Wong who has to prove his worth to his Chinese Tong higher ups by following orders in icing, with a hatchet, anyone they feel is a threat to their power in the San Francisco Chinese/American community. See why nearly a quarter of a million subscribers begin their day with the Starting 5. | THE HATCHET MAN reveals that the LITTLE GIANT's native shore actually was some place in China. Well, isn't it obvious?!

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What do the actors Paul Muni, Agnes Morehead, Henry Travers, Warner Oland, Katherine Hepburn, Luise Rainer, Walter Huston and Boris Karloff have in common? Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. None of the actors engage in cheap stereotypes. Most of these actors were under contact to act and portray characters of different races other than themselves which is not practiced in this century in Hollywood.