The Breath of the Gods

The Breath of the Gods
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rollin S. Sturgeon
Written by	Charles J. Wilson (scenario)
Based on	The Breath of the Gods by Sidney McCall
Produced by	Corley Z. Ito
Starring	Tsuru Aoki Stanhope Wheatcroft Arthur Carewe Pat O'Malley
Cinematography	Alfred Gosden
Production company	Universal Film Manufacturing Company
Distributed by	Universal Jewel Super-Production
Release date	July 25, 1920 (1920-07-25)
Running time	60 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Crew members constructing a Buddha for the set of the movie.

The Breath of the Gods is a 1920 American silent romantic drama film directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon and starring Tsuru Aoki. Set during the Russo-Japanese War, the film is based on the 1905 novel of the same name by Sidney McCall. ^{[1] [2]}

Plot

As described in a film magazine, ^[3] the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 threatens the peace of Japan, so Yuki Onda (Aoki) is directed home from her American school by her father (Seki). With her sails a party of American diplomatic friends that includes Pierre Le Beau (Wheatcroft), to whom Yuki has pledged her love. Her father's faith in her inherited honor obliges her to marry Prince Hagane (Carewe), and in the opportunity to be of service to her country comes an opposing loyalty to him and love for Le Beau. Le Beau is an attache of the embassy of Australia in Japan, and he is made an unwilling instrument in an attempt to secure valuable information from her. Yuki, believing that she has failed in her trust, takes her own life, leaving a sorrowing Prince and the penitent and loving Le Beau.

Cast

• Tsuru Aoki as Yuki Onda
• Stanhope Wheatcroft as Pierre Le Beau
• Arthur Carewe as Prince Hagane
• Pat O'Malley as T. Caraway Dodge
• J. Barney Sherry as Senator Todd
• Marian Skinner as Mrs. Todd
• Ethel Shannon as Gwendolyn
• Misao Seki as Yuki's Father
• Mai Wells as Yuki's Mother
• Paul Weigel as Count Ronsard

Preservation

With no prints of The Breath of the Gods located in any film archives, it is considered a lost film. ^[4]

References

1. Progressive Silent Film List: Breath of the Gods at silentera.com
2. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Breath of the Gods
3. "Reviews: The Breath of the Gods". Exhibitors Herald. 11 (8). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 89. August 21, 1920.
4. "American Silent Feature Film Database: The Breath of the Gods". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 22, 2024.

External links

• The Breath of the Gods at IMDb
• McCall, Sidney (1905), The Breath of the Gods , Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, on the Internet Archive