Also known as The Romance of a Fruit Peddler, the film is a romantic comedy of sorts, following titular fruit seller and laborer Zheng in his attempts to marry the daughter of a poor doctor whose clinic operates opposite his fruit stall. This Republican Era silent short was made with English and Chinese title cards, indicating that it was made for audiences in both languages in 1920s Shanghai. It’s well worth working your way through the whole collection, but here’s a bit more background on three of our favorites: Laborer’s Love (1922) Whether you’re looking to practice your Mandarin or simply to indulge in some Chinese entertainment, the following websites will give you everything you’re looking for. Also in the mix are Spring in a Small Town, Crows and Sparrows and Wanderings of Sanmao, titles which regularly feature when it comes to lists of the most important Chinese films ever made. The treasure trove of films is being made available courtesy of the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia and includes Goddess and New Women, both of which star tragic silent screen legend Ruan Lingyu, plus, Street Angel, with singer Zhou Xuan. The movies represent some of the key highlights from China’s first “Golden Period” of cinema and are a Sino cinephile’s dream come true. A dozen classic black and white Chinese films from the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s are now available for free on YouTube - with English subtitles.
