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The Bitter Tea of General Yen ()

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A Chinese warlord and an engaged Christian missionary fall in love.
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Megan
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General Yen
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Mah-Li
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Jones
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Bob
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Mr. Jackson
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Capt. Li
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Miss Reed
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Bishop Harkness
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Mrs. Blake (uncredited)
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Mrs. Jackson (uncredited)
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Missionary (uncredited)
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Missionary (uncredited)
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Chinese Officer (uncredited)
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Dr. Hansen (uncredited)
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Officer (uncredited)
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Mrs. Bowman (uncredited)
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Mrs. Amelia Hansen (uncredited)
Daisy Jefferson ...
Mrs. Warden (uncredited)
Arthur Johnson ...
Dr. Schuler (uncredited)
Tetsu Komai ...
Gen. Yen's Messenger (uncredited)
Eddie Lee ...
Chinese Soldier (uncredited)
Milton Lee ...
Telegrapher (uncredited)
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Missionary (uncredited)
Harriet Lorraine ...
Missionary (uncredited)
Doris Louellyn ...
Mrs. Meigs (uncredited)
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Miss Avery (uncredited)
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Mr. Pettis (uncredited)
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Dr. Lin (uncredited)
Miller Newman ...
Dr. Mott (uncredited)
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Rev. Bostwick (uncredited)
Ray Young ...
Engineer (uncredited)

Directed by

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Frank Capra ... (as Frank R. Capra)

Written by

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Grace Zaring Stone ... (from the story by)
 
Edward E. Paramore Jr. ... (screen play) (as Edward Paramore)

Produced by

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Frank Capra ... producer (uncredited)
Walter Wanger ... producer (uncredited)

Music by

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W. Franke Harling ... (musical score) (as W. Frank Harling)

Cinematography by

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Joseph Walker ... (photography)

Editing by

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Edward Curtiss ... film editor (as Edward Curtis)

Costume Design by

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Robert Kalloch ... (uncredited)
Edward Stevenson ... (uncredited)

Makeup Department

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Norbert A. Myles ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Charles C. Coleman ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Edward Bernds ... sound engineer (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Harry Cohn ... president: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Gene Lewis ... dialogue director (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Special Effects

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

American missionary Megan Davis arrives in Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War to marry the missionary Dr. Robert Strife. However, Robert postpones their wedding to rescue some orphans in an orphanage in Chapei section that is burning in the middle of a battlefield. While returning to Shanghai with the children, they are separated in the crowd, Megan is hit in the head and knocked out, but is saved by General Yen and brought by train to his palace. As the days go by, the General's mistress Mah-Li becomes close to Megan and when she is accused of betrayal for giving classified information to the enemies, Megan asks for her life. The cruel General Yen falls in love with naive, pure Megan and accepts her request to spare the life of Mah-Li against the will of his financial advisor Jones. Meanwhile, Megan feels attracted by the powerful but gentle General Yen, but resists to his flirtation. When Mah-Li betrays General Yen and destroys his empire, Megan realizes that to be able to do good works, one has to have wisdom and decides to stay with him while the General drinks his bitter last tea. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Keywords
Taglines Their Forbidden Love Wrecked an Empire! See more »
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Parents Guide View content advisory »
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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Muraille chinoise (France)
  • La grande muraille (France)
  • La amargura del general Yen (Spain)
  • La amargura del general Yen (Mexico)
  • Kinesflickans hämnd (Sweden)
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Runtime
  • 88 min
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Did You Know?

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Trivia The Bitter Tea of General Yen was the first film to play at Manhatten's fabled Radio City Music Hall upon its opening on January 6, 1933. It was also one of the first films to deal openly with interracial sexual attraction. It was a box office failure upon its release and has since been overshadowed by Capra's later efforts. In recent years, the film has grown in critical opinion. In 2000, the film was chosen by film critic Derek Malcolm as one of the 100 best films in The Century of Films. See more »
Goofs The beginning sequence takes place as the text reading the "Burning of Chapei" is flashed on the screen. The burning of Chapei occurred on September 18, 1931, while the film was still in production. The film follows the original novel, which was set in the late 1920s during the Chinese Civil War. The Chinese Civil War was clearly integrated into the plot of the film. Little, if any, of the plot makes reference to the Japanese/Chinese conflict of 1931-1932. None of the characters in film are identified as Japanese. Capra wanted it to be an Academy Award contender and hoped to create interest by adding this connection to the timely events. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Frank Capra's American Dream (1997). See more »
Soundtracks Onward Christian Soldiers See more »
Quotes Megan Davis: Can't you forgive her? She's only a child. You can always do so much more with mercy than you can with murder. Why don't you give her another chance? Oh, I know you feel that she has deceived you and sold information to your enemies; perhaps, even been unfaithful to you. All that's dreadful and if its true you have a certain justification in wanting to crush her. But, I want you to think of all those things and then forgive her. I don't know how you feel about Mah-Li; I mean, whether you love her or, well, as a lover. But, that's of no importance. I want you to see the beauty of giving love where it isn't merited. Any man can give love where he's sure of its return. That isn't love at all. But, to give love with no merit, no thought of return, no thought of gratitude even; that's ordinarily the privilege of God. And now its your privilege. Oh, General, with all you have within you, your superior brain, your culture, how can you be so blind to spiritual braveness? Do this thing I ask you. Do it for me. Do it even blindly, if you must, and I promise you, I'm so sure of it, I promise you that for the first time in your life you'll know what real happiness is.
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