In today’s installment of Art Deco Hollywood, we bring you the incredible style and grace of 1920s icon Anna May Wong.
A beauty and talent by any standard, she was also the first Chinese American movie star, making her way in Hollywood (and internationally) in a world where she faced constant typecasting and discrimination, where she was prevented from becoming a true leading lady by the anti-miscegenation laws that prevented her from sharing an on-screen kiss with any non-Asian actor.
Tired of being both typecast and being passed over for lead Asian character roles in favor of non-Asian actresses, Wong left Hollywood in 1928 for Europe. Interviewed by Doris Mackie for Film Weekly in 1933, Wong complained about her Hollywood roles: “I was so tired of the parts I had to play.” She commented: “There seems little for me in Hollywood, because, rather than real Chinese, producers prefer Hungarians, Mexicans, American Indians for Chinese roles.
In Europe, Wong became a sensation, starring in notable films such as Schmutziges Geld (aka Song and Show Life, 1928) and Großstadtschmetterling (Pavement Butterfly). Of the German critics’ response to Song, The New York Times reported that Wong was “acclaimed not only as an actress of transcendent talent but as a great beauty”.
One more Anna fact (one that delighted me especially): in the mid 1930s her friend/admirer/lover, writer Eric Maschwitz, penned the words to the classic standard “These Foolish Things” after having to leave her in Hollywood and return to England. It’s one of my favorite songs, and a lovely tribute to an incredible woman.
You can, of course, see more details about her work at IMDB, or check out one of the books that has been written about her life and career.
One of the saddest thing about our move from records to tapes to CDs to digital is that so many great singers, songs and songwriters have gotten lost in the shuffle. Sure, you can find most things now with a quick Googling, an online swipe of the credit card, and voila! But as a music …
Mary Astor, born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke in 1906, was discovered at age 14 and became one of the true beauties of the silent era. Ultimately she also became one of the few silent stars who successfully made the transition to talkies. Despite the initial assessment that her voice was “too deep” for sound, she went …
Good evening deco lovers! Just a quick note: If The Artist has been released in your hometown, I hope you’ve seen it or are going to see it (it got limited release in the US last week). The incredible costumes and gorgeous art deco / 1920s set design would almost be enough for any fan …
Dolores Del Río was a silent screen star in the 1920s, a luminous icon of 1930s Hollywood, and then became one of Mexican film’s greatest stars. Born María de los Dolores Asúnsolo López-Negrete in 1904, she was one of the first and most beloved Latin American crossover stars in Hollywood. She had a torrid love affair …
Anna May Wong | Art Deco Hollywood
A beauty and talent by any standard, she was also the first Chinese American movie star, making her way in Hollywood (and internationally) in a world where she faced constant typecasting and discrimination, where she was prevented from becoming a true leading lady by the anti-miscegenation laws that prevented her from sharing an on-screen kiss with any non-Asian actor.
Tired of being both typecast and being passed over for lead Asian character roles in favor of non-Asian actresses, Wong left Hollywood in 1928 for Europe. Interviewed by Doris Mackie for Film Weekly in 1933, Wong complained about her Hollywood roles: “I was so tired of the parts I had to play.” She commented: “There seems little for me in Hollywood, because, rather than real Chinese, producers prefer Hungarians, Mexicans, American Indians for Chinese roles.
In Europe, Wong became a sensation, starring in notable films such as Schmutziges Geld (aka Song and Show Life, 1928) and Großstadtschmetterling (Pavement Butterfly). Of the German critics’ response to Song, The New York Times reported that Wong was “acclaimed not only as an actress of transcendent talent but as a great beauty”.
One more Anna fact (one that delighted me especially): in the mid 1930s her friend/admirer/lover, writer Eric Maschwitz, penned the words to the classic standard “These Foolish Things” after having to leave her in Hollywood and return to England. It’s one of my favorite songs, and a lovely tribute to an incredible woman.
You can, of course, see more details about her work at IMDB, or check out one of the books that has been written about her life and career.
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One of the saddest thing about our move from records to tapes to CDs to digital is that so many great singers, songs and songwriters have gotten lost in the shuffle. Sure, you can find most things now with a quick Googling, an online swipe of the credit card, and voila! But as a music …
Mary Astor | Vintage Hollywood
Mary Astor, born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke in 1906, was discovered at age 14 and became one of the true beauties of the silent era. Ultimately she also became one of the few silent stars who successfully made the transition to talkies. Despite the initial assessment that her voice was “too deep” for sound, she went …
Art Deco Hollywood || The Artist
Good evening deco lovers! Just a quick note: If The Artist has been released in your hometown, I hope you’ve seen it or are going to see it (it got limited release in the US last week). The incredible costumes and gorgeous art deco / 1920s set design would almost be enough for any fan …
Dolores Del Río | Art Deco Hollywood
Dolores Del Río was a silent screen star in the 1920s, a luminous icon of 1930s Hollywood, and then became one of Mexican film’s greatest stars. Born María de los Dolores Asúnsolo López-Negrete in 1904, she was one of the first and most beloved Latin American crossover stars in Hollywood. She had a torrid love affair …