in old Hollywood
Anna May Wong
America's golden sweetheart who holds the world record for most deaths on screen
Anna May Wong played in 60+ films but most of them are roles as Slaves or of Chinese stereotypes which limits the boundaries of her talent in Hollywood.
Infamously known for losing a major role to a white actress in yellowface (caused by Hays Code) who ended up winning an Oscar for that role.
Even as a third generation Asian American, her career was limited
01
Background
Born in Los Angeles in 1905 to a family of 7. Her grandparents moved from China to USA during the gold rush. Both her parents were born in the US and have a laundry in LA's Chinatown.
03
Early Career
Anna May always had the fascination with cinema and acting even though her parents greatly disagree. She used her dolls and her brother to reenact her own plays.
Her first gig is in a small role as an extra in 'The Red Lantern' (1919) where she met up with James Wang, a casting agent looking for Asian extras. She got promoted to "lantern girl? which excites her so much but once the film came out she barely could pinpoint where she is in the film
05
After Hollywood
Anna May got frustrated with the typecasted rolls she is subjected to in Hollywood which led her to expand her career elsewhere. She went to Berlin and received many film offers in Europe.
She studied German, French, and music but made sure to stay connected to her culture.
02
Childhood
Anna May recounts how American boys would chase her around calling her racial slur "Chink" while pulling on her pigtails but she wouldn't feel hate and instead just misery. Harassment in school continued to escalate leading to her parents to move her to a different school
04
Notable Films
1. 1921 Bits of Life: Toy Sing, a Chinese wife, was a character made especially for her as Marshall Neilson liked her acting
2. The Toll of the Sea: A silent version of Madame Butterfly. She remembers how she had to cry non-stop at a devastating scene to the point the assistant director told others to throw her a raft
3. Thief of Bagdad: Anna calls it her "Big Chance" even though she got a supporting role as the Mongol slave, Yet viewers like presence so much
06
Limited Career
By the 1930s there were barely any Asian males in circulation. Instead of seeking Asian actors they use yellowfaced white men. With the Hays code, Anna May couldn't play the female role. In Daughter of Shanghai (1937) thriller with a Korean American actor they still barely showed affection which could stem from Asian hate and distaste.