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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1121

The Dragon Painter

191953 minUnited States
DramaRomance

Synopsis

Painter Tatsu believes that his lost beloved has been transformed into a dragon. An older artist introduces his daughter as the recovered princess, hoping to gain a gifted pupil and heir. Marriage brings Tatsu happiness but deprives him of the longing that had driven his painting.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
50:15
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · William Worthington · Public domain

Cast

DirectorsWilliam Worthington

Behind the scenes

Sessue Hayakawa's company produced the film, with Hayakawa and Tsuru Aoki in the central roles. California locations, including Yosemite, stand in for the imagined Japan of Mary McNeil Fenollosa's novel.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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