Original subtitles

- [Dion] The first Chinese came

to San Francisco in 1848.

Mostly they were lonely men in a strange land.

It was natural that a flourishing business

of smuggling in Chinese girls should develop.

The men engaged in the smuggling were brutal,

unscrupulous, the scum of the underworld.

They found it easy to kill victims

who fought against bondage in the new world.

- Oh, poor things.

Poor little creatures.

This has got to be stopped, Dion.

From now on, consider it your full-time assignment.

I want to find out who's behind this.

Who works for him, everything, do you understand?

- And I wanna see him and his gang

swinging at the end of a rope.

♪ California, California ♪

- [Announcer] "The Californians."

♪ California, I've come to live where life is best ♪

♪ In the golden West ♪

♪ I'm gonna strike it rich ♪

♪ In California ♪

♪ California ♪

- [Dion] It's easy to say do this or do that.

It's another thing when you face barriers of race,

language and customs.

I needed help.

I went to the one man in Chinatown

who could help me, the deacon.

- [All] A is for apple that grows on the tree,

B is for baby,

C is for cat,

D is for dog,

E is for-

(knuckles rapping)

- Dion Patrick, it's time you were coming

to see us down here.

You going to do a story about us in your paper?

I'd thank the lord for that.

If more people understood what we're trying to do down here,

they might unloosen their purse strings.

It's blessed to give you know,

and there's a singular lot of unblessed tightwads

in this town.

Perhaps a story or two will awaken them.

- Look, Deacon, I didn't come here to do a story

about your school.

- Oh?

- I'm on another story. Sing-song girls.

- Oh, I see. I see, um.

(Deacon speaking Chinese)

(gentle music)

(throat clears)

(door slams)

Why did you come to see me?

- You're the one man I know

who understands Chinatown and the Chinese.

- You're dabbling in dangerous business,

you know that.

- Yes, I know that.

- The Chinese have kept slaves

during 6,000 years of civilization,

you intend to overthrow that custom?

- Now, Deacon, you're not defending slavery, are you?

- Well, certainly not!

But I'm an old China hand,

and I've learned to overlook a great many things

that are personally abhorrent.

Besides, most of these girls

end up as respectable wives of the very men who bought them.

- But they were forced.

They had no freedom of choice.

- Are the vigilantes interested in this?

- We're interested in the brutality

and murders that go along with it.

- Dear me, I foresee a great deal of trouble.

Trouble for everyone,

but I clearly see where my duty lies,

and I'm a stickler for duty, Dion, stickler.

Take that to Quong Lee,

runs a gambling den down the street.

There's a red dragon painted over the door.

- What will he do?

- Show it to him.

He'll help you to meet some people

who may give you information.

Well, good luck, my boy.

I, uh, I think you're stirring up a hornet's nest,

but I suppose it has to be done.

- That's right, it does.

- Indeed, yes.

(pensive music)

(people chattering)

- Are you uh Quong Lee?

- And you are the young man

who will help end one of our worst evils.

Welcome to my house.

- Thank you.

- Come, we will talk.

(people chattering continues)

- My people are new to this country, Mr. Patrick.

estrange, frightened, and people

who are estranged and frightened

cling to the traditions of their homeland.

They keep their secrets.

You will find it hard to talk to them,

and it will be much harder to get them to admit

such a trade exists.

- But it does exist.

Do you have any slaves?

- No, Mr. Patrick,

my education in a Christian Mission school

forbids such a practice, but if I had,

I would tell you they were singing birds in my household.

I would invite you to meet them, ask questions,

and none would admit to being my chattel.

- Then where do I start?

(chair creaks)

- By winning the confidence of my people. Becoming friends.

Friends will speak to each other from the heart,

Mr. Patrick, and the heart tells nothing but the truth.

- Will you help me?

- The Deacon has asked me to help you.

- But will you be my friend?

(gong chimes)

- Friendship is a delicate seed, Mr. Patrick.

It requires time to grow,

bud, and burst into blossom.

Chang will show you out.

(chair creaks) (people chattering)

- Shall I come back?

- As often as you please.

(suspicious music)

Tell the deacon he has no reason for worry.

Mr. Patrick will be lead down many paths,

but never the right one.

(sinister music)

- [Dion] I roamed the streets of Chinatown for three months.

People I talked to were friendly

until we spoke of sing-song girls.

Then the curtain of secrecy was drawn.

Under Quong Lee's tutelage,

I learned some of the rules of courtesy,

the ceremonial drinking of tea,

and the Chinese were inveterate gamblers,

gamesters who would risk anything on the turn of a card,

or a mahjong tile.

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- He says the game is without limit.

- You can tell him that's fine with me.

(Lee speaking Chinese) (coins clinking)

- [Dion] It was one of those nights

that poker players dream about.

One of those nights when every card in your hand stood up.

The merchant, Tsieh, lost heavily.

(dramatic music)

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

(Lee speaking Chinese)

- What's the matter?

- Ooh, he-he wants to make a bigger bet.

- (chuckles) Well, anything he wants.

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- (speaking Chinese) He says he will bet against

everything in front of you.

- Well, uh, where's his money?

- He isn't betting money.

(people chattering)

- What is this?

- That is Tsieh's wager.

A pearl beyond price.

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- He says she's young.

A gentle maiden and a good worker.

Her name is Mei Soong,

and she is worth the wager.

- Well, tell him I can't accept.

(Lee speaking Chinese)

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

(Mei Soong gasps)

- Now what's the matter?

- He says if she is not worth your wager,

she is not worth keeping.

He told his servant to dispose of her.

- Tell Tsieh I've changed my mind.

I'll accept the bet.

(Lee speaking Chinese)

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- How many cards do you want?

(gamblers chattering)

(cards shuffling)

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- Tell him he's called.

(Lee speaking Chinese) (coins clinking)

- [Tsieh] Heart flush!

- Tell him he's won.

- Wait! Full house! (speaking Chinese)

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

- What am I gonna do with her?

- Take her with you. She is your property.

- Look, look, call off the bet.

K-keep the girl, and keep the money too.

(Tsieh speaking Chinese)

(dramatic music)

(gentle music) (Mei Soong speaking Chinese)

- Soong Mei, what are you doing?

Jack, Martha! Come here, quick!

- I knew it! I knew it.

- Now, you get out of here! Go on!

- What the devil's the matter with you?

- She's trying, she's trying to dress me.

- Out of here, you brazen creature!

(clapping) Chop chop!

(Jack laughing)

- Mei, her!

(Mei Soong speaking Chinese)

- Poor child, you frightened her half to death.

Come along, Mei.

(Jack chuckles)

Men! Brutes!

- And it's your own fault, you know.

Why the devil did you have to win her

in the first place, huh?

- Well, I tried to lose.

- Well, you should have given her back to Tsieh.

- Ah, he wouldn't take her.

You know, in a way, it might not be such a bad thing.

- What?

- Maybe she can tell us who brought her into the country?

Who the men are that are running this dirty business.

- Mm, that's fine.

She doesn't even speak English, you know?

- She can learn it.

- You should never have let this happen.

That girl should not have gotten out of Chinatown!

- I have no power over the merchant, Tsieh.

- Why didn't you let me know,

Flick would have stopped her.

- How? - Nevermind that,

he'd have stopped her.

That foolish Patrick, too, if it became necessary.

- I do not want to see the girl hurt.

- What's going on in that head of yours, Lee?

Talk to me when I ask you a question!

- Please. I do not like to be touched and handled.

- There, there my boy, I lost my temper.

You have a fondness for this girl?

- Her face is good for my eyes.

When I first saw her, my heart was stricken.

I want her for my wife.

- Well, then you see,

we have to get her back for your sake as well as our own.

Haven't we? Flick.

- No! Not Flick.

I will get her back.

- Of course you will.

And I'm sure you'll be very happy, too,

but just remember one thing.

In order to save all our necks,

we have to get her out of Dion Patrick's hands

before she learns to speak English

and tells secrets.

(dramatic music)

- No, no. Chair!

- Chair?

- (sighs) Dion, you're going at it all wrong.

She'll be an old lady before she learns a word this way.

Let's try the McGuffey.

Come along, Mei.

Now, (sighs)

A is for apple,

B is for bird, understand?

- No, you're not getting through to her, Martha.

Now listen. A is for apple.

B is for bird.

C is for cat.

D is for dog.

What got into her?

- She seemed almost frightened.

- I wonder what it could be.

(door clicks)

- Quong Lee is in the store waiting to see you.

- Oh good! Thanks.

Ah, Lee! Greetings, elder brother.

- I have come about the woman, Mei Soong.

I have looked on her face, and she pleases me.

I want to buy her from you.

- Are you serious?

- I will pay twice the amount you wagered against her.

- Oh, it's not a question of money.

We just don't sell women in this country.

- You must do this for me. You must.

I want her for my wife.

- Well, if you feel that way about her, Lee,

why don't you talk to her and try to win her,

but you can't buy her.

- There isn't enough time.

Please, elder brother,

for her sake, give her to me.

- What do you mean, for her sake?

Isn't it time you talked to me frankly, Lee?

- I cannot tell you about these things.

- You must, you came to me as a friend

asking a favor.

Well, act like a friend. Talk!

- I will leave you now.

What will happen, will happen.

How foolish for a man to set himself

against the will of fortune.

Be watchful where you walk, elder brother.

The familiar path is filled with traps,

and all faces are not what they seem.

(door slams)

- Come on, tell me, what did he want?

- He wanted to buy Mei Soong.

- What?

- He wants to marry her.

- [Martha] Jack! Dion!

Mei Soong, I-I went to her room. She's gone!

(intense music)

- Any trouble?

Wait till after dark. Get rid of her the usual way.

I have to go back to my class.

- There were signs of a struggle alright.

Mei Soong's been kidnapped.

- But how?

- When we were in the store,

they must have taken her out the back.

- Wait a minute.

- Quong Lee decoyed us.

- That's right, Jack.

And it's time we asked ourselves some questions.

Why did the deacon send me to Quong Lee?

And why was Mei Soong so afraid

when she heard you and I reciting the alphabet?

- I wish I knew.

- It must be associated somehow in her mind with terror.

- Alright, where do we find the answers, then?

- Right back where this chase began.

The deacon's school.

(dramatic music)

- I've told you everything.

Why do you badger me with questions?

- Because you haven't given any answers.

Why did you send me to Quong Lee?

- I told you. (students giggling)

He's the man best suited to guide you

into Chinatown's underworld.

- He hasn't shown me a thing.

- That may be your fault.

- Or maybe somebody told him to lead me down false trails.

- Are you accusing me, Mr. Patrick?

- I'm asking questions.

Let's have some answers.

- If you think I'm an accomplice in this business,

why don't you file charges?

Or don't you have any evidence

to warrant such charges?

- If you're innocent, prove it,

without the legal hanky panky.

- How?

- Let me search the premises.

- This place, humble as it is, is my home

and my castle.

If you wish to rummage through it,

you will have to secure a warrant.

- I might do just that.

- [Deacon] Back to our lesson, children. (claps)

Remember, knowledge is power.

- [Class] A is for apple that grows on the tree.

B is for baby.

- He's really got us over a barrel.

If we take out a warrant,

the girl will be dead before we can serve it.

I'll swear he's got her in that house some place.

- Yes, well swearing isn't enough.

We need some evidence, you know!

- We'll get it.

Say, if a man is wanted,

you can pursue in into any premises, can't you?

- Sure. - Well, that's it!

I'll go down to Quong Lee's

and arrest him for abduction.

- Oh, I see.

Alright, well I best get some vigilantes

and follow you, huh?

- That's right. He, uh, he might escape.

- You're lying. You lied to me from the beginning.

You're in this up to your neck.

You decoyed us away while the girl was being abducted.

- Elder brother-

- Don't call me elder brother.

You're part of the dirty slave trade

that I'm gonna smash.

- I tell you, I cannot hurt Mei Soong.

I-I saw her just once, the night you won her.

She filled my heart so no other woman can take her place.

- Then tell me where she is.

- I do not know.

But I promise, she will not be harmed.

- Then you do know where she is.

Alright, have it your own way,

but I'm taking you in for a vigilante trial.

He'll kill that girl,

and you know it, but you won't admit it.

And you won't be able to help her, Lee.

Not where you're going.

(fist thuds) (intense music)

(dramatic gentle music)

(door slams)

- You said you would not harm her. You promised.

Where is she?

- It's only a woman, Lee.

- She is going to be my woman.

- My dear boy, there are lots of others.

(gun cocks)

- Where is she?

- Put that gun away.

- Take me to her, Deacon,

and if you've hurt her, I'll kill you.

(dramatic music)

- Very well. Come with me.

- [Mei Soong] Lee! (screams)

(gun thuds)

- That's two for the bay tonight.

Get them ready.

(curious music)

(metal clinking)

It's a shame it had to end like this, Lee.

I made you a rich man.

I could have made you richer,

but there are lots of other people

who'd like to become rich quickly.

(metal clinking)

- What are you going to do?

- I'm going to destroy you as evidence.

You and your beloved will rest peacefully

at the bottom of the bay.

Patrick, McGivern, the rest of his nosy committee

will think the two of you ran away together.

Everything ready?

Alright, quickly and quietly.

(curious music continues)

(door crashing)

(dramatic music) (men scuffling)

(fist smacks)

- Could, could I please? Thank you.

- Alright, hand them over to the authorities.

(Lee speaking Chinese)

- Will you put in a good word for Lee?

- Well, I-I think the truth is good enough.

(dramatic music)

(gentle music)

- What happened?

- Deacon and Flick were found guilty, condemned.

- And Quong Lee?

- He was clearly complicit in the murders,

they let him go with a light sentence.

- Well, Mei Soong, what about.

(gentle music)

- Well, she's going to stay with us

until Lee finishes his sentence,

and then they're going to get married.

- That's very funny.

- What? People do get married, you know.

- I know, but it's funny because Lee

will now be a slave, himself, to her,

for the rest of his life.

- And I don't think he'll mind at all.

♪ California ♪

♪ Oh, I've traveled here ♪

♪ I've traveled there ♪

♪ I guess I've been most everywhere ♪

♪ But I like where I am today ♪

♪ And here is where I'll stay ♪

♪ Now one thing I just can't endure ♪

♪ Is being broke and being poor ♪

♪ So I come West to take the cure ♪

♪ And here is where I'll stay ♪

♪ I've come to California, California ♪

♪ There's gold in them there hills in California ♪

♪ I've come to live where life is best ♪

♪ In the golden West ♪

♪ I'm gonna strike it rich in California ♪

♪ California, California ♪

♪ There's gold in them there hills ♪

♪ In California ♪

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