Ep. 159 | Chinese-American Stars and Entertainers of Old Hollywood
In this episode, Laszlo focuses on the history of Chinese-Americans in the early years of Hollywood. The period will focus on the 1920s to the 1950s. During those years Asian-Americans had a rough time in Hollywood trying to break away from stereotypical roles.
American laws and attitudes stacked the deck against them but through their sacrifices and perseverance, they blazed the trail for today’s generation of Chinese-American movie, theater, and TV artists. This episode looks at the lives of Anna May Wong and Jadin Wong as a window into these times.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Anna May Wong | 黄柳霜 | 1905-1961 American actress of the early days of Hollywood |
| Arthur Dong | 曾奕田 | Documentary film maker, founder of Deep Focus Productions |
| Bai Ling | 白灵 | Actress who was also a client of Jadin Wong |
| Barbara Jean Wong | - | The Chinese Shirley Temple |
| Benson Fong | 邝炳雄 | Famous for many roles and for his Ah Fong’s restaurants |
| Bessie Loo | - | Early Hollywood agent who specialized in roles for Asian American artists |
| Bok Kai Temple | 北溪庙 | Temple in Marysville, CA |
| Chai Hong | - | The Chinese Chaplin |
| Chang On | 长安 | Anna May Wong’s father’s ancestral village |
| Charlie Low | - | He built the Forbidden City nightclub in San Francisco |
| Coby Yee | - | Entertainer and later owner of the Forbidden City |
| David Henry Hwang | 黄哲伦 | Multi-talented artist best known for his play and film M. Butterfly |
| Dorothy Fong Toy | - | known as The Chinese Ginger Rogers |
| Esther Eng | 伍锦霞 | Producer, Director of Chinese language films in the US |
| Haing S. Ngor | 吴汉润 | Winner of the 1985 Oscar for Best Supporting actor for his unforgettable performance in the Killing Fields, gunned down in Chinatown in 1996. |
| Jadin Wong | 黄玉美 | Chinese American entertainer and later agent |
| James B. Leong | - | Chinese American actor between 1923-1960, directed Lotus Blossom in 1921 |
| James Hong | 吴汉章 | One of the best known faces in Hollywood in over 500 roles on TV and in the movies. Played Lo Pan in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China and Kahn, the butler in Chinatown |
| James Wong Howe | 黄宗霑 | The immortal Hollywood cinematographer. Did over 130 films. Famous for Deep Focus cinematography. Nominated for ten Oscars, won two. His own life was like a movie |
| Joan Chen | 陈冲 | Actress who played in many roles in the 80’s and 90’s |
| John Lone | 尊龙 | Actor who played Pu Yi in Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor |
| Joseph Sunn Jue | - | The Darryl Zanuck of Chinatown, director and producer |
| Kam Fong | - | Most famous for his role as Chin Ho Kelly in the original Hawaii Five-0 series |
| Keye Luke | 陆锡麟 | Best known for his role as Charlie Chan’s Number One Son, Keye Luke had a very prolific and successful career in Hollywood |
| Larry Ching | - | The Chinese Sinatra, and a future CHP topic one day |
| Lee Gon Toy | - | Anna May Wong’s mother |
| Lisa Lu | 卢燕 | Three time Golden Horse Award winner. Still active in the movies and on TV since 1958. Played the dying Empress Dowager Cixi in The Last Emperor |
| Lucy Liu | 刘玉玲 | Reigning queen of Hollywood martial arts action films |
| Marion Wong | 黄女娣 | Young film pioneer, established Mandarin Film Co. in 1916 |
| Nancy Kwan | 关家蒨 | Famous for her roles in The World of Suzie Wong and The Flower Drum Song |
| Noel Toy | - | The Chinese Sally Rand, early Forbidden City club performer of risque dances |
| Sammee Tong | - | Played John Forsyth’s houseboy Peter Tong in The Bachelor Father TV series |
| Taishan | 台山 | Historic town in the Pearl River delta region |
| The Kim Loo Sisters | - | known as The Chinese Andrews Sisters |
| Tsai Chin | 周采芹 | Had a rich career on stage and on screen. Unforgettable in You Only Live Twice and The Joy Luck Club |
| Victor Sen Yung | 杨森 | Best known for his role as Hop Sing on Bonanza |
| Wong Chin Foo | 王清福 | Subject of Scott Seligman’s book “The First Chinese-American” |
| Wong Sam Sing | 黄善兴 | Anna May Wong’s father |
| You Yat Mar | - | The Chinese Sophie Tucker |
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In this episode, Laszlo focuses on the history of Chinese-Americans in the early years of Hollywood. During those years Asian-Americans had a rough time in Hollywood trying to break away from stereotypical roles.