In this episode of Sexy Beijing, Su Fei explores the life of the sexiest Chinese American woman ever to grace the silver screen: Anna May Wong (黄柳霜).
Born to a Chinese laundryman’s family in 1905 in Los Angeles, she went on to become a Hollywood icon in a career that started in 1919 and went on till the 1960s.
Her career and personal life suffered because of California’s anti-miscegenation laws. It wasn’t much easier for her in China where she had a mixed reception: although she had plenty of fans, there were also many people who criticized her for bringing shame upon Chinese people in a way reminiscent of the treatment Zhang Ziyi sometimes gets at home, despite her popularity abroad.
Graham Russel Gao Hodges is the author of a recent book about her called Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend. This episode of Sexy Beijing is an interview by Su Fei with Professor Hodges.
The video below is also available on Danwei TV and on Tudou (中文字幕版) which may load faster in China.
You can buy Hodges’ book on Amazon: Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend. The book is also available at The Bookworm if you’re in Beijing.
A number of her films are available on DVD; you can buy them and a number of other books about her at this Amazon page. There is also more information, including a filmography, about Wong on IMDB.
Sexy Beijing is now on its own website: check the latest episodes at www.sexybeijing.tv