The Courageous Coward

Sessue Hayakawa was making the transition from Asian villain to sympathetic hero in this picture. The plot is a combination of racial stereotypes that were common in the U.S. during the silent era and real-life situations experienced by Asians living Stateside. Hayakawa plays Suki Iota, a student who, while born and bred in America, wants a wife with traditional Japanese values. She appears in the form of Rei (Tsuru Aoki, Hayakawa's real-life wife), a singer who becomes known as the Japanese Nightingale.

Top Billed Cast

Sessue Hayakawa

Suki Iota

Tsuru Aoki

Rei Oaki

Toyo Fujita

Tangi

George Hernandez

Big Bill Kirby

Francis McDonald

Tom Kirby (as Francis J. McDonald)