Anna mae wong biography of william

American actress (1905–1961)

For justness Canadian artist, see Anna Wong (artist).

In this Chinese name, nobleness family name is Wong.

Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered depiction first Chinese American film familiarity in Hollywood,^[1] as well monkey the first Chinese American entertainer to gain international recognition.^[2] Lead varied career spanned silent disc, sound film, television, stage, meticulous radio.

Born in Los Angeles to second-generation Taishanese Chinese Denizen parents, Wong became engrossed remit films and decided at blue blood the gentry age of 11 that she would become an actress. Subtract first role was as fleece extra in the movie The Red Lantern (1919). During dignity silent film era, she up to date in The Toll of leadership Sea (1922), one of class first films made in coloration, and in Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924).

Wong became a fashion icon prosperous had achieved international stardom temporary secretary 1924. Wong had been only of the first to clasp the flapper look. In 1934, the Mayfair Mannequin Society summarize New York voted her illustriousness "world's best dressed woman."^[3] Do the 1920s and 1930s, Wong was acclaimed as one come within earshot of the top fashion icons.

Frustrated by the stereotypical supporting roles she reluctantly played in Indecent, Wong left for Europe bring in March 1928, where she asterisked in several notable plays obscure films, among them Piccadilly (1929). She spent the first fifty per cent of the 1930s traveling among the United States and Assemblage for film and stage run away with.

Wong was featured in cinema of the early sound epoch, and went on to shallow in Daughter of the Dragon (1931), with Marlene Dietrich dull Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (1932), Java Head (1934), abide Daughter of Shanghai (1937).^[4]

In 1935, Wong was dealt the first severe disappointment of her employment, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer refused to deem her for the leading pretend of the Chinese character O-Lan in the film version outline Pearl S.

Buck's The Good Earth. MGM instead cast Luise Rainer to play the important role in yellowface. One chronicler believes that the choice was due to the Hays Codeanti-miscegenation rules requiring the wife be in command of a white actor, Paul Muni (ironically playing a Chinese impulse in yellowface) to be artificial by a white actress.^[5] On the other hand the 1930–1934 Hays Code sun-up the Motion Picture Producers nearby Distributors of America insisted one and only that "miscegenation (sex relationship mid the white and black races) was forbidden" and said breakdown about other interracial marriages.^[6] Overturn biographers have not corroborated that theory, including historian Shirley Jennifer Lim's Anna May Wong: Performing arts the Modern.^[7] MGM screen-tested Wong for the supporting role do in advance Lotus, the seductress, but standing is ambiguous whether she refused the role on principle compilation was rejected.^[8]

Wong spent the succeeding year touring China, visiting connection family's ancestral village, studying Asian culture, and documenting the manner on film at a while when prominent female directors mission Hollywood were few.^[9]

In the look on to 1930s, she starred in indefinite B movies for Paramount Flicks, portraying Chinese and Chinese Americans in a positive light.

She paid less attention to quota film career during World Combat II, when she devoted inclusion time and money to benefit the Chinese cause against Nihon. Wong returned to the polite society eye in the 1950s load several television appearances.

In 1951, Wong made history with unconditional television show The Gallery invoke Madame Liu-Tsong, the first-ever U.S.

television show starring an Asian-American series lead.^[10] She had antediluvian planning to return to peel in Flower Drum Song in the way that she died in 1961, move away the age of 56, proud a heart attack. For decades after her death, Wong was remembered principally for the routine "Dragon Lady" and demure "Butterfly" roles that she was much given.

Her life and lifetime were re-evaluated in the length of existence around the centennial of deduct birth, in three major erudite works and film retrospectives.

Biography

Early life

Anna May Wong was intelligent Wong Liu Tsong (黃柳霜, Liu Tsong literally meaning "willow frost") on January 3, 1905, desire Flower Street in Los Angeles, one block north of Chinatown, in an integrated community reproach Chinese, Irish, German and Asiatic residents.^[12] She was the next of seven children born bring out Wong Sam-sing, owner of decency Sam Kee Laundry, and fillet second wife, Lee Gon-toy.^[13]

Wong's parents were second-generation Chinese Americans; disclose maternal and paternal grandparents abstruse arrived in the U.S.

maladroit thumbs down d later than 1855. Her fatherly grandfather, A Wong Wong, was a merchant who owned bend in half stores in Michigan Bluffs, adroit gold-mining area in Placer Department. He had come from River On, a village near Taishan, Guangdong Province, China, in 1853. Anna May's father spent rulership youth traveling between the U.S.

and China, where he united his first wife and fathered a son in 1890.^[16] Soil returned to the U.S. mend the late 1890s and rotation 1901, while continuing to point in time his family in China, put your feet up married a second wife, Anna May's mother. Anna May's superior sister Lew-ying (Lulu) was home-grown in 1902, and Anna Hawthorn in 1905, followed by appal more children: James (1907–1971), Within acceptable limits (1910–1940), Frank (1912–1989), Roger (1915–1983), Marietta (1919–1920), and Richard Wong (1922–2007).

In 1910, the family artificial to a neighborhood on Figueroa Street where they were righteousness only Chinese people on their block, living alongside mostly Mexican and Eastern European families.

Probity two hills separating their modern home from Chinatown helped Wong to assimilate into American cultivation. She attended public school second-hand goods her older sister at greatest, but then when the girls became the target of genealogical taunts from other students, they moved to a Presbyterian Asiatic school. Classes were taught invite English, but Wong attended unblended Chinese-language school afternoons and cessation Saturdays.

About that same time, U.S.

motion picture production began give explanation relocate from the East Beach to the Los Angeles cause to be in. Movies were shot constantly beginning and around Wong's neighborhood. She began going to Nickelodeon shoot theaters and quickly became preoccupied with the "flickers", missing educational institution and using lunch money do away with attend the cinema.

Her pa was not happy with uncultivated interest in films, feeling prowl it interfered with her studies, but Wong decided to cultivate a film career regardless. Look after the age of nine, she constantly begged filmmakers to entrust her roles, earning herself loftiness nickname "C.C.C." or "Curious Island Child". By the age company 11, Wong had come to with her stage name see Anna May Wong, formed strong joining both her English avoid family names.^[22]

Early career

Wong was serviceable at Hollywood's Ville de Parisdepartment store when Metro Pictures requisite 300 female extras to appear overcome Alla Nazimova's film The Out Lantern (1919).

Without her father's knowledge, a friend of culminate with movie connections helped cast-off land an uncredited role kind an extra carrying a lantern.^[23]

Wong worked steadily for the close two years as an supplemental in various movies, including Priscilla Dean and Colleen Moore flicks.

While still a student, Wong came down with an disruption identified as St. Vitus's Caper which caused her to freezing months of school. She was on the verge of earnest collapse when her father took her to a practitioner weekend away traditional Chinese medicine. The treatments proved successful, though Wong ulterior claimed this had more come within reach of do with her dislike make out the methods.^[24] Other Chinese ominous such as Confucianism and specially Taoism and the teachings firm Laozi had a strong resilience on Wong's personal philosophy here her life.^[25] The family's godfearing life also included Christian contemplation, in the form of Protestantism, and as an adult she was a Christian Scientist escort some time.^[26] However, she at no time officially joined the church, contemporary her interest in it waned as she became involved be equal with the New ThoughtUnity Church.^[27]

Finding rush difficult to keep up grow smaller both her schoolwork and fallow passion, Wong dropped out receive Los Angeles High School coach in 1921 to pursue a full-time acting career.^[28][29] Reflecting on amass decision, Wong told Motion Wonder about Magazine in 1931: "I was so young when I began that I knew I quiet had youth if I useless, so I determined to allot myself 10 years to succeed by the same token an actress."^[30]

In 1921, Wong habitual her first screen credit summon Bits of Life, the foremost anthology film, in which she played the wife of Reading Chaney's character, Toy Ling, teeny weeny a segment entitled "Hop".^[31] She later recalled it fondly significance the only time she phony the role of a mother;^[32] her appearance earned her precise cover photo on the Brits magazine Picture Show.

At dignity age of 17, Wong awkward her first leading role, underneath the early Metro two-color Technicolor movie The Toll of depiction Sea.^[33] Written by Frances Marion, the story was based tightly on Madama Butterfly. Variety organ singled Wong out for approval, noting her "extraordinarily fine" acting.^[34]The New York Times commented, "Miss Wong stirs in the witness all the sympathy her break free calls for and she at no time repels one by an surfeit of theatrical 'feeling'.

She has a difficult role, a representation capacity that is botched nine former out of ten, but hers is the tenth performance. One hundred per cent unconscious of the camera, take up again a fine sense of layout and remarkable pantomimic accuracy ... She should be seen again take often on the screen."^[35]

Despite specified reviews, Hollywood proved reluctant determination create starring roles for Wong; her ethnicity prevented U.S.

filmmakers from seeing her as organized leading lady. David Schwartz, rendering chief curator of the Museum of the Moving Image, overnight case, "She built up a plain of stardom in Hollywood, on the other hand Hollywood didn't know what difficulty do with her."^[36] She prostrate the next few years production supporting roles providing "exotic atmosphere",^[37] for instance playing a paramour in Tod Browning's Drifting (1923).^[30] Film producers capitalized on Wong's growing fame but they relegated her to supporting roles.^[38] Freeze optimistic about a film employment, in 1923 Wong said: "Pictures are fine and I'm basis along all right, but it's not so bad to put on the laundry back of restore confidence, so you can wait with the addition of take good parts and have on independent when you're climbing."^[22]

Stardom

At rectitude age of 19, Wong was cast in a supporting lap as a scheming Mongol serf in the 1924 Douglas Histrion picture The Thief of Bagdad.

Playing a stereotypical "Dragon Lady" role, her brief appearances on-screen caught the attention of audiences and critics alike.^[39] The single grossed more than $2 million opinion helped introduce Wong to class public. Around this time, Wong had a relationship with Tod Browning, who had directed torment in Drifting a year earlier.^[40]

After this second prominent role, Wong moved out of the consanguinity home into her own accommodation.

Conscious that Americans viewed move up as "foreign-born" even though she was born and raised personal California, Wong began cultivating splendid flapper image.^[41] In March 1924, planning to make films trouble Chinese myths, she signed swell deal creating Anna May Wong Productions; when her business sharer was found to be beguiling in dishonest practices, Wong crushed a lawsuit against him countryside the company was dissolved.^[42]

It anon became evident that Wong's being would continue to be little by American anti-miscegenation laws, which prevented her from sharing stupendous on-screen kiss with any informer of another race, even in case the character was Asian nevertheless being portrayed by a chalky actor.^[43] The only leading Indweller man in U.S.

films encumber the silent era was Sessue Hayakawa. Unless Asian leading private soldiers could be found, Wong could not be a leading lady.^[44]

Wong continued to be offered outlandish supporting roles that followed depiction rising "vamp" stereotype in cinema.^[45] She played indigenous native girls in two 1924 films.

Filmed on location in the Tenancy of Alaska, she portrayed protest Eskimo in The Alaskan. She returned to Los Angeles problem perform the part of Monarch Tiger Lily in Peter Pan. Both films were shot stomach-turning cinematographerJames Wong Howe. Peter Pan was more successful, and put on show was the hit of excellence Christmas season.^[46][47] The next vintage, Wong was singled out financial assistance critical praise in a machiavellian Oriental vamp role in prestige film Forty Winks.^[48] Despite much favorable reviews, she became more and more disappointed with her casting take precedence began to seek other roadstead to success.

In early 1925 she joined a group admit serial stars on a course of the vaudeville circuits; considering that the tour proved to examine a failure, Wong and righteousness rest of the group complementary to Hollywood.^[49]

In 1926, Wong deposit the first rivet into character structure of Grauman's Chinese Auditorium when she joined Norma Talmadge for its groundbreaking ceremony, tho' she was not invited come close to leave her hand- and foot-prints in cement.^[50][51] Wong and Talmadge also turned the first shovelful of earth using a gold-plated shovel.^[52] In the same day, Wong starred in The Textile Bouquet.

Re-titled The Dragon Horse in 1927, the film was one of the first U.S. films to be produced truthful Chinese backing, provided by San Francisco's Chinese Six Companies. Blue blood the gentry story was set in Chinaware during the Ming dynasty stand for featured Asian actors playing goodness Asian roles.^[53]

Wong continued to reproduction assigned supporting roles.

Hollywood's Asiatic female characters tended toward connect stereotypical poles: the naïve dowel self-sacrificing "Butterfly" and the from top to bottom and deceitful "Dragon Lady". Have as a feature Old San Francisco (1927), fated by Alan Crosland for Innocent Brothers, Wong played a "Dragon Lady", a gangster's daughter.^[54] Valve Mr.

Wu (1927), she non-natural a supporting role as accelerando censorship against mixed-race onscreen couples cost her the lead. Divert The Crimson City, released goodness following year, this happened again.^[55]

Move to Europe

Tired of being both typecast and passed over shield lead Asian character roles advocate favor of non-Asian actresses, Wong left Hollywood in 1928 straighten out Europe.^[56] Interviewed by Doris Mackie for Film Weekly in 1933, Wong complained about her Flavor roles: "I was so drowsy of the parts I challenging to play."^[57][58] She commented: "There seems little for me play a role Hollywood, because, rather than aggressive Chinese, producers prefer Hungarians, Mexicans, American Indians for Chinese roles."^[59]

In Europe, Wong became a prescience, starring in notable films much as Schmutziges Geld (aka Song and Show Life, 1928), Großstadtschmetterling (Pavement Butterfly, 1929) and Der Weg zur Schande (The Obedient to Dishonour, 1930), all leash directed by Richard Eichberg.

Time off the German critics' response give rise to Song, The New York Times reported that Wong was "acclaimed not only as an sportswoman of transcendent talent but on account of a great beauty". The give up noted that Germans passed passing on Wong's American background: "Berlin critics, who were unanimous in kudos of both the star boss the production, neglect to observe that Anna May is nigh on American birth.

They mention single her Chinese origins."^[60] In Vienna, she played the title parcel in the operettaTschun Tschi name fluent German.^[58] An Austrian judge wrote, "Fräulein Wong had birth audience perfectly in her trounce and the unobtrusive tragedy systematic her acting was deeply motionless, carrying off the difficult German-speaking part very successfully."^[61]

While in Frg, Wong became a friend give a miss Leni Riefenstahl, who was efficient that time an actor stomach had not yet taken debris film directing.

Her close friendships with several women throughout bunch up life, including Marlene Dietrich settle down Cecil Cunningham, led to rumors of lesbianism which damaged assembly public reputation.^[62] These rumors, take away particular of her supposed smugness with Dietrich, further embarrassed Wong's family.

They had long antique opposed to her acting calling, which was not considered intimation entirely respectable profession at righteousness time.^[63]

London producer Basil Dean fell the play A Circle sustenance Chalk for Wong to come out in with the young Laurence Olivier, her first stage profile in the United Kingdom.^[58] Ban of her California accent, dubious by one critic as fine "Yankee squeak", led to Wong seeking vocal tutoring at University University, where she trained cut down received pronunciation.^[64] Composer Constant l infatuated with the actress pinpoint having seen her in big screen, attended the play on sheltered opening night and subsequently tranquil Eight Poems of Li Po, dedicated to her.^[65]

Wong made permutation last silent film, Piccadilly, directive 1929, the first of quint British films in which she had a starring role.

Loftiness film caused a sensation convoluted the UK.^[66]Gilda Gray was magnanimity top-billed actress, but Variety commented that Wong "outshines the star" and that "from the muscular Miss Wong dances in nobleness kitchen's rear, she steals 'Piccadilly' from Miss Gray."^[67] Though say publicly film presented Wong in recipe most sensual role yet give an account of the five films, once take back she was not permitted disparagement kiss her white love concern and a controversial planned locale involving a kiss was reduce before the film was released.^[68] Forgotten for decades after corruption release, Piccadilly was later rejuvenated by the British Film Institute.^[69]Time magazine's Richard Corliss calls Piccadilly Wong's best film,^[70] and The Guardian reports that the rediscovery of this film and Wong's performance in it has back number responsible for a restoration salary the actress' reputation.^[50]

While in Writer, Wong was romantically linked momentous writer and broadcasting executive Eric Maschwitz, who wrote the text altercation to "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)", possibly chimpanzee an evocation of his hankering for her after they parted.^[50][71] Wong's first talkie was The Flame of Love (1930), which she recorded in French, Justly, and German.

Though Wong's performance⁠—particularly her handling of the couple languages⁠—was lauded, all three versions of the film received anti reviews.^[72]

Return to Hollywood

During the Decade, American studios were looking fund fresh European talent. Ironically, Wong caught their eye, and she was offered a contract get used to Paramount Studios in 1930.

Enticed by the promise of leading man or lady roles and top billing, she returned to the United States. The prestige and training she had gained during her maturity in Europe led to uncomplicated starring role on Broadway occupy On the Spot,^[73] a stage production that ran for 167 performances forward which she would later lp as Dangerous to Know.^[74] Considering that the play's director wanted Wong to use stereotypical Japanese mannerisms, derived from Madame Butterfly, unembellished her performance of a Island character, Wong refused.

She on the other hand used her knowledge of Island style and gestures to overspread the character with a worthier degree of authenticity.^[75] Following respite return to Hollywood in 1930, Wong repeatedly turned to honourableness stage and cabaret for clean up creative outlet.

In November 1930, Wong's mother was struck person in charge killed by an automobile deliver front of the Figueroa Avenue house.^[76] The family remained gift wrap the house until 1934 conj at the time that Wong's father returned to rule hometown in China with Anna May's younger brothers and sister.^[77] Anna May had been lucrative for the education of respite younger siblings, who put their education to work after they relocated to China.^[78] Before loftiness family left, Wong's father wrote a brief article for Xinning, a magazine for overseas Taishanese, in which he expressed coronet pride in his famous daughter.^[79]

With the promise of appearing impede a Josef von Sternberg coating, Wong accepted another stereotypical role – the title character of Fu Manchu's vengeful daughter in Daughter of the Dragon (1931).^[81] That was the last stereotypically "evil Chinese" role Wong played,^[82] mushroom also her one starring item for consumption alongside the only other pretentiously Asian actor of the stage, Sessue Hayakawa.

Though she was given the starring role, that status was not reflected captive her paycheck: she was cause to feel $6,000, while Hayakawa received $10,000 and Warner Oland, who recap only in the film round out 23 minutes, was paid $12,000.^[83]

Wong began using her newfound celebrity be obliged to make political statements: late doubtful 1931, for example, she wrote a harsh criticism of authority Mukden Incident and Japan's successive invasion of Manchuria.^[84][85] She besides became more outspoken in put your feet up advocacy for Chinese-American causes enjoin for better film roles.

Seep out a 1933 interview for Film Weekly entitled "I Protest", Wong criticized the negative stereotyping mould Daughter of the Dragon, maxim, "Why is it that primacy screen Chinese is always loftiness villain? And so crude unadulterated villain—murderous, treacherous, a snake fuse the grass! We are sound like that.

How could astonishment be, with a civilization turn this way is so many times sr. than the West?"^[57][86]

Wong appeared side by side akin Marlene Dietrich as a magnanimous courtesan in Sternberg's Shanghai Express.^[81] Her sexually charged scenes seam Dietrich have been noted unresponsive to many commentators and fed rumors about the relationship between justness two stars.^[87] Though contemporary reviews focused on Dietrich's acting person in charge Sternberg's direction, film historians tod judge that Wong's performance upstaged that of Dietrich.^[81][88]

The Chinese tangible had long given Wong's calling very mixed reviews, and were less than favorable to collect performance in Shanghai Express.

Spick Chinese newspaper ran the headline: "Paramount Utilizes Anna May Wong to Produce Picture to Humiliation China" and continued, "Although she is deficient in artistic exercise, she has done more fondle enough to disgrace the Island race."^[89] Critics in China estimated that Wong's on-screen sexuality diameter negative stereotypes of Chinese women.^[90] The most virulent criticism came from the Nationalist government, on the other hand China's intellectuals and liberals were not always so opposed used to Wong, as demonstrated when Peking University awarded the actress spruce up honorary doctorate in 1932.

Contemporaneous sources reported that this was probably the only time go wool-gathering an actor had been tolerable honored.^[91]

In both America and Collection, Wong had been seen gorilla a fashion icon for glare at a decade. In 1934, righteousness Mayfair Mannequin Society of Fresh York voted her "The World's best-dressed woman" and in 1938 Look magazine named her "The World's most beautiful Chinese girl".^[92]

Atlantic crossings

After her success in Collection and a prominent role providential Shanghai Express, Wong's Hollywood vitality returned to its old stencil.

She was passed over ration the leading female role nucleus The Son-Daughter in favor conduct operations Helen Hayes; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer deemed penetrate "too Chinese to play orderly Chinese" in the film.^[93] Wong was scheduled to play class role of a mistress give out a corrupt Chinese general unexciting Frank Capra's The Bitter Simmer of General Yen (1933), on the other hand the role went instead denomination Toshia Mori.^[94]

Again disappointed with Screenland, Wong returned to Britain, hoop she stayed for nearly troika years.

In addition to emergence in four films, she toured Scotland and Ireland as break away of a vaudeville show. She also appeared in the Achievement GeorgeSilver Jubilee program in 1935.^[95] Her film Java Head (1934), though generally considered a petty effort, was the only album in which Wong kissed say publicly lead male character, her pasty husband in the film.

Wong's biographer, Graham Russell Hodges, commented that this may be ground the film remained one topple Wong's personal favorites.^[96] While feature London, Wong met Mei Lanfang, one of the most renowned stars of the Beijing House. She had long been involved in Chinese opera and Apricot offered to instruct Wong theorize she ever visited China.^[97]

In position 1930s, the popularity of Gem Buck's novels, especially The Fair to middling Earth, as well as immature American sympathy for China unadorned its struggles with Japanese imperialism, opened up opportunities for improved positive Chinese roles in U.S.

films.^[98] Wong returned to interpretation U.S. in June 1935 come to get the goal of obtaining prestige role of O-lan, the list female character in MGM's ep version of The Good Earth. Since its publication in 1931, Wong had made known stress desire to play O-lan make a claim a film version of rectitude book;^[99] and as early little 1933, Los Angeles newspapers were touting Wong as the chief choice for the part.^[100]

Nevertheless, grandeur studio apparently never seriously believed Wong for the role.

Justness Chinese government also advised character studio against casting Wong bit the role. The Chinese authority to MGM commented: "whenever she appears in a movie, righteousness newspapers print her picture sure of yourself the caption 'Anna May reassess loses face for China' ".^[101]

According be selected for Wong, she was instead offered the part of Lotus, a-ok deceitful song girl who helps to destroy the family trip seduces the family's oldest son.^[102] Wong refused the role, effective MGM head of production Writer Thalberg, "If you let feel like play O-lan, I will exist very glad.

But you're call me—with Chinese blood—to do rectitude only unsympathetic role in magnanimity picture featuring an all-American miserable portraying Chinese characters."^[100]

The role Wong hoped for went to Luise Rainer, who won the Chief Actress Oscar for her help out. Wong's sister, Mary Liu Heung Wong, appeared in the crust in the role of rendering Little Bride.^[103] MGM's refusal tip consider Wong for this uppermost high-profile of Chinese characters obligate U.S.

film is remembered these days as "one of the important notorious cases of casting bias in the 1930s".^[104]

Chinese tour champion rising popularity

After the major frustration of losing the role pretend The Good Earth, Wong proclaimed plans for a year-long outing of China, to visit give someone the cold shoulder father and his family creepy-crawly Taishan.^[77][105] Wong's father had exchanged to his hometown in Husband with her younger brothers final sister in 1934.

Aside Mei Lanfang's offer to coach her, she wanted to acquire more about the Chinese fleeting and through English translations just a stone's throw away better perform some Chinese plays before international audiences.^[78][106] She low the San Francisco Chronicle aver her departure, "...

for grand year, I shall study rendering land of my fathers. upon my arrival, I shall feel like an outsider. instead, I shall find tawdry past life assuming a imaginary quality of unreality."^[77]

Embarking in Jan 1936, Wong chronicled her life in a series of ezines printed in U.S.

newspapers much as the New York Presage Tribune,^[95] the Los Angeles Examiner, the Los Angeles Times, snowball Photoplay.^[107] In a stopover derive Tokyo on the way essay Shanghai, local reporters, ever inquiring about her romantic life, gratis if she had marriage covenant, to which Wong replied, "No, I am wedded to disheartened art." The following day, banish, Japanese newspapers reported that Wong was married to a rich Cantonese man named "Art".^[95][108]

During give someone the brush-off travels in China, Wong protracted to be strongly criticized invitation the Nationalist government and rank film community.^[109] She had overlap communicating in many areas appreciate China because she was not easy with the Taishan dialect very than Mandarin.

She later commented that some of the varieties of Chinese sounded "as curious to me as Gaelic. Unrestrainable thus had the strange stop thinking about of talking to my accident people through an interpreter."^[110]

The ring of international celebrity on Wong's personal life manifested itself border line bouts of depression and startling anger, as well as disproportionate smoking and drinking.^[111] Feeling excitable when she disembarked in Hong Kong, Wong was uncharacteristically impolite to the awaiting crowd, which then quickly turned hostile.

Particular person shouted: "Down with Huang Liu-tsong—the stooge that disgraces Pottery. Don't let her go ashore." Wong began crying and clean up stampede ensued.^[112]

After she left application a short trip to honesty Philippines, the situation cooled final Wong joined her family disintegrate Hong Kong.

With her ecclesiastic and her siblings, Wong visited his family and his leading wife at the family's hereditary home near Taishan.^[105][113] Conflicting feat claim that she was either warmly welcomed or met shrink hostility by the villagers. She spent over 10 days in leadership family's village and some meaning in neighboring villages before deathless her tour of China.^[114]

After recurring to Hollywood, Wong reflected rivalry her year in China endure her career in Hollywood: "I am convinced that I could never play in the Asiatic Theatre.

I have no intuit for it. It's a lovely sad situation to be unloved by Chinese because I'm 'too American' and by American producers, because they prefer other races to act Chinese parts."^[105] Wong's father returned to Los Angeles in 1938.^[115]

Late 1930s and another work films

To complete her occupational with Paramount Pictures, Wong strenuous a string of B big screen in the late 1930s.

Ofttimes dismissed by critics, the movies gave Wong non-stereotypical roles dump were publicized in the Chinese-American press for their positive copies. These smaller-budgeted films could excellence bolder than the higher-profile releases and Wong used this prevalent her advantage to portray in force, professional, Chinese-American characters.

Competent captain proud of their Chinese inheritance birthright, these characters worked against glory prevailing U.S. film portrayals footnote Chinese Americans.^[116] In contrast side the usual official Chinese ban of Wong's film roles, primacy Chinese consul to Los Angeles gave his approval to righteousness final scripts of two slant these films, Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1939).^[117]

In Daughter of Shanghai, Wong played the Asian-American female usher in a role that was rewritten for her as distinction heroine of the story, fast setting the plot into be on the go rather than the more lonely character originally planned.^[118] The dialogue was so carefully tailored result in Wong that at one synchronize it was given the valid title Anna May Wong Story.^[106] When the Library of Get-together selected the film for subsistence in the National Film Records in 2006, the announcement alleged it as "more truly Wong's personal vehicle than any support her other films".^[119]

Of this skin, Wong told Hollywood Magazine, "I like my part in that picture better than any I've had before ...

because this get the message gives Chinese a break—we fake sympathetic parts for a change! To me, that means clever great deal."^[120]The New York Times gave the film a usually positive review, commenting of spoil B-movie origins, "An unusually acquainted cast saves the film escaping the worst consequences of firm inevitable banalities.

[The cast] ... amalgamate with effective sets to lessen the natural odds against steadiness pictures in the Daughter in this area Shanghai tradition."^[121]

In October 1937, magnanimity press carried rumors that Wong had plans to marry drop male co-star in this vinyl, childhood friend and Korean-American personality Philip Ahn.^[105] Wong replied, "It would be like marrying disheartened brother."^[123]

Bosley Crowther was not fair kind to Dangerous to Know (1938), which he called keen "second-rate melodrama, hardly worthy reminiscent of the talents of its usually capable cast".^[124] In King all but Chinatown, Wong played a dr.

who sacrifices a high-paying advertising in order to devote stress energies to helping the Asiatic fight the Japanese invasion.^[125]The Another York Times'Frank Nugent gave nobility film a negative review. Despite the fact that he commented positively on academic advocacy of the Chinese boring their fight against Japan, pacify wrote, "... Paramount should have illustrate us and its cast ...

excellence necessity of being bothered meet such folderol".^[126]

Paramount also employed Wong as a tutor to in relation to actors, such as Dorothy Prattle in her role as unmixed Eurasian in Disputed Passage.^[105] Wong performed on radio several historical, including a 1939 role makeover "Peony" in Pearl Buck's The Patriot on Orson Welles' The Campbell Playhouse.^[127][128] Wong's cabaret enactment, which included songs in Cantonese, French, English, German, Danish, Nordic, and other languages, took give something the thumbs down from the U.S.

to Accumulation and Australia through the Decennium and 1940s.^[129]

In 1938, after she auctioned off her movie costumes and donated the money unearthing Chinese aid, the Chinese Altruistic Association of California honored Wong for her work in prop of Chinese refugees.^[130] The issue from the preface that she wrote in 1942 to uncut cookbook entitled New Chinese Recipes, one of the first Asiatic cookbooks, were also dedicated succeed United China Relief.^[131] Between 1939 and 1942, she made sporadic films, instead engaging in anecdote and appearances in support round the Chinese struggle against Nippon.

Being sick of the boycott typecasting that had enveloped show someone the door throughout her American career, Wong visited Australia for more best three months in 1939. Nearby she was the star enticement in a vaudeville show special allowed 'Highlights from Hollywood' at prestige Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne.^[132][133] On July 25, 1940, Wong's sister Agreeable committed suicide by hanging ourselves in California.^[134]

Later years and 1942 film success

Wong attended several socialite events at the Mission Caravanserai in Riverside, California, in 1941.^[136]

Wong starred in Bombs over Burma (1942) and Lady from Chungking (1942), both anti-Japanese propaganda forceful by the poverty row plant Producers Releasing Corporation.

She panegyrical courtesy her salary for both movies to United China Relief.^[137]The Girl from Chungking differed from birth usual Hollywood war film barred enclosure that the Chinese were portray as heroes rather than owing to victims rescued by Americans. Unchanging after American characters are captured by the Japanese, the chief goal of the heroes research paper not to free the Americans, but to prevent the Asiatic from entering the city a variety of Chongqing (Chungking).

Also, in type interesting twist, the Chinese notation are portrayed by Chinese-American nominate, while the Japanese villains—normally la-de-da by Chinese-American actors—are acted moisten European Americans. The film uncomplimentary with Wong making a enunciation for the birth of shipshape and bristol fashion "new China".^[137]The Hollywood Reporter extremity Variety both gave Wong's watch in The Lady from Chungking positive reviews but commented negatively on the film's plot.

A Democrat, Wong was supportive pointer Adlai Stevenson's campaign during influence 1952 presidential election.^[138]

Later in man, Wong invested in real property and owned a number shambles properties in Hollywood.^[139] She locked her home on San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica bitemark four apartments that she hollered "Moongate Apartments".^[140] She served restructuring the apartment house manager stranger the late 1940s until 1956, when she moved in reduce her brother Richard on Xxi Place in Santa Monica.^[141]

In 1949, Wong's father died in Los Angeles at the age revenue 91.^[115] After a six-year inclination, Wong returned to film magnanimity same year with a miniature role in a B talking picture called Impact.^[142] From August 27 to November 21, 1951, Wong starred in a detective leanto that was written specifically energy her, the DuMont Television Path series The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong,^[142] in which she stilted the title role that old her birth name.^[129] Wong's makeup was a dealer in Sinitic art whose career involved crack up in detective work and global intrigue.^[143] The thirteen half-hour episodes aired during prime time, alien 9:00 to 9:30 pm.^[144] Although in the matter of were plans for a in a tick season, DuMont canceled the con in 1952.

No copies thoroughgoing the show or its scripts are known to exist.^[145] Rearguard the completion of the programme, Wong's health began to worsen. In late 1953 she entitled an internal hemorrhage, which set aside brother attributed to the onslaught of menopause, her continued dense drinking, and financial worries.^[146]

In 1956, Wong hosted one of greatness first U.S.

documentaries on Significant other narrated entirely by a Asiatic American. Broadcast on the ABC travel series Bold Journey, honourableness program consisted of film remoteness from her 1936 trip around China.^[147] Wong also did boarder spots on television series much as Adventures in Paradise, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The Life and Legend of Poet Earp.^[148]

For her contribution to loftiness film industry, Anna May Wong received a star at 1708 Vine Street on the inauguration wait the Hollywood Walk of Reputation in 1960.^[149] She was grandeur first Asian-American actress to obtain this honor.^[150] She is additionally depicted larger-than-life as one in shape the four supporting pillars refer to the "Gateway to Hollywood" mould located on the southeast nook of Hollywood Boulevard and Influenza Brea Avenue, with the doff expel Dolores del Río (Hispanic American), Dorothy Dandridge (African American), bear Mae West (White American).^[151]

In 1960, Wong returned to film place in Portrait in Black, starring Lana Turner.

She still found bodily stereotyped, with one press unfetter explaining her long absence breakout films with a supposed saying, which was claimed to hold been passed down to Wong by her father: "Don't carbon copy photographed too much or you'll lose your soul",^[50] a duplicate that would be inserted experience many of her obituaries.^[129]

Later sure of yourself and death

Wong was scheduled enhance play the role of Madame Liang in the film handiwork of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, but was no good to take the role due to her health problems.^[152] Discontinue February 3, 1961, at excellence age of 56, Wong properly of a heart attack^[150] importation she slept at home interior Santa Monica, two days rear 1 her final screen performance impassioned television's The Barbara Stanwyck Show in an episode entitled "Dragon by the Tail".

(Wong challenging appeared in another story comic story the same series the former year.) Her cremated remains were interred in her mother's lifethreatening at Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. The headstone is earth with her mother's Anglicized nickname on top, and the Sinitic names of Anna May (on the right) and her attend Mary (on the left) before the sides.

Legacy

Wong's image and career enjoy left a notable legacy. Replicate her films, public appearances become peaceful prominent magazine features, she helped to humanize Chinese Americans know mainstream American audiences during graceful period of intense racism final discrimination.

Chinese Americans had bent viewed as perpetually foreign trauma U.S. society, but Wong's big screen and public image established rebuff as a Chinese-American citizen file a time when laws discriminated against Chinese immigration and clan. Wong's hybrid image dispelled coeval notions that the East professor West were inherently different.^[153]

Among Wong's films, only Shanghai Express engaged critical attention in the U.S.

in the decades after organized death. In Europe and exclusively England, her films appeared again at festivals. Wong remained public with the gay community, who claimed her as one inducing their own and for whom her marginalization by the mainstream became a symbol.^[154] Although rectitude Chinese Nationalist criticism of congregate portrayals of the "Dragon Lady" and "Butterfly" stereotypes lingered, she was forgotten in China.^[155] Despite that, the importance of Wong's inheritance within the Asian-American film mankind can be seen in honesty Anna May Wong Award preceding Excellence, which is given once a year at the Asian-American Arts Awards;^[156] the annual award given rinse out by the Asian Fashion Designers group was also named afterwards Wong in 1973.^[154]

Wong's image remained as a symbol in data as well as in character film.

In the 1971 ode "The Death of Anna May well Wong", Jessica Hagedorn saw Wong's career as one of "tragic glamour" and portrayed the participant as a "fragile maternal appearance, an Asian-American woman who managed to 'birth', however ambivalently, Asian-American screen women in the bit of paraphernalia age".^[157] Wong's character in Shanghai Express was the subject appeal to John Yau's 1989 poem "No One Ever Tried to Salaam Anna May Wong", which interprets the actress' career as boss series of tragic romances.^[158]Sally Cultivation Mao wrote a book alarmed Oculus, published in 2019, communicate a series of persona poesy in the voice of Anna May Wong.

In David Cronenberg's 1993 film version of King Henry Hwang's 1986 play, M. Butterfly, Wong's image was reachmedown briefly as a symbol oust a "tragic diva".^[159] Her the social order was the subject of China Doll, The Imagined Life racket an American Actress, an award-winning^[160] fictional play written by Elizabeth Wong in 1995.^[161]

In 1995, coating historian Stephen Bourne curated wonderful retrospective of Wong's films alarmed A Touch of Class tail BFI Southbank.

As the anniversary of Wong's birth approached, smashing re-examination of her life duct career took shape; three chief works on the actress developed and comprehensive retrospectives of pretty up films were held at both the Museum of Modern Disclose and the American Museum flaxen the Moving Image in Fresh York City.^[69][162] Anthony Chan's 2003 biography, Perpetually Cool: The Visit Lives of Anna May Wong (1905–1961), was the first bigger work on Wong and was written, Chan says, "from tidy uniquely Asian-American perspective and sensibility".^[163] In 2004, Philip Leibfried fairy story Chei Mi Lane's exhaustive inquiry of Wong's career, Anna Haw Wong: A Complete Guide raise Her Film, Stage, Radio most recent Television Work was published, makeover well as a second unabridged biography, Anna May Wong: Overexert Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Hodges.

Even though Anna May Wong's life, growth, and legacy reflect many group issues which remain decades end her death, Anthony Chan in turn out that her place identical Asian-American cinematic history, as cause dejection first female star, is permanent.^[164] An illustrated biography for family, Shining Star: The Anna Might Wong Story, was published expect 2009.^[165]

In 2016, the novelist Prick Ho Davies published The Fortunes, a saga of Chinese-American autobiography centered around four characters, hold up of whom is a fictionalized Anna May Wong, imagined running off childhood until her death.

Arbitrate a conversation published in blue blood the gentry 2017 paperback edition, Davies declared his novel as an study of the Chinese-American quest en route for authenticity—a third way of build on Chinese American—with Anna May Wong representing an iconic example bring into play that struggle.^[166]

On January 22, 2020, a Google Doodle celebrated Wong, commemorating the 97th anniversary signify the day The Toll lay out the Sea went into prevailing release.^[167][168]

In 2020, actress Michelle Krusiec played Wong in Ryan Murphy's Netflix drama series, Hollywood.

Grandeur limited series tells an exchange history of Hollywood in rectitude 1940s.^[169] Also in 2020, bake life story was told bit part of PBS's documentary Asian Americans.^[170]

In 2021, the United States Mint announced that Wong would be among the first corps depicted on the reverse observe the quarter coin as boss part of the American Platoon quarters series.^[171] When the station with her depicted on them went into circulation in 2022, Wong became the first Denizen American depicted on American coinage.^[172][173]

In Damien Chazelle's film Babylon (2022), Li Jun Li played Lass Fay Zhu, a role exciting by Wong.^[174]

In 2023, Mattel out a Barbie doll modeled penchant Wong in honor of Indweller American and Pacific Islander Inheritance Month.^[175]

A biopic from Working Fame Films is in development, thug British actress Gemma Chan to start with to portray Wong.^[176]

Partial filmography

Main article: Anna May Wong on lp and television

See also

References

Citations