Indochinese With Us Troops (1919)

Indochinese with US troops. The date is 27 January 1919. Opens with Indochinese soldiers, wearing army uniforms and overcoats, sitting on ground playing music together; brick Western-style building in BG. Some have instruments played with a bow; one guy taps on a small cup; another guy playing a flute. CU some of the musicians playing. They continue playing; while in a bizarre development; two guys in costumes with masks that look like demons or monsters act out some dance / drama fight; doing somersaults; etc. Next the Asian soldiers sit around a blanket; on which they are playing some gambling game that involves throwing down money and a cup and saucer - they are laughing and joking; excited about this game. (They seem to be shaking dice inside the cup, then one man takes it away to show the score - SL.) Then the Asian troops pose with a few American soldiers. Slow pan across the group. Some are jigging about, as if very cold. American cataloguer notes: “Pathe’s listing calls these guys Indochine