Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend - Softcover

Hodges, Graham Russell Gao

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9888139630 ISBN 13: 9789888139637

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press, 2012

Synopsis

Anna May Wong was the best known Chinese American actress during Hollywood’s golden age, a free spirit and embodiment of the flapper era much like Louise Brooks. She starred in over fifty movies between 1919 and 1960, sharing the screen with such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Marlene Dietrich. Born in Los Angeles in 1905, Wong was the second daughter of six children born to a laundryman and his wife. Obsessed with film at a young age, she managed to secure a small part in a 1919 drama about the Boxer Rebellion. Her most famous film roles were in The Thief of Baghdad, Old San Francisco, and Shanghai Express opposite Dietrich. Despite these successes, instances of overt racism plagued Wong’s career. When it came time to make a film version of Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth, she was passed over for the German actress, Luise Rainer. In a narrative that recalls both the gritty life in Los Angeles’ working-class Chinese neighborhoods and the glamor of Hollywood at its peak, Graham Hodges recounts the life of this elegant, beautiful, and underappreciated screen legend.

About this title

Book Description

Anna May Wong was the most famous Chinese American actress during Hollywood's golden age. She starred in over fifty movies between 1919 and 1960, sharing the screen with luminaries like Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Marlene Dietrich. Born in Los Angeles in 1905, Wong was the second daughter of six children born to a laundryman and his wife. Obsessed with movies, she managed to secure her first part in a 1919 drama about the Boxer Rebellion. Her most famous film roles were in The Thief of Baghdad, Old San Francisco, and Shanghai Express opposite Dietrich. Despite these successes, Wong encountered many instances of overt racism. When it came time to make a film version of Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, she was passed over for a white actress. In a narrative that recalls both the gritty life in Los Angeles's working-class Chinese neighborhoods and the glamour of Hollywood at its peak, Hodges recounts the life of this elegant, beautiful, and underappreciated screen legend.

About the Author

Graham Russell Gao Hodges is the George Dorland Langdon, Jr. Professor of History and Africana Studies at Colgate University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hong Kong University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 9888139630
• ISBN 13: 9789888139637
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320