With the advent of sound, the world's leading screen idol, Douglas Fairbanks, experienced a downturn in his fortunes. His thin, reedy voice was not suited to the talkies, his marriage to Mary Pickford was on the outs, and his son, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., had replaced him as a major box-office draw. Faced with the Hollywood equivalent of a mid-life crisis, Doug called up three of his best friends - director Victor Fleming, cinematographer Henry Sharp, and production manager Charles Lewis - and took them on a six-month tour of Asia, ostensibly to shoot a travelogue for United Artists (of which Fairbanks was still a major shareholder.) Their first stop is Honolulu, followed in quick succession by Japan, China, Peking, Hong Kong, Indochina, the Philippines, Siam, and India. Fairbanks and company spend time at such noteworthy spots as the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, the Summer Palace and the Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum.
Cinematography
Henry Sharp captures Angkor Wat and Taj Mahal in stunning early Technicolor
Production
Fairbanks' sheer audacity funding his own vacation as a UA release
Acting
Doug's forced cheerfulness masking genuine career terror
Director
Douglas Fairbanks
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Fairbanks divorced Pickford immediately upon return; this film is essentially their separation paperwork.
Sessue Hayakawa's appearance is poignant—another silent star destroyed by sound, now reduced to cameo in his rival's vanity project.
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