Starring Xuan Jinglin, it follows a courtesan who rises to stardom in the Shanghai film industry, endangers her position for romance, and ultimately decides to earn an independent living through acting.
The courtesan Wang Fengzhen is slapped by a client after arriving late, and he mocks her tears by telling her she could be the next Lillian Gish.
[2] Elements of the film were biographic; as with Wang Fengzhen, Xuan had been a courtesan before being discovered by Mingxing co-founder Zhang Shichuan, with her contract bought out by the studio.
The company had showcased its studios in its first film, The King of Comedy Visits Shanghai (1922),[7] and explored stardom in A Passionate Actress (1926).
[6] Mingxing served as the set for An Amorous History of the Silver Screen's studio tour, showcasing itself as a "magic workshop of virtual reality" that used modern lighting, extravagant set-pieces and innovative special effects.
[4] These elements are presented in what the sinologist Christopher G. Rea characterizes as a "fun" manner, and include the synchronized application of make-up as well as efforts to control extras.
[2] One viewer from Jilin, having seen the film at a local YMCA, wrote to Mingxing and thanked the company for the behind-the-scenes look at its production processes, from the creation of weather effects to the practice of martial arts.