Wednesday, December 16, 2009

FILM COSTUME AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN PERFORMERS

During the era of the silent picture and with the advent of sound, there was no other star that presented such an enigmatic and mysterious presence on the screen as Anna May Wong. Considered to be the first Chinese American film star yet born near Los Angeles to second-generation Chinese-American parents in 1905. Best remebered for her role in Shanghai Express opposite Marlene Dietrich in 1932 for Paramount Pictures. Anna May Wong’s greatest dissapointment was to have missed out in the lead role in “The Good Earth” which MGM made in 1937 and cast Luise Rainer in instead.

This is a costume worn by Anna May Wong in “Daugher of Shanghai” in 1937 for Paramount pictures. The film was considered ground breaking in that Asian American actors played the lead roles.



This is a dance cosutme worn by Nancy Kwan as Linda Low in “Flower Drum Song” Universal Pictures 1961. Flower Drum Song was a broadway musical in 1958 written by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

This costume was worn by Nancy Kwan in the Fan Tan Fanny number early in the film. Costumes were desgined by the legendary Irene Sharaff. The film is a musical Celebration of San Fransisco’s Chinatown.

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