Broken Blossoms

For the 1936 film, see Broken Blossoms (1936 film).
Broken Blossoms
Hungarian Theatrical release poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Written byD. W. Griffith
Based on"The Chink and the Child"
by Thomas Burke
Produced byD. W. Griffith
StarringLillian Gish
Richard Barthelmess
Donald Crisp
CinematographyG.W. Bitzer
Edited byJames Smith
Music byJoseph Turrin (2001 DVD release)
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • May 13, 1919 (1919-05-13) (New York City, premiere)
  • October 20, 1919 (1919-10-20) (US)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$88,000[1] or $115,000[2]
Box office$600,000 (US)[1] or $1.25 million[2]

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl, often referred to simply as Broken Blossoms, is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It stars Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, and Donald Crisp, and tells the story of young girl, Lucy Burrows, who is abused by her alcoholic prizefighting father, Battling Burrows, and meets Cheng Huan, a kind-hearted Chinese man who falls in love with her. It was the first film distributed by United Artists. It is based on Thomas Burke's short story "The Chink and the Child" from the 1916 collection Limehouse Nights. In 1996, Broken Blossoms was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures to be added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.[3]

  1. ^ a b Balio, Tino (2009). United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-299-23004-3.
  2. ^ a b "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. 5 September 1928. p. 12. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 20, 2020.