Lon Chaney
Yen Sin
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Synopsis
A Chinese stranger survives a shipwreck and makes a modest living washing clothes from a boat in a New England harbour. Treated as an outsider, he observes relationships the townspeople believe are private. A blackmail scheme threatening the minister and a widow gives him an opportunity to help the community that has struggled to accept him.
Cast
DirectorsTom Forman
Historical context
Lon Chaney portrays Yen Sin through a form of racial impersonation common in silent Hollywood. The film argues for compassion toward an excluded immigrant while retaining stereotypes in the way that character is represented.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Lon Chaney — Unknown author · Public domain
- Marguerite De La Motte — Fred Hartsook (1876–1930) · Public domain
- Harrison Ford — Paramount Pictures · Public domain
