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Anna May Wong

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anna May Wong
Paramount publicity photo, c. 1935
Born
Wong Liu-tsong

(1905-01-03)January 3, 1905
DiedFebruary 3, 1961(1961-02-03) (aged 56)
OccupationActress
Years active1919–1961
Parent(s)Wong Sam-sing
Lee Gon-toy
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame – Motion Picture
1700 Vine Street
Anna May Wong
Traditional Chinese黃柳霜
Simplified Chinese黄柳霜
Portrait of Anna May Wong by Carl Van Vechten, 1932

Anna May Wong (born Wong Liu-tsong; January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961) was an American movie actress. She was the leading Chinese American Hollywood movie star of the pre-WWII era.[1]

She was the first Chinese American actress to get international recognition.[2] She worked on silent film, sound film, television, theatre, and radio.[3]

Wong's role as the daughter of Fu Manchu in Daughter of the Dragon was the last stereotypical role she played.

Wong played the title character of Fu Manchu's vengeful daughter in Daughter of the Dragon (1931).[4] Though she was given the starring role, this status was not reflected in her paycheck: she was paid $6,000, while the male lead Hayakawa got $10,000. Warner Oland, who was only in the film for 23 minutes, was paid $12,000.[5]

Wong began using her newfound celebrity to make political statements: late in 1931, for example, she wrote a harsh criticism of the Mukden Incident and Japan's invasion of Manchuria.[6]

The Anna May Wong Award of Excellence is given yearly at the Asian-American Arts Awards;[7] the annual award given out by the Asian Fashion Designers group was also named after Wong in 1973.[8]

References

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  1. Chan, Anthony B. 2003. Perpetually cool: the many lives of Anna May Wong (1905–1961). Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4789-2, p. xi.
  2. Gan, Geraldine 1995. Anna May Wong. Lives of notable Asian Americans: arts, entertainment, sports. New York: Chelsea House. pp. 83–91. ISBN 978-0-7910-2188-0, p. 83.
  3. Wong, Elizabeth 2005. China doll, the imagined life of an American actress. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing. ISBN 1-58342-315-X
  4. Wollstein, Hans J 1999. Anna May Wong. Vixens, floozies, and molls: 28 Actresses of late 1920s and 1930s Hollywood. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0565-1 p253.
  5. Corliss, Richard (January 29, 2005). "Anna May Wong Did It Right". Time. Retrieved August 11, 2010. p. 4.
  6. Hodges, Graham Russell Gao (2012) [2004]. Anna May Wong : from laundryman's daughter to Hollywood legend. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-9882208902, p. 118.
  7. Chan 2003, p276.
  8. Hodges 2004, p232.