Profile of Anna May Wong on Famous Like Me

Anna May Wong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961) was the first truly notable Chinese American Hollywood actress. Born Wong Liu Tsong (Chinese: 黃柳霜; pinyin: Huáng Liǔshuāng) in Los Angeles, California, a daughter of a laundryman, she began playing bit parts as a teenager. Her first role was in the silent film, The Red Lantern (1919) with Alla Nazimova, as an uncredited extra. Her ethnicity prevented her from getting choice parts, especially romantic ones due to the Hays Code anti-miscegenation rules. When MGM was casting for The Good Earth (1937), she was passed up for the lead female role of O-lan because Paul Muni, an actor of European descent, was to play Wang Lung, O-lan's husband. Even though Muni was to wear heavy make up to look Asian, industry regulations prevented her from playing romantic roles opposite actors of different ethnicity. Instead, the role Wong hoped for went to Luise Rainer.

Despite this discrimination, she had a number of significant film roles. Her first starring role was in The Toll of the Sea (1921). Anna May travelled throughout Europe, and was one of the leads in the British film Piccadilly (1929). In Java Head (1934) she starred opposite actor John Loder as a Chinese princess married to a 19th-century English gentleman. She also made films in German and French. In addition, she co-starred with Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express (1932) and with Lana Turner in Portrait in Black (1960), though she typically earned far less than her billing would indicate. For her work in Shanghai Express, she received $6,000 in comparison to Dietrich's more than $78,000. She toured extensively on the stage throughout Europe and the U.S., including opposite Vincent Price in Princess Turandot , a stage version of Giacomo Puccini's opera.

Wong never married, though reportedly was a mistress of film director Marshall Neilan, among others.

She died at 56 from a heart attack while battling liver cirrhosis in Santa Monica, California.

In 2003-2004, two biographies and a book on her career appeared.

Anna May Wong: A Complete Guide to Her Film, Stage, Radio and Television Work was written by Philip Leibfried and Chei Mi Lane.

For her contribution to the film industry, Anna May Wong was given a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1708 Vine Street.

She was a cousin of cinematographer James Wong Howe.

Partial filmography

• The Red Lantern (1919) uncredited
• The Toll of the Sea (1921) as Lotus Flower
• The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
• Peter Pan (1924) as Tiger Lily
• Piccadilly (1929) as Shosho
• Shanghai Express (1932) as Hui Fei
• A Study in Scarlet (1933)
• Dangerous to Know (1937)
• Daughter of Shanghai (1937)
• Impact (1949)
• Portrait In Black (1960)

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