Hai-Tang

This article is about the French-language 1930 film starring Anna May Wong. For the German-language version, see The Road to Dishonour. For the English-language version, see The Flame of Love.

For other uses, see Haitang (disambiguation).

Hai-Tang, also known as Le Chemin du déshonneur (The Road to Dishonour) is a 1930 British-German drama film directed by Richard Eichberg and Jean Kemm and starring Anna May Wong, Marcel Vibert and Robert Ancelin.^[1] It was made at Elstree Studios.

Hai-Tang
Swedish poster
Le Chemin du déshonneur
Directed by	Richard Eichberg Jean Kemm
Written by	Monckton Hoffe Pierre Maudru Ludwig Wolff
Produced by	Richard Eichberg
Starring	Anna May Wong Marcel Vibert Robert Ancelin
Cinematography	Heinrich Gärtner Bruno Mondi
Music by	Hans May
Production companies	Richard Eichberg-Film British International Pictures Les Établissements Jacques Haïk
Release date	September 1930 (1930-09)
Running time	80 minutes
Countries	Germany United Kingdom
Language	French

Multiple-language versions

Like many other films of the early talkie era before dubbing became more widespread, the film was shot in multiple-language versions, each with a different cast. Three versions of the film were made so they could be screened throughout Europe and the colonial world, such as in Mozambique, Australia and South Africa.^[2] This was Wong's first sound film billed as the star,^{[3][4][Note 1]} and in all three versions she appeared as the female lead.

An English-language version (The Flame of Love/The Road to Dishonour) and a German-language version (Hai-Tang: Der Weg zur Schande) of the film were made with different casts^{[Note 2]} except for Wong, who spoke her part in three different languages. The French-language version was sometimes referred to as L’Amour, maître des choses in French film magazines).^[5] Confusingly, all three versions are often referred to simply as Hai-Tang.^[6]

Synopsis

In the Russian Empire, a young officer and a powerful Grand Duke both fall in love with a Chinese woman.

Cast

• Anna May Wong as Hai-Tang
• Marcel Vibert as Le grand duc
• Robert Ancelin as Boris Ivanoff
• Armand Lurville as Le colonel Mouraview
• Hélène Darly as Yvette
• François Viguier as Viguier
• Gaston Dupray as Pierre Baron, le chanteur
• Claire Roman
• Mona Goya
• Gaston Jacquet

Notes

1. Wong acted in one of several vignettes in the earlier 1930 musical film review Elstree Calling.
2. Ley On played Hai-Tang's brother Wang-Hu in all three versions. Mona Goya played the role of Yvette in the French and English-language versions.