Shadows of the Sea

Shadows is a dramatic 1922 silent film starring Lon Chaney, Marguerite De La Motte, Harrison Ford and John Sainpolis. Shadows is a tale of a gentle Chinese immigrant trying to make a life for himself in a small New England town who comes across a vile plot to blackmail two good townspeople. It was directed by Tom Forman. The screenplay was written by Eve Unsell and Hope Loring, based on Ching, Ching, Chinaman, a short story by Wilbur Daniel Steele. The photography was by Harry Perry, and Louis Gottschalk supplied the music score, for which Eve Unsell also wrote the lyrics. The following year, as Chaney was preparing to star in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, he suggested Marguerite De La Motte for the role of Esmeralda, but the part went to Patsy Ruth Miller instead. Some scenes were shot on location in Balboa, Newport Beach and Del Monte, California, and the interior scenes were shot at the Louis B. Mayer Studios. A still exists showing Chaney in his Yen Sin makeup. Two lobby cards from the film can also be seen here. Prints of the film were sold on the collectors' market for many years by Blackhawk Films. There are a number of existing prints in various collections, and the film is readily available on DVD.