Remembering the First Asian-American Movie Star

Whether she was crooning Noel Coward's "Half-Caste Woman" or doing a snappy Charleston, actress Anna May Wong exuded an exotic sensuality.

Wong, who was born in 1905 and died in 1961, began her career in silent movies and went on to become an international superstar known as the "Chinese flapper." Though she was disdained for many years for playing stereotypical roles, the film community has come to appreciate her work, said Sean Metzger, a lecturer in the English Department who has done research on Wong.

She was the first Asian-American film star, and in her heyday was known throughout the world. And, as the 100th anniversary of her birth approaches, Wong is being rediscovered both by scholars and fans.

"Now people are starting to reclaim her," Metzger said. "She's not just a sellout."

Three books on the actress have been written in the past few years, documentaries about her are in progress and there have been major retrospectives in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, he said.

Metzger organized "Remembering Anna May Wong," a retrospective of her work at Duke this week that included a lecture and screenings of three of her films, "Piccadilly," "Daughter of the Dragon" and "Shanghai Express."

Videographer and documentary filmmaker Yunah Hong on Monday gave a lecture and showed excerpts of her current documentary project. She said Wong struggled to maintain her dignity in the face of the restrictions and prejudices of her day. She appeared in films such as "Shanghai Express" with Marlene Dietrich and "The Thief of Baghdad" with Douglas Fairbanks, but the Hollywood production code prevented her from having a leading role or even kissing a white man onscreen, Hong said.

 "She certainly had the look, the beauty and the talent," Hong said. "The production code severely limited her career."

She made films in Europe to avoid those restrictions, and in 1936 made a trip to China. After her visit, she became more political, working to promote positive images of the Chinese and raising money for China relief, Metzger said.

"Her political consciousness evolved as she grew older and more experienced," he said.

As Wong gains more respect for her work both on and offscreen, she also is gaining fans as her films are becoming more readily available, Metzger said. She has gained a big following among gay men, for example, he said.

"She's so fluid and ambiguous. Everyone can project their desires onto her, in both interesting and problematic ways," he said.