Chijlku wo mawasuru chikara

Working English-language titles for the film were, Turning the Earth's Axis, Eternal Passion and The Inevitable Urge. According to articles in Rafu Shimpo, this film was the first Japanese talking film made in Los Angeles. A January 1, 1930 article referred to the production of Japanese-language films in Hollywood as "the outgrowth of the dream of Teruo Mayeda, noted critic and scenario writer, who has begun producing with a corporation capitalized at $20,000." The film was made in The Monrovia Studio in Monrovia, CA, a facility owned by Tom White. White, according to a February 5, 1930 news item, stopped making English-language films to concentrate on foreign-language productions. He "directed the general procedure" of this film, according to a news story. In a modern article on James Wong Howe, who directed and shot the film, White's studio was described as an empty orange-packing shed. Howe previously photographed the film version of the 1925 George Warwick play Sorrell and Son, produced in 1927 by Feature Productions (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.5261), Two articles about Chijlku wo mawasuru chikara noted that it had a plot similar to Sorrell and Son. Rafu Shimpo warned that because of the likeness, "it is expected that the producer will find himself in somewhat of a jam, if he undertakes to produce this story 'as is.'" An article noted that the cast consisted of many second-generation Japanese Americans. Helen Warwick, the scenarist, had worked for the Lasky company.
       The January 1, 1930 Rafu Shimpo article stated that this film was to be the second of Mayeda's productions. The first planned production, which was never realized, was a comedy, also written by Wakaba Matsumoto, entitled Annoying Age, about "an old 'hick', who comes to America to see his occidentalized nephew, George, after the latter's absence of ten years. Situations develop 'through the different environments.'" A news article dated April 28, 1930 stated that Chijlku wo mawasuru chikara, then entitled Eternal Passion, was in the process of final cutting, after three months of production, and was then eleven reels in length. The article noted, "The members of the cast were often discouraged on account of many obstacles that they had to face while the picture was being taken at the Monrovia Studio.... More than 100 people assisted in the materialization of this long-cherished dream." The film was previewed in mid-June under the title The Inevitable Urge. While the photography was praised, the acting was "said to be somewhat uneven" at times, and the dialogue "left much to be desired," according to Rafu Shimpo. The film was shown to the public under its Japanese title at the Fox Brooklyn Theatre in Los Angeles for five performance on 26 and June 27, 1930. The next public screenings were on 4 and October 5, 1930 at the Nishi Hongwanji hall, also in Los Angeles. A sound projector was sent from New York for the latter screenings. According to the article on Howe, the film was shown in Japan, where the accents of the Japanese Americans were thought to be "funny." The article also states that Howe put up $4,500 of the $12,000 production costs.