User reviews

Even those who have never seen this rather lurid film will probably be aware of the infamous 'branding' scene. Indeed this particular scene and the shooting that ensues still pack a punch over a century later. This is mainly due to the superlative 'noirish' cinematography of Cecil B DeMille regular Alvin Wyckoff whilst the films distinctly 'modern' look is courtesy of Art Director Wilfred Buckland.

It is alas the far from modern style of acting from leading lady Fannie Ward that weakens the film. This is essentially a vehicle for Miss Ward who has come straight from the stage. Neither she nor the director have made the slightest attempt to adjust her performance for the camera and not only is she too long in the tooth for the part, her histrionics resemble a grotesque parody of Victorian melodrama. This is in stark contrast to the minimalist acting of Sessue Hayakawa as a seedy, sinister ivory trader who literally believes in striking while the iron is hot, originally Japanese but later changed to Burmese after protests from the Japanese community. Hayakawa described his acting style as 'absence of doing' and he is utterly mesmerising in the role. One is hardly surprised that his exotic/erotic persona caused such a fluttering of female hearts. One observer has noted that Miss Ward's acting is of the past whilst Hayakawa's is of the future.

Some forty years later he played Colonel Saito in 'Bridge over the River Kwai'. Despite acting in a bubble, learning his lines phonetically and needing endless retakes he astonished director David Lean by being nominated for a best supporting Oscar. This goes to prove that if you've got it, you've got it.

The Cheat (1915)

America was not at war yet, even though WWI was well under way in Europe. So there is a detached charm to the events--Red Cross charities, parties, men heading out for a game of golf. And the characters, part of an early Long Island set: a stock broker happily trying to make money, his rich wife who isn't rich enough (she wants more gowns!), and an Asian ivory merchant. The wife is played with early frank energy by Fannie Ward, pretty well known in her day, and in fact married to the man playing her husband.

More eccentric is the Asian man, legendary Japanese actor Kintaro Hayakawa. The title cards originally had him as a Japanese merchant, but when Japan protested (they were allies with the US in wartime), it was altered in the 1918 release to a Burmese merchant. This is a little stretching it because he is so obviously Japanese (the tatami mats, the paper sliding doors, etc.) but since he's really just a Long Island eccentric it works out okay.

At just under an hour, the movie never has a chance to catch its breath, which is great. There are nice sections tinted yellow/orange or blue. (The second time I watched this it was all black and white, which was not as satisfying, if you have a choice.) The score is a bland small orchestra accompaniment, neither here nor there (this is what the Netflix streaming copy has). The plot is slight, in reality, with money lost and a desperate and sometime scandalous effort to get it back. A shocking moment two thirds of the way is its famous climax, a bit early maybe, followed by a trial. The movie didn't cost much to make (the same year as the hugely expensive "Birth of a Nation"), but it went on to great success, and is well preserved.

The title implies more than the movie lets on internally, but the implications are realized in some double crossing. The heroics of the leading man are important even if he's an unlikable stockbroker. In fact, one of the weaknesses here is the fulcrum of the emotional twists and turns-a stock deal gone bad. But as the movie goes, it gathers complexity. If director DeMille is known for his grandiose blockbusters later in life, this is one of his silent dramas (from before about 1923) where he has a great feel for content, human drama, and fast plot. You might even say there is a soap opera excess here-in the best sense. That's what keeps these movies alive. Improbable at times, and certainly about people leaving large, the plots of each, including in this one, are great to watch. The leading female here, Fannie Ward, is good in this kind of role without nuance. More interesting at times is the larger scenes, like the angry crowd at the trial (a wonderful moment involving a huge number of actors).

See it, yes. A great, straight up entry into silent films about domestic upper class problems, and therefore without historical or exotic quirks that would otherwise dominate. An early Cecil B. De Mille film.

My thought after seeing The Cheat early this morning is what if this film were remade today, how would we deal with the issue of racism which this film is saturated with.

Fannie Ward, white and rich society woman, loses her charity's funds gambling and to cover the loss she borrows $10,000.00 from a rich Burmese merchant Sessue Hayakawa. Hayakawa's deal however is that Ward give herself over to him because he's got a yen for white women. Later on her husband makes a killing in the market and she gets the money to pay him back. But Hayakawa's not interested in the money once the time limit is up, he wants her in the sack. When she refuses, he takes a branding iron and she is now branded a cheat. Ward shoots and wounds Hayakawa in a struggle with her husband's gun and the husband is arrested and stands trial for the attempted murder.

Now I count in this melodrama strains from The Merchant of Venice, Indecent Proposal with a little Fu Manchu tossed in for the oriental flavor. It's a pretty scary film, especially the ending which I can't reveal, but remember this is the era that saw The Birth of a Nation as a big hit. The Yellow Peril it was called back then, racism ran rampant on our West Coast against Chinese and Japanese immigrants.

The Cheat was one of Cecil B. DeMille's biggest silent screen hits and it made Sessue Hayakawa a star in the silent screen era. When talkies came in Hayakawa went to Europe and later to Japan during the Thirties. He resumed his career in American films in Humphrey Bogart's Tokyo Joe and it reached the high point when he got that Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Bridge on the River Kwai.

What Hayakawa endured was in many ways the same as what black players did in playing their stereotypical characters. I wonder what he must have thought of The Cheat in his old age.

DeMille made some really good use of the camera with the expressions on Ward and Hayakawa's faces telling more of the story than the title cards. Jack Dean who was Ward's husband in real life as well plays the stereotypical Victorian gentleman.

Still the powerful racist message of this film is maybe even more vile than The Birth of a Nation.

Funny how one can be transfixed by a shadow made nearly ninety years ago. I found myself watching this for handsome Sessue Hayakawa's character, half all-American young-man-about-town, half exotic (and oh yes, evil) Oriental despot. Fannie Ward's character doesn't look much better, a woman so insecure and vain that when her husband cuts off her clothing allowance (four hundred 1915 dollars for a negligee!!), she embezzles Red Cross funds and takes a flyer on the stock market. Indeed, the only character who comes out looking remotely virtuous is her long-suffering husband, who tries to protect his bubble-headed wife by confessing to a crime she committed. Yes, it's a period piece, but as those go, it's not bad.

It's notable that right away 'The cheat' establishes use of stereotypes to build the foundations of the narrative. Richard (Jack Dean) is obsessed with his work, portrayed as somewhat neglecting his wife in the process, while Edith (Fannie Ward) is a spendthrift insistent on maintaining her status. I understand there was some controversy as well in Sessue Hayakawa, prominent early Japanese-American actor, depicting an antagonistic figure, thus leading to a change of the character's nationality in the interstitial cards - as if that meaningfully alters the criticism.

The story on hand is simple and of a slant not unfamiliar to contemporary audiences, but duly compelling for the intrigue at hand. There is an issue in my mind that the pivotal crux of this tale - the nature of the bargain - is not actively recounted in interstitial cards, or otherwise presented plainly on-screen. It's expressed only through nuance of body language - easy to miss altogether unless one is already familiar with the plot - or discerned by reading between the lines that are between the lines. As a result 'The cheat' feels less cohesive than it is otherwise, and this flaw also gives the writing the appearance of a significant plot hole. This is unfortunate because all that was required to lift this film out of that mire would have been more clarity.

If you can look past its faults, however, 'The cheat' is quite enjoyable. Set design and decoration, and costume design, are commendable, and complete the setting well. More importantly, the film makes use of lighting in ways that seems advanced for cinema in 1915. There's substantial emphasis on shadows, and spotlighting in generally dimly lit scenes, that does much to bolster the film.

And the performances are pretty great. This is true for all the cast, but goes most of all for Hayakawa, whose deft subtlety of facial expression is essential to his character. And Ward, as Edith, showcases a detail of emotional range that defies the presumptive limits of film-making equipment of the time. These two in particular carry the picture, leading into the dramatic and genuinely exciting climax. Putting aside an ineffectively articulated story beat, the narrative writing is broadly capable.

'The cheat' isn't a perfect movie, but its problems don't outweigh its ability to entertain. The technical craft of the film and the performances are most eye-catching of all, and help to paint over the blemishes. I wouldn't necessarily say one should go out of their way to find 'The cheat', but it's a worthwhile view if you come across it.

A venal, spoiled stockbroker's wife (Fannie Ward) impulsively embezzles $10,000 from the Red Cross charity she chairs and desperately turns to a Burmese ivory trader (Sessue Hayakawa) to replace the stolen money.

So upon release, the lead actor was playing a Japanese man... but this version has since been lost. The change of the character's name and nationality were done because Japan was an American ally at the time. Robert Birchard, author of the book Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood, surmised that the character's nationality was changed to Burmese because there were "not enough Burmese in the country to raise a credible protest." You might think they would celebrate having an Asian actor, but I guess not.

Allegedly the film cost $16,540 to make, and grossed $137,364. By today's standards, that may not be much. But in those days it was a small fortune. Think of it: it was almost enough to finance ten more films. Sounds like the gift that keeps on giving, and no doubt lead to DeMille getting bigger and bigger.

I think modern audiences tend to be too harsh on some of our earliest films.

We tend to forget that directors, actors, and others were in the process of creating a new art form. As a result, we should look at these films within their own parameters. And as an example of what directors were just learning to do, "The Cheat" is one of the best films of its year. People who rent or view films from this time period should realize that, almost without exception, dramas are going to be Victorian in their plots. They should also expect that the acting will be "acting" (couldn't italicize this word), broad pantomime, and histrionic.

Yes, "The Cheat" is melodramatically Victorian and most of the acting is broad, but it distinguishes itself with some innovation and some subtlety. (I'm assuming that DeMille's use of expressionistic lighting was innovative; he did, indeed, receive flak from the money-men for such techniques.) Here, we see DeMille uses silhouettes and low-key lighting not only to create mood but also to relay certain plot points. The subtlety comes to us from Sessue Hayakawa. His technique contrasts greatly with the other actors and as a result, he stands out. You can't take your eyes off of him. He's still most of the time and his acting could be called zen-acting, much like "the method," which became popular in the 50s. He exudes charisma as the villain, and you certainly see why he was the first Asian star of American films, or one of its first big stars of any background for that matter. (Have there been other Asian box office draws besides Jackie Chan?) I certainly became a fan after seeing this movie on TCM. I immediately ordered the DVD, which contains a fine print, and searched for other silent films he was in. The only one I've been able to find so far is "The Secret Game" from 1917. "The Tong Man" (1919) is supposed to be available, but I've yet to find anyone with it in stock.

In summary, this film is worth catching for Sessue Hayakawa.

There have been some negative comments on the costumes in this picture, but I found the wardrobe fascinating. I particularly enjoyed seeing the head bands on the high society dames. They reminded me of Granny of Tweety Bird fame. I believe the film opens quite a wide window on the fashions of the era.

As to whether the film is racist, yes and no: Yes, we are asked to agree with the mob who goes after the Asian man a little too uncritically for our comfort. But no, just look at how this guy came up through what must have been Discrimination Hell to rise to the top of his trade, and most of his actions, especially at the beginning of the film, are indeed civilized. It's about as balanced a portrayal as could reasonably be hoped in a 1915 movie.

THE CHEAT is interesting only from the standpoint that it's an early silent film from Cecil B. DeMille and the fact that the most realistic performance is given by Japanese actor SESSUE HAYAKAWA, famous now for his work in films like THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.

Even at a young age, he could give glowering glances like no other, saying more with his facial expressions than any dialog could convey. The rest of the cast indulges in broad, silent screen style of acting that sometimes borders on the ludicrous, but Hayakawa is restrained in technique and yet powerful.

The story is the old chestnut about a wife who is forced to cheat on her husband and then--to save herself from a fate worse than death-- she's forced to shoot the man who humiliates her by branding her as his property. She saves her virtue but her adoring husband takes the blame for her crime, which leads toward an explosive courtroom climax where Cecil B. DeMille lets his overabundance of energy show itself in a rowdy, overpopulated courtroom where the frenzied crowd reacts to her sobbing confession.

Fans of silent films will probably relish this one--but others have to beware. As for the fashions of 1915, they have to be the ugliest clothes women ever wore in an effort to look elegant. You have to see the film to know what I mean.

A High Society woman gets into SUCH a mess when she bets the 10,000 dollars she has been entrusted with (for the Red Cross!) into the stock market, and she needs to get the money somehow, so she turns to her friend, an Asian Salesman, who has his own ideas.

I liked this movie a lot, because I was really amazed at the treatment Hollywood gave to the Asian character. He was treated very humanely and I guess the whole Evil-Asian propaganda thing hadn't quite kicked in yet in Hollywood. Instead, Hollywood was turning stuff out like this and, another great example, Broken Blossoms, with Lillian Gish. The Asian actor, Sessue Hayakawa does SUCH a great job here, shining every scene he's in. Hayakawa amazingly, later on went on to appear in Bridge On The River Kwai with Alec Guinness!!

What is the message that DeMille id giving to his 1915 audience? Is there a positive female character in the film? And who exactly is the cheat? Hayakawa is said to be the Cheat by many critics but I disagree.

Is it not Edith who cheats on her husband by lying and stealing? Is it not Edith who agrees to become a "whore" by paying off her stolen debts and then backs out on the deal? Who is Edith representing in 1915?

By the end of the movie, Edith is forgiven by the courts, he husband, and society just as long as she stays as the "little girl" who can't act for herself. The Cheat is beautifully filmed, don't get me wrong. But the overall message toward women in this film is down right wrong!

Self-important socialite Edith Hardy (Fannie Ward) is frustrated by her businessman husband Richard Hardy (Jack Dean) who refuses to pay her hefty bills since their money is tied up in investments. As the Red Cross fund treasurer, she recruits wealthy Burmese ivory merchant Haka Arakau (Sessue Hayakawa) to host a fundraiser on his Long Island estate. Edith is convinced to invest $10k of the charity fund, but soon fears that it's all been lost.

This is an early directing effort from Cecil B. DeMille. Stage actress Fannie Ward is promoted as the new big star although Hayakawa is the true breakout. I ignore the use of an Asian character as the villain especially since he does not start out showing that way. I was actually shocked initially that there seems to be a romantic suggestion between a white woman and an Asian man. There is an interesting story although I can do without some of Edith's melodrama. Maybe, her melodrama is an important part of the story. Oh well. This has some interesting aspects of production and filmmaking in addition to the interesting names.

Vaudevillian Fannie Ward made her cinematic debut here as "Edith", a rather shallow woman married to Jack Dean ("Richard"), a stockbroker. She lives for life's fripperies, and when he starts bemoaning the amounts of money she is frittering away on luxuries, she decides to procure some cash of her own by embezzling $10,000 from a charity she runs. Desperate to return the money, she turns to the distinctly shady Burmese ivory trader "Hishiru Tori" (Sessue Hayakawa) who offers her a deal - but at an horrible price... It has a very theatrical style to it, this production, but that's not a bad thing. It helps us to focus on the characters - with Ward, and particularly the sinister "Tori" - working well to create the atmospheric, shadowy - almost menacing, look of the film. The use of light and shade is also used to good effect for that purpose too, and although the ending runs a bit to melodrama, this story of avarice and repentance is certainly worth an hour of anyone's time.

This early Cecil B. DeMille film (credited only as producer) is interesting in the first place because of its use of editing and lighting. Although the camera is mostly static (with the notable exception of a long pan on the jury members in the trial scene), the rapid alternation of shots, from wide shots to close ups, allows a very dynamic narrative. Lighting is very expressive, in particular the use of shadows and chiaroscuro. The characters are a bit of a caricature: the frivolous woman, the greedy and gentleman-like stoke-broker, and the evil Japanese/Burmese, calculating and ruthless.

This film is also an example of early Hollywood anti-Japanese racism. There is one common point between the representation of black men in The Birth of a Nation and the Asian anti-hero of The Cheat: they are obsessed with the possession of white women. There was so much protest from the influential Japanese associations in America that a re-release of the film was done in 1918 with the change of a few inter-titles (this is the version of the hyper-link above). The villain who was initially a wealthy ivory merchant called Hishuru Tori, became the Burmese Haka Arakau. The date on the documents showed in the film (checks, newspaper) were also updated from 1915 to 1918. Apparently Hollywood didn't care what the Burmese thought.

I watch this dazzling curio from l914 at least once a month and am never bored. My copy of "The Cheat" was purchased through Grapevine Video and is accompanied by an unforgettable piano score. The Kino edition has an unbearable orchestral score and ruins this Cecil B. DeMille masterpiece. I'm always fascinated by different things. Fannie Ward is electrifying as Edith Hardy, the vapid socialite who gambles away $10,000 of charity funds and seeks help from sensual Sessue Hayakawa, who asks that she becomes his mistress. When she reneges, he brands her with a white-hot iron. DeMille hired Ward after watching her at a party surrounded by a legion of male admirers. Already in her forties, she had kept her beauty legendary by primitive plastic surgery: injecting paraffin into her wrinkles. She proved to be a real life embodiment of bitchy Edith Hardy. She refused a fabulous collection of gowns that DeMille had made for her. She forced him to buy an even more expensive set of gowns made by her favorite French couturier. She created her own make-up. DeMille was horrified. But somehow it worked. This movie gives us a fascinating peek into the dying work of post-Victorian passions and fashions and looks. I mentioned this movie often in my book on old gay Hollywood, "The Kiss of King Kong," written under my pen name of Jason Fury. In his later years, Hayakawa said that he hated Fannie Ward passionately. His favorite scene in "The Cheat" is when he manhandles her and brands her with the iron. This movie moves at a feverish pace for its 58 minutes. Try to get the Grapevine Video version. A stunning classic to be cherished and watched again and again.

Incredible, over-the-top, entertainment from C. B. DeMille.

Fannie Ward stars as a woman who thinks money grows on trees, much to the consternation of her stockbroker husband. So she takes ten grand, belonging to the Red Cross (she is the treasurer) and invests it in the stock market. She loses it overnight, but a rich, young, handsome Burmese ivory trader (Sessue Hayakawa) offers to cover her loss ... if she'll just engage in a little "sheet music" now and then, if you get my drift.

Meanwhile, Ward's husband wins big overnight in the stock market (that must have been one heck of a market) and generously gives her ten grand, which she claims she needs to pay off losses playing bridge (that must have been one heck of a bridge game). She offers the dough to Hayakawa, but ... a deal is a deal. So he decides to take her by force. In the ensuing struggle, he "brands" her - no kidding. She fires a few bullets into him, but doesn't kill him. She runs off, but her husband, who had followed her, figures out what happened and takes the rap.

The climactic courtroom trial turns into a riot - literally. But everything turns out just fine, and Hayakawa goes off to build a bridge somewhere.

Hayakawa is terrific as an icy villain. Ward was in her mid-forties when she made this. Kudos to her makeup crew - she looks much younger.

These early efforts by DeMille convince me he had a lot of talent. He should not be remembered just for all the ham acting in his sound films.

THE CHEAT (1915) is the story of a flighty, wealthy socialite whose appetite for the latest fashions and the approval of her peers leads her to make disastrous decisions. Her husband will not allow her to spend more of his money before a crucial return on his investment comes through. In her impatience, she embezzles money from her charity with the hope of making a sizable return on a dubious investment. When she (rather predictably) loses the money, she turns to a Burmese ivory trader for a loan, but his terms are not for money, but for romance. When she tries to pay him back the money, and he refuses it, things go dreadfully wrong…

SCRIPT: I should preface this by saying that THE CHEAT is one of the most highly acclaimed silent movies. However, I really couldn't see much justification for this. The script is mostly to blame. To these eyes it appeared as little more than a lurid melodrama filled with unsympathetic characters, predicable outcomes, and implausible decisions written just to ratchet up the tension until the rather exaggerated climax (which I won't spoil in case you actually DO want to see this movie). Its much praised treatment of the Burmese trader really shows the racism of the time, as his character could provide favors and be regarded as an exotic foreigner, but could never really be part of the society of that time. The "heroine" in particular aroused no sympathy in me whatsoever – she's nothing more than stupid, selfish, grasping and childish. The climactic ending is absurd, insensitive, and insulting. SCORE: 3/10

ACTING: The acting in some cases does help the melodrama to go down a little easier, particularly in the case of Sessue Hayakawa, for whom this was a star-making performance. For all of its faults, this movie is interesting in that it allows us modern-day viewers to see a contrast between the "past" (stagy histrionics and exaggerated mannerisms) and the "future" (more subtle and nuanced, naturalistic acting). Hayakawa's performance (and to some extent, that of Jack Dean as the husband) show the latter, but Fannie Ward was very clearly the former. A veteran Broadway actress, she was chosen to play the main character. While she does display charm in some of her more subdued moments, her arm-flailing, hand-wringing histrionics are hard to take today. Granted, this was the performance style of theater at the time, but the movies were already moving past this style of acting and her performance really sticks out here like a sore thumb. Given that she is the lead, this becomes a drag on the movie, especially during the ending scenes. SCORE: 6/10

CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION: The cinematography in this movie is fairly well done. It appears to have been edited well, and the scenes generally don't go on for too long in static shots. There isn't much camera movement, but this was 1915 so that's not a knock on the camera work. There are some interesting uses of shadow and high contrast to establish mood, particularly in the scenes where Hayakawa is featured. In this aspect the movie is well made for its time, although not really outstanding. SCORE: 7/10

SUMMARY: THE CHEAT proved to be a tough movie for me to love. This is one case where I have to disagree with critical consensus. I found the story ridiculous and implausible, the lead character extremely unsympathetic, and the acting of variable quality. Sorry if you're a fan of this movie, but that's how I feel. Won't be going back to this one anytime soon. MOVIE SCORE: 5/10

"East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet." Fannie Ward (as Edith Hardy) is an extravagant socialite who is told by husband Jack Dean (as Dick Hardy) she must cut down on spending, as he meets with business failures; instead, she takes $10,000 from the Red Cross fund she is entrusted with, and gambles it on a "sure thing" - sure enough, she loses the money. Desperate to replace the money, Ms. Ward turns to wealthy party host Sessue Hayakawa (as Tori aka Arakau), who is secretly attracted to her. Mr. Hayakawa gives Ward the money, but wants a sexual encounter the next night. Then, Mr. Dean makes a Stock Market killing, and is rich again. Ward takes $10,000 to pay off Hayakawa, but he won't bargain...

This is a lurid melodrama, filled with sex, race, and sadism; but, it is redeemed by several factors. Cecil B. DeMille directed artfully; his use of light and shadows is notable. The portrayals of Fannie Ward (as "The Cheat" Edith Hardy) and Sessue Hayakawa (as Tori aka Arakau) are among the finest of the era. You'll want to watch this film with the remote nearby, as there are a few scenes you may want to see re-played immediately.

The Japanese community objected, understandably, to the film's racially prejudicial appeal; so Hayakawa's character was changed from Japanese Hishuru Tori to Burmese Haka Arakau, for a 1918 re-release. Presumably, the Burmese community was not amused.

********* The Cheat (12/13/15) Cecil B. DeMille ~ Fannie Ward, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Dean, James Neill

Charges of racism permeate the other reviews of this title, which left me confused when I saw the film, which is a superior silent drama. The only way to conclude racism here is to declare that any time an Asian is cast as a villain, it's inherently racist. This film transcends such simple-mindedness. Sessue Hayakawa is brilliant and fearsome as the avaricious villain, and what's more, he brings subtlety to a profession (silent film acting) that sorely needed it.

But let's really test "The Cheat" for racism: Imagine a Caucasian actor in Hayakawa's role: the charge of racism evaporates because his character doesn't need to change. No racial insults need be edited out, nor any stereotypical behavior, because Hayakawa is burdened with none. The one clearly Asian incident in the film, when Hayakawa brands the leading lady with his official chop, could as easily have been, say, an American cowboy branding a woman. Same effect. And it's hardly racist to refer to something as traditionally Asian as an ownership stamp.

To the films credit the shots are well lit and framed, and the editing tight - there isn't much excess - but 25 minutes was all I could endure.

Wealthy people quarreling is not my idea of enjoyment and I felt nothing in those 25 minutes. From the scheming, money minded men, to the spoiled beauty who makes poor selfish decisions on a whim, there's not a likable character here - but nor are the plot or themes captivating enough to make up for these shortcomings.

It's very predictable and performances are generic. I would recommend only for die-hard fans of DeMille or the actors.