The Road to Dishonour

The Road to Dishonour

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1930
Founder	Richard Eichberg
Headquarters	United Kingdom, Germany
Products	Drama film

The Road to Dishonour (German title: Der Weg zur Schande, also known as Hai-Tang: Der Weg zur Schande) is a 1930 drama film resulting from a British-German collaboration, directed by Richard Eichberg and featuring performances by Anna May Wong, Francis Lederer, and Georg H. Schnell. The production took place at Elstree Studios as part of a joint venture between Eichberg and British International Pictures.

Multiple-language versions

During the early years of sound cinema, prior to the widespread use of dubbing, this film was produced in several language editions with distinct casts. Three separate versions were created to cater to audiences across Europe as well as colonial regions including Mozambique, Australia, and South Africa. This project marked Anna May Wong’s debut as a leading actress in a sound feature, with her reprising the female protagonist role in all versions.

The English-language edition (titled The Flame of Love/The Road to Dishonour) and the French-language version (Le Chemin du déshonneur, occasionally known as L’Amour, maître des choses) featured largely different actors apart from Wong, who performed her role fluently in three languages. Collectively, these three adaptations are commonly identified under the name Hai-Tang.

Plot

Set in Russia before the revolution, the story follows Hai-Tang, a Chinese singer who falls for Lieutenant Boris. Their romance faces opposition from Boris’s superior officer, a grand duke. When Hai-Tang’s brother Wang Hu intervenes by shooting the grand duke to protect her, he is condemned to death. Faced with this crisis, Hai-Tang opts for exile alongside her brother rather than becoming the grand duke’s mistress, thereby relinquishing her chance at happiness with Boris.

Cast

• Anna May Wong as Hai-Tang, the leading performer of a Chinese troupe
• Francis Lederer (credited as Franz Lederer) portraying Lieutenant Boris Borrisoff, adjutant
• Georg H. Schnell in the role of Grand Duke Pawel, Governor-General
• Hermann Blaß as Birnbaum, pianist
• Edith d'Amara playing Yvette, chansonette
• Ley On as Wang-Hu, Hai-Tang’s brother
• Hugo Werner-Kahle as Colonel Morawjoff, commander of the regiment
• Hay Yung portraying Dschung Dschou, senior member of the troupe

Music

In line with early sound film conventions, the soundtrack included two prominent title songs composed by Hans May, with lyrics penned by Fritz Rotter. These pieces were performed by renowned orchestras and issued on gramophone records.

Audio excerpts include:

• One day the miracle of love will come, Slow-Fox performed by Ben Berlin and his orchestra accompanied by a German chorus led by Leo Monosson. Released on Grammophon B. 51 797
• Russian love songs (Without woman and without wine, no Russian can be), performed by Marek Weber and orchestra with vocals by Franz Lederer. Issued on Electrola E.G.1798 (60-848)
• No Russian can be without a woman and without wine, Foxtrot performed by Fred Jones and jazz symphony featuring chorus vocals. Released on Electro Eltag 2356 (Matr. 5416), recorded February 1930 (Fred Jones was the pseudonym for Sam Baskini)

Sources

• Chan, Anthony B., Perpetually Cool: The Many Lives of Anna May Wong (1905–1961), The Scarecrow Press, 2003
• Hodges, Graham Russell Gao, Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend, Chicago Review Press, 2004
• Grange, William, Cultural Chronicle of the Weimar Republic, Scarecrow Press, 2008
• Lim, Shirley Jennifer, Anna May Wong: Performing the Modern, Temple University Press, 2019

See also

• Anna May Wong on film and television
• The Flame of Love
• Hai-Tang

External links

• Hai-Tang. Der Weg zur Schande on filmportal.de (retrieved 30 July 2023)