The Courageous Coward(1919)
Sessue Hayakawa was making the transition from Asian villain to sympathetic hero in this picture. The plot is a combination of racial stereotypes that were common in the U.S. during the silent era and real-life situations experienced by Asians living Stateside. Hayakawa plays Suki Iota, a student who, while born and bred in America, wants a wife with traditional Japanese values. She appears in the form of Rei (Tsuru Aoki, Hayakawa's real-life wife), a singer who becomes known as the Japanese Nightingale.
Movie: The Courageous Coward
Top 6 Billed Cast
Suki Iota
Rei Oaki
Tangi
Big Bill Kirby
Tom Kirby (as Francis J. McDonald)
Cupid (as Buddy Post)
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