Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905–1961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywood’s most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photos—with a touch of defiance—“Orientally yours”.
Now, more than a century after her birth, Yunte Huang narrates Wong’s tragic life story, retracing her journey from Chinatown to silent-era Hollywood and from Weimar Berlin to decadent, prewar Shanghai capturing American television in its infancy. As Huang shows, Wong’s rendezvous with history features a remarkable parade of characters, including a smitten Walter Benjamin and (an equally smitten) Marlene Dietrich.
Challenging the parodically racist perceptions of Wong as a “Dragon Lady”, “Madame Butterfly” or “China Doll”, Huang’s biography becomes a truly resonant work of history that reflects the raging anti-Chinese xenophobia, unabashed sexism and ageism towards women that defined both Hollywood and America in Wong’s all-too-brief fifty-six years on earth.
| Format |
Inbunden |
| Omfång |
400 sidor |
| Språk |
Engelska |
| Förlag |
W W Norton & Co Ltd |
| Utgivningsdatum |
2023-08-22 |
| ISBN |
9781631495809 |
