"The Dragon of Gold Hill" is one of the few episodes of "Death Valley Days" to deal with the Asian experience in the Old West. (See also "The Book," starring George Takei, an episode I've also reviewed on this site.) Here we see a Japanese community of farmers in Gold Hill in El Dorado County, California in 1869, led by Sakurai (Soon-Tek Oh) and his female companion, Okei (Momo Yashima), who had begun a farm to grow tea trees and mulberry trees (to feed silkworms) under the tutelage of a German who had worked in Japan, Henry Schnell. When the farm failed because of drought, Schnell returned to Japan to try and raise funds to bring all the Japanese back home but has not been heard from in a long time when the story starts. Okei wants to make friends among the Americans and is delighted when they meet a young white farming couple in the area, Jim and Amy Allen (Mark Jenkins, Frontis Chandler), who are kind to them. Amy makes an effort to visit Okei and a friendship is forged. However, the drought and subsequent crop failure affect every farm in the area and a local troublemaker, Dan Turner (William Smith), begins stirring up hatred of the Japanese and blaming them for every bad thing that has happened, citing God's wrath at the whites for letting the Japanese settle there. Sheriff Holmes (Don Megowan) tries to squelch Turner's efforts, but when a fever epidemic starts taking lives among the whites, Turner incites the passions of the disgruntled townsfolk and launches a raid on the Japanese colony.
This episode from the 18th and final season of "Death Valley Days," recalls the incidents of prejudice and violence that Asian immigrants routinely faced in the settling of the west, something explored in more detail in a series that premiered two years after this episode, "Kung Fu," starring David Carradine as a half-Chinese martial artist roaming the west, although "Kung Fu" was entirely fictional while the "Death Valley Days" episodes were based on true stories. Soon-Tek Oh, a Japanese-born Korean actor, plays Sakurai as a proud, bitter man who regrets the whole venture and wants to return to Japan. Who can blame him? He even employs Japanese martial arts in stopping an attack by Turner, a much bigger opponent. Japanese-American Momo Yashima plays Okei as a curious young woman eager to try new things and get to know her neighbors and their culture. This was Yashima's first acting role and her inexperience is quite evident, although I'm happy that they used an actress of Japanese descent and not a white actress in "yellowface," as was sometimes the case in TV westerns back then, e.g. Marlo Thomas playing a Chinese woman on an episode of "Bonanza." (47 years later, Yashima is still active in the industry.) Okei's creation of little origami sculptures and a Buddhist shrine she maintains play a role in the story. We never meet any other Japanese characters. William Smith's portrayal of the bigoted Turner is a little over the top but it drives home the point that local fearmongers could pose a formidable threat to Asian settlers. It all ends on a hopeful note but leaves a bittersweet taste.
In researching the facts behind this episode, I found a documentary proposal on line that offers a concise history of this Japanese colony. Google "Proposal - Samurai of Gold Hill" and you'll find it.
This episode from the 18th and final season of "Death Valley Days," recalls the incidents of prejudice and violence that Asian immigrants routinely faced in the settling of the west, something explored in more detail in a series that premiered two years after this episode, "Kung Fu," starring David Carradine as a half-Chinese martial artist roaming the west, although "Kung Fu" was entirely fictional while the "Death Valley Days" episodes were based on true stories. Soon-Tek Oh, a Japanese-born Korean actor, plays Sakurai as a proud, bitter man who regrets the whole venture and wants to return to Japan. Who can blame him? He even employs Japanese martial arts in stopping an attack by Turner, a much bigger opponent. Japanese-American Momo Yashima plays Okei as a curious young woman eager to try new things and get to know her neighbors and their culture. This was Yashima's first acting role and her inexperience is quite evident, although I'm happy that they used an actress of Japanese descent and not a white actress in "yellowface," as was sometimes the case in TV westerns back then, e.g. Marlo Thomas playing a Chinese woman on an episode of "Bonanza." (47 years later, Yashima is still active in the industry.) Okei's creation of little origami sculptures and a Buddhist shrine she maintains play a role in the story. We never meet any other Japanese characters. William Smith's portrayal of the bigoted Turner is a little over the top but it drives home the point that local fearmongers could pose a formidable threat to Asian settlers. It all ends on a hopeful note but leaves a bittersweet taste.
In researching the facts behind this episode, I found a documentary proposal on line that offers a concise history of this Japanese colony. Google "Proposal - Samurai of Gold Hill" and you'll find it.