AllMovie

A heavy-breathing melodrama of the White Cargo school, Java Head was adapted from the novel by Joseph Hergesheimer. Anna May Wong stars as Tapu Xuen, a Chinese girl who becomes the bride of wealthy Englishman Gerritt Ammiden (John Loder). This mixed marriage earns Ammiden the cold shoulder from his society friends, but he remains faithful to his Chinese bride. Ultimately, however, Ammiden falls in love with one of his "own kind," Nettie Vollar (Elizabeth Allan). Realizing that her husband is too honorable to divorce her in favor of Nettie, Tapu does the "right thing" by considerately committing suicide. An earlier version of Java Head was filmed in 1923 with Leatrice Joy.