Chinese Movie Database Blog

I went to Alice Lee’s play Dragon Lady: Being Anna May Wong at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play, written and performed by Alice Lee herself, tells the story of Anna May Wong, the first female Chinese star in Hollywood. The play made me think of Stanley Kwan’s Centre Stage (1991). It’s striking that after 80 years, the current generation of Chinese actors are still fighting the stereotypes of shadowy gangsters, Suzie Wong and exotic kungfu babes.

I met Alice afterwards, who told me the inspiration Anna May Wong gave her and how similiar the struggle she’s facing now. We also discussed the recent “slit-eyed” gesture controversy. Alice later wrote a comment article for the Guardian about the presence of Chinese characters in the western media.

In 1905, a little Chinese girl, Wong Liu Tsong, was born in America. In the 1930s, she became the first American Chinese film star to achieve international acclaim – as the exquisite Anna May Wong. Although she made over 60 movies and mesmerised audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, she is now largely forgotten. Renowned for stealing scenes from her fellow actors, Wong never ascended to the exalted positions achieved by her fellow actresses Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. More surprising still, most modern Chinese people have never heard of her. I can’t help but wonder: is the reason an innate human tendency to bury sad stories? Or is it because we do not want to stir up a storm by examining the issues and realising how little we have advanced?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS