broken blossoms

broken blossoms
1919

david w. griffith "broken blossoms" (1919)

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl is a 1919 American silent film drama film directed by D.W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It stars Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Donald Crisp, and tells the story of young girl, Lucy Burrows, who is abused by her alcoholic prizefighting father, Battling Burrows, and meets Cheng Huan, a kind-hearted Chinese man who falls in love with her. It was the first film released by United Artists. It is based on Thomas Burke (author)'s short story "The Chink and the Child" from the 1916 collection Limehouse Nights.