Inspired by an exposé of opium trafficking in the Saturday Evening Post, the semidocumentary film starred Smalley as a Customs official and Weber as his opium-addicted wife.

[3] Weber was inspired by a Saturday Evening Post series of articles by Rufus Steele about the government's war against the opium trade.

[2] It was shot on location in San Francisco, reportedly including Chinatown opium dens, the waterfront, and areas of criminal activity.

"[5] Moving Picture World called it "excellent, considered either as dramatic entertainment, or as a faithful depiction of actual conditions" and praised the acting as "restrained" rather than "theatrical", doing credit to its authenticity.

[8] Although reviewers found the movie's treatment of the potentially lurid topic serious rather than exploitative, censors in Chicago and Pennsylvania objected to some elements.