Created by Christopher Rea
Curious about early Chinese films but unsure where to start? Browse this index and click on the link to watch a sample scene from one of the dozens of films translated by the Chinese Film Classics Project. The goals of this index are to make these films more accessible, to highlight some of their special features, to facilitate self-guided discovery, and to provide a resource for learners and educators. I make additions to this list periodically, so check back for updates and email me with any comments or questions.
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Affection, how to express – Laborer’s Love 勞工之愛情 (1922)
Airplane, animated, how to ride an – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Animation, deathbed – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Animation, opening, best – The Pearl Necklace 一串珍珠 (1926)
Animation, text, first in New Women 新女性 (1935)
Apple, how to eat an – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Arrested, how to get – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Bandit lair, best – The Red Heroine 紅俠 (1929)
Beach dance, best – Volcanic Passions 火山情血 (1932)
Bedlam ballroom, best – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Bird attack, least terrifying – Woman Warrior of the Wild River 荒江女俠 (1930)
Blackface song and dance – The Orphan of the Storm 雪中孤雛 (1929)
Bullies, cleverest retaliation against – Hua Mu Lan 木蘭從軍 (1939)
Business, corrupt, how to build a – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Business transaction, most ridiculous – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Cabaret performance, most disturbing – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Car, free, how to get a new – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Cattle rustlers, how to foil – The Peach Girl 桃花泣血記 (1931)
Censors, how to sneak class resentment past the – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Chase scene, most thrilling – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Chicken, best cameo by a – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春 (1948)
Children, how to take care of – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Christmas party, oddest – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
“City Fantasia” 都市幻想樂 theme – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Climax, most melodramatic – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
“Come have a look!” song redux and ? 完 end animation – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Con artists, deftest foiling of – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Con, how to know it’s still on – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Con woman, how to spot a – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Conscience, how to consult your – Love Everlasting 不了情 (1947)
Cottage industry, best depiction of a – Spring Silkworms 春蠶 (1933)
Dad, how to persuade to lend his money to your spouse – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Daughter, how to catch when she’s coming home late – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Daydream, get-rich-quick – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Disappointments, how to react to life’s – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Doctor, how to get rich as a – Laborer’s Love 勞工之愛情 (1922)
Dormitory, girl’s, daily routine in a – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Eavesdrop, how to – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Editing, parallel, best – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Empathy, greatest failure of – Goddess 神女 (1934)
Extreme close-up, most extreme – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Fast-forward, treatment in doctor’s office – Laborers Love 勞工之愛情 (1922)
Feet, how not to sweep her off her – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Ferris wheel and playground, best – Playthings 小玩意 (1933)
Fight scene, best – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Fight scene, magic cage – Woman Warrior of the Wild River 荒江女俠 (1930)
Film studio logo, animated, best – Love and Duty 戀愛與義務 (1931)
Firing squad, how to face the – Daybreak 天明 (1933)
Flames, how to quench – Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 (1941)
Flashback, best – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Fortunes, how to tell – Love Everlasting 不了情 (1947)
Gag, most bizarre visual – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Gaze, female, most naked bodies taken in by – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Geese, animated, shot down by Mulan – Hua Mu Lan 木蘭從軍 (1939)
Ghost, of comedy, haunting funeral – The Unfinished Comedy 沒有完成的喜劇 (1957)
Government grift, most bald-faced – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Ha-ha mirror, as symbol of comic rarity – The Unfinished Comedy 沒有完成的喜劇 (1957)
Haircut, fastest – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Hero, how to dress like a – Woman Warrior White Rose 女俠白玫瑰 (1929)
Haunted theater, best guide to a – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Heroine entrance, most dramatic – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Hollywood-style voyeurism, most blatant – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Hula dance, best – Volcanic Passions 火山情血 (1932)
“In that Far-Off Place” 在那遙遠的地方 song – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春 (1948)
Introduction of main characters, most efficient – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Joke, in opening scene, most risqué – Laborer’s Love 勞工之愛情 (1922)
Kiss, sweetest – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Lawyer’s office, best comic set piece in a – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Life story, how to lead up to telling your – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Light saber battle – The Mighty Hero Gan Fengchi 大俠甘鳳池 (1928)
Little rich boy, most fun had by a – The Peach Girl 桃花泣血記 (1931)
Long take, saddest – Don’t Change Your Husband 情海重吻 (1929)
Love, best conversation about, in a silent film – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Love nest, poshest – “The Peach Girl” 桃花泣血記 (1931)
“Love on the Yellow River” 黃河之戀 song – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
“Lovely Little Rose” 可愛的一朵玫瑰花 song – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春 (1948)
Lu Xun, best joke on – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Mahjong, even when you lose, how to win at – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Makeup, how to apply – An Amorous History of the Silver Screen 銀幕艷史 (1931)
Man, wrong, how to send her into the arms of the – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Misfortune 禍患, animated – The Pearl Necklace 一串珍珠 (1926)
Money, how to do magic with – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Moral coward, how to be a – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Moral scruples, how to overcome your – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Neighbor, friendliest vs. snootiest classmate – New Women 新女性 (1935)
New Life Movement, sexiest (and silliest) depiction of the – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
“New Song of Fengyang” 新鳳陽歌 – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Newsreel footage, in feature film, best use of – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Nightly routine, most concise establishment of – Goddess 神女 (1934)
Noisy neighbors, most ingenious method of dealing with– “Laborer’s Love” 勞工之愛情 (1922)
Opening credits, animated – Long Live the Missus! 太太萬歲 (1947)
Pants sash, how to tie up someone with their own – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Party, how to prepare for a – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Passion, most restrained – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春 (1948)
Pimp, how to recognize a – Daybreak 天明 (1933)
Principal, smoothest-talking – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Pocket, how to pick a – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Politically correct, how to make the ending of your film – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Publisher, slimiest – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Question mark, animated – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Raucousness, in a silent film – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Rent, how to avoid paying when your landlord knows you have money – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
“Roadbuilding Pioneers” 開路先鋒 song – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Sanmao, line drawing animation of – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Sexual predator, most stereotypical behavior by – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Shanghai, most accurate impression of – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Shape, how to get into – Goddess 神女 (1934)
Shepherd, cutest– Song of China 天倫 (1935)
Showdown, best – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Silkworms, how to feed – Spring Silkworms 春蠶 (1933)
Snack, most delicious – Woman Warrior White Rose 女俠白玫瑰 (1929)
“Song at Midnight” 夜半歌聲 theme song – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Song, beggars’ 月兒彎彎照九洲 – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Song, banquet, for the return of the King 開筵慶祝大王歸 – Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 (1941)
Song, happiest – A Dream in Pink 粉紅色的夢 (1932)
Song, Journey to the West 負起了重大的使命 – Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 (1941)
Song, Mulan’s espionage – Hua Mu Lan 木蘭從軍 (1939)
“Song of the Fishermen” 漁光曲 theme, sung by Wang Renmei 王人美, version 1 (kids’ version)
“Song of the Fishermen” 漁光曲 theme, sung by Wang Renmei 王人美, version 2 (montage)
“Song of the Fishermen” 漁光曲 theme, sung by Wang Renmei 王人美, version 3 (ending)
“Song of the Four Seasons” 四季歌, sung by Zhou Xuan 周璇 – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
“Song of the Great Road” 大路歌 – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
“Song of the New Women” 新女性主題歌 – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Song, peep show 《都市風光》主題歌曲 – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
Song, Piggy’s 牛大嫂 太風騷 – Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 (1941)
Song, silent, best – “The Newspaper Boy’s Calls” – Goddess 神女 (1934)
Song, traitor 猴子猴 有來頭 – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
“Songstress at the Ends of the Earth” 天涯歌女 (happy), sung by Zhou Xuan 周璇 – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
“Songstress at the Ends of the Earth” 天涯歌女 (sad), sung by Zhou Xuan 周璇 – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Special effect, ghostly memories – Red Heroine 紅俠 (1929)
Special effect, flying, heroine entrance – Red Heroine 紅俠 (1929)
Special effect, flying, heroine exit – Red Heroine 紅俠 (1929)
Special effect, “The hand which controls gold” – An Amorous History of the Silver Screen 銀幕艷史 (1931)
Speech, most barn-burning – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Spider, most terrifying – Cave of the Silken Web 盤絲洞 (1927)
Sponge, brag, flatter, and impose, how to – Love Everlasting 不了情 (1947)
Sports montage, most star cameos in a – Sports Queen 體育皇后 (1934)
Spouse, how to tell when loves someone else – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春(1948)
Staircase, trick, best since Laborer’s Love (1922) – Woman Warrior White Rose 女俠白玫瑰 (1929)
Steamroller, ghostliest – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Street gang, how to join a – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan (1949)
Studio logo, animated – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Symbolism, how to identify in set design- Goddess 神女 (1934)
Tattoo, dragon, animated – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan 三毛流浪記 (1949)
Ten grand, how to make a quick – Wanderings of Three-Hairs the Orphan (1949)
Time, how to buy more – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Thug, in silent film, best – Goddess 神女 (1934)
Toy shop, virtual, how to turn a movie into a – Playthings 小玩意 (1933)
Villain, best character introduction of a – Crows and Sparrows 烏鴉與麻雀 (1949)
Voiceover, to set the tone, best use of – Spring in a Small Town 小城之春 (1948)
Wake-up, rudest – Street Angels 馬路天使 (1937)
Wan Brothers cartoon – City Scenes 都市風光 (1935)
War effort, how to contribute to the – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Warning, Ghost mother’s – An Untold Tale of the Borderlands 殖邊外史 (1926)
Weather, bad, how to stay cheerful in – Song at Midnight 夜半歌聲 (1937)
Weightlifter, wall-leaping woman – Woman Warrior of the Wild River 荒江女俠 (1930)
“Where is the Moon?” 月亮在哪裡 song duet – Hua Mu Lan 木蘭從軍 (1939)
Wife, secret – Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (1947)
Wind, mightiest – Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 (1941)
Womanhood, idealized, most conspicuous symbol of – New Women 新女性 (1935)
Work, how to take a break from – Spring Silkworms 春蠶 (1933)
“Yanyan’s Song” 燕燕歌, sung by Chen Yanyan – The Great Road 大路 (1934)
Zhang Shichuan, cameo by – An Amorous History of the Silver Screen 銀幕艷史 (1931)
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