Confessions of an Opium Eater

Confessions of an Opium Eater
Film poster
Directed by	Albert Zugsmith
Written by	Thomas De Quincey (book) Robert Hill (film writer)
Produced by	Albert Zugsmith
Starring	Vincent Price Linda Ho Richard Loo Philip Ahn
Narrated by	Vincent Price
Cinematography	Joseph F. Biroc
Edited by	Robert S. Eisen Roy V. Livingston
Music by	Albert Glasser
Production company	Photoplay
Distributed by	Allied Artists Pictures
Release date	June 20, 1962 (1962-06-20) (United States)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Confessions of an Opium Eater also known as Souls for Sale and Evils of Chinatown is a 1962 American crime film produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith. It is loosely based on the 1822 autobiographical novel, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, by Thomas De Quincey. After circulating for years as a bootleg, it was released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection in 2012.

This film stars Vincent Price as Gilbert de Quincey, a nineteenth-century adventurer who becomes involved in a tong war in San Francisco. Price also narrated the film, whose evocative cinematography resembles a nightmare. The film was something of a departure for Price; the prolific actor never performed another role that involved so much physical action.

Plot

In 1902, adventurer Gilbert De Quincey, a descendant of Thomas De Quincey. is hired by the editor of a Chinese newspaper to stop auctions of trafficked Chinese women to be the brides of Chinese men resident in America. The community is split down the middle with those feeling the traditional practice is the only way for overseas Chinese to obtain brides, and those who regard the practise as indecent.

Cast

• Vincent Price as Gilbert De Quincey
• Linda Ho as Ruby Low
• Richard Loo as George Wah
• June Kyoto Lu as Lotus (as June Kim)
• Philip Ahn as Ching Foon
• Yvonne Moray as the Midget Sing-song girl
• Caroline Kido as Lo Tsen
• Terence De Marney as English sailor
• Geri Hoo as 2nd Dancing Girl
• Gerald Jann as Fat Chinese
• Vivianne Mankie as Catatonic Girl

Reception

In 1998, Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader included the film in his unranked list of the best American films not included on the AFI Top 100.

Quotes

I am De Quincey. I dream, and I create dreams — out of the opium pipe. I see sailing into our vision a junk. Its cargo: women. Women bought or stolen from all over the mysterious Orient. Their destination, and mine: the human auctions in Chinatown.

Trivia

James Hong was given a script in 1962. He thought it was terrible – "all the roles were the opium dope people and the prostitutes and so forth." He and an organized group approached Albert Zugsmith to make a case for a rewrite.

See also

• List of American films of 1962
• Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
• Opium
• Thomas De Quincey

External links

• Confessions of an Opium Eater at IMDb