Satan Opium (1915)

The wealthy American Marc Olander has his eye on the beautiful dancer Edith Ruth and is determined to marry her. But Ruth has a dark secret: in her spare time, she likes to frequent opium dens and surrender herself to the pleasure of intoxication. Olander’s devious Chinese servant, Yo-Ching Han, knows about this vice. He is also deeply interested in the dancer and intends to win her away from his employer by dishonest means. So he does all he can to encourage Edith’s urge to consume opium. By chance, shortly before the scheduled engagement party, Olander learns of Edith’s drug addiction. His future bride now solemnly promises to give up her vice for good. On the day of the engagement, Yo-Ching Han is sent to bring Edith the engagement jewelry and drive her to the ceremony. But the Chinese man persuades her to have one more opium pipe beforehand, sending her into a stupor. When Edith fails to arrive at his house, Marc goes to see her and finds her lying dazed on an ottoman in a drug-induced haze. Outraged by her broken promise, the American leaves her a note saying that her behavior has destroyed their happiness together. Once fully back in her right mind, Edith hurries to her lover’s villa to clear things up. But his Chinese servant bars her from entering, supposedly on his master’s orders. Marc is sitting dejectedly in his room, inconsolable at the loss of his fiancée, in whom he believes he has been so terribly mistaken. The treacherous Yo-Ching Han poses as her comforter and leads Edith to an opium den, where she can forget all her heartache. Quickly drugged, she becomes his personal prisoner there. Meanwhile, Marc has decided to forgive his girlfriend and give their relationship another try. But wherever he looks for Edith, she has vanished without a trace. Before long, Yo-Ching Han decides that the hideout is no longer safe enough for his captive and resolves to put her somewhere nobody will ever find her: in a secret chamber in Olander’s villa, where the Chinese man himself likes to enjoy a pipe from time to time. More or less by chance, Marc discovers that his supposedly faithful servant is playing a double game and is behind Edith’s disappearance. He therefore drives Yo-Ching Han off the estate, but the man finds his way back to his chamber by a secret route, intending to carry off Edith, whom he assumes is still drugged. But by now she is fully conscious again and cries out for help. Her future fiancé hears her, and a fierce fight breaks out between him and the Chinese man, who is defeated. Now nothing stands in the way of Marc and Edith’s engagement.