Soft Film: Vintage Chinese Cinema

In the Mood for Mavis Fan

2009-12-07T21:06:00.001-08:00

i don't know why ... don't ask me why ...

Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection

2009-12-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

Last week I had an opportunity to see Arthur Dong's fantastic collection of movie memorabilia at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles. Featuring more than 150 items, much of which was collected during the production of his award-winning documentary Hollywood Chinese (2007), the exhibit lays bare on a visceral level America's ambivalent and convoluted attitude towards the Chinese. It also shows how Chinese Americans have navigated, negotiated, and resisted the stereotypes placed upon them.

Of particular interest to me were the rare items concerning three pioneering filmmakers: Marion Wong, whose The Curse of Quon Gwon (1916) is the earliest known Chinese American feature; James B. Leong, whose film Lotus Blossom (1921) starred Chinese American actress and vaudeville singer Lady Tsen Mei; and Joseph Sunn Jue, whose San Francisco-based Grandview Film Company produced movies by, about, and for Chinese Americans during World War II and also helped keep Cantonese cinema alive during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

"Hollywood Chinese" is showing through the end of May next year. If you live in the area, you should definitely check it out. For those who can't make it, the 34-page, color catalog is the next best thing. Handsomely designed and featuring nearly half of the items from the exhibit, it also includes a great essay ("Yellow Peril Smackdown: A Night at the Chinese American Museum") by filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña. The catalog can be purchased at the museum gift shop, but unfortunately it's not for sale on their website. Try contacting them directly (office@camla.org) to see if it can be ordered by mail.

Life Goes to the "Forbidden City"

2009-12-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

Trina Robbin's new book Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs has just been published and is available directly from the publisher (and also from Amazon). I'll post my thoughts about the book as soon as I get my hands on it, but in the meantime here's the Life magazine article (December 9, 1940) that brought Charlie Low's Forbidden City to national attention. A scan of the original is available here.

BTW, the two dancers with the lassos at top are Mary Mammon (left) and Dorothy Sun (right), who also appear in the photo just beneath. Closing this post is the inimitable Jadin Wong. I'll have more to share about these ladies in the coming weeks.

Finally, for an interesting and nuanced examination of the Orientalism served up at the Forbidden City nightclub, check out Anthony Lee's book Picturing Chinatown: Art and Orientalism in San Francisco (2001). As he writes, "The acts played on the distinction between the race of the performer and the race being performed in ways that revealed the contingency and malleability of both."

As a matter of fact, this strategy harkened back to the early days of vaudeville when Chinese American entertainers, like Lee Tung Foo and Jue Quon Tai, carved out a niche for themselves on the stage and in the public eye by performing a unique blend of yellowface and whiteface.

As you can see in the article below, Chinese American performers in the 1940s were still navigating the conflicting expectations of what it meant to be a Chinese living in America.

Life Goes to the "Forbidden City"
San Franciscans pack Chinatown's No. 1 night club

At 363 Sutter Street in San Francisco stands "Forbidden City", the No. 1 all-Chinese night club in the U.S. Here each evening Californians flock to watch a talented floor show that ranges from slumberous oriental moods to hot Western swing. San Francisco is numerically ill-equipped with Broadway-style cabarets. Its citizenry eats at home, dances at hotels. When "Forbidden City" opened two years ago, it filled a local cultural need. It has prospered ever since.

In decor, "Forbidden City" blandly jumbles rice-paper screens, lighted fishbowls, college colors and football trophies. Somehow the net result is satisfactory. Its tri-nightly floor show as blandly scrambles congas, tangos, tap numbers and snaky stuff from the Far East. Chinese girls have an extraordinary aptitude for Western dance forms. As singers, not many achieve success according to occidental standards. But slim of body, trim of leg, they dance to any tempo with a fragile charm distinctive to their race. Opposite you see gracious Jadine Wong performing her chaste "Dance of the Moon Goddess".

Margaret Tu Chuan (1942-69)

2009-11-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

* Thanks to Oldflames for the last two photos!

Margaret Tu: A Star Is Born (1958-1960)

2009-11-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

Take a look at these two photographs of Margaret Tu Chuan. On the left is her first color pinup in the pages of Southern Screen (No. 17, July 1959); on the right is her first cover for the magazine (No. 30, August 1960).

The pose is similar — face turned upwards, hand on cheek — but the look is totally different. And it's not just her darker, thicker brows and cat eyeliner (both of which would become even more dramatic in the coming years and part and parcel of her signature look). In the first photo, Margaret is just a young girl, dazzled by the fantasy of becoming a film star; in the second, she has become that star, exhibiting a confidence that takes command of the camera, and the spectator.

It's a shame that the recent release of the Shaw Brothers film library does not afford us a glimpse of Margaret's early career. With the exception of Rear Entrance, in which she appears in only one scene, none of the movies from her first year as a star player are available on DVD. This unfortunate absence presents a skewed picture not only of Margaret's work as an actress but also the range of films produced by the Shaw studio.

Hopefully, we will someday be able to see a few more of these films from Margaret's rise to stardom:

The Magic Touch (December 3, 1958)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, King Hu

King Hu and his friends court Betty Loh and three of her fellow nurses in this romantic comedy, which was Betty's first film at Shaw Brothers after leaving the left-wing Great Wall Movie Enterprise. As for Margaret, she plays one of the nurses. Evidently, it was director Li Han-hsiang who noticed Margaret and brought her to Shaws.

Spring Song (February 14, 1959)
Director: Evan Yang
Cast: Grace Chang, Jeanette Lin Tsui, Peter Chen Ho, Roy Chiao Hung

You don't need to look very hard to find Margaret among the extras in this MP&GI film. Although released after The Magic Touch, it is in fact her first movie, shot before she signed up with Shaw Brothers. Margaret certainly has the star-struck look of a teenager — she was just 16 — appearing before the camera for the first time.

The Kingdom and the Beauty (June 19, 1959)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Lin Dai, Chao Lei, King Hu

Margaret must have been pretty excited to have a role — small as it was — alongside movie queen Lin Dai in this big-budget color extravaganza. She's one of the village girls in the scene where country maiden Lin Dai first meets the Emperor (played by Chao Lei) traveling in disguise as a commoner.

Twilight Hours (April 14, 1960)
Director: Tao Qin
Cast: Diana Chang Chung-wen, Pat Ting Hung, Margaret Tu Chuan

Noteworthy for featuring bombshell Diana Chang in her first straight dramatic (ie. non-sexy) role, Twilight Hours was one of three films that Shaw Brothers entered in the 7th Asian Film Festival. (The other two were Desire, starring Lin Dai and Peter Chen Ho, and Rear Entrance, which took home the Best Picture award.) Pat Ting got second billing as the daughter of leading lady Diana Chang, but evidently newcomer Margaret stole the scene whenever she appeared. From what I can tell, the film is a loose adaptation of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life (1959), with Margaret playing the role of the housekeeper's rebellious daughter.

"Kao Pao-shu dotes on her daughter Tu Chuan, hoping that she would one day be somebody everybody respects and admires."

Malayan Affair (April 28, 1960)
Director: Ho Meng-hua
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, Paul Chang Chung, Margaret Tu Chuan

Margaret plays Betty Loh's younger sister — and rival for the love of Paul Chang — in this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

Rear Entrance (May 27, 1960)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Hu Die, Wang Yin, Li Hsiang-Chun, Wong Oi-ming

Winner of the Best Picture award at 7th Asian Film Festival, Rear Entrance was primarily a vehicle for Shanghai movie queen Hu Die, who had just returned to the silver screen after an absence of more than ten years. Margaret has a small role as Hu Die's younger sister Judy. In this clip you can catch a glimpse of the naughtiness that inspired Margaret's nickname, "Wild Girl".

How to Marry a Millionaire (August 5, 1960)
Director: Tao Qin
Cast: Margaret Tu Chuan, Peter Chen Ho, King Hu, Lily Mo Chou

This romantic comedy was Margaret's first starring role. Margaret plays a young girl whose money-hungry aunt trains her to become "the perfect millionaire-bait". Instead, she falls in love with bellhop Peter Chen.

"To the great delight of Peter Chen Ho, Tu Chuan secretly passes him a note asking him to meet her."

The Secret of Miss Pai (September 28, 1960)
Director: Ho Meng-hua
Cast: Pat Ting Hung, Margaret Tu Chuan, Chiao Chuang

Margaret plays the pretty, young servant of married couple Pat Ting and Chiao Chuang in this domestic comedy by director Ho Meng-hua.

"It is late at night and the wife has not returned. With such a pretty maid servant around, what should Chiao Chuang do?"

When the Peach Blossoms Bloom (October 13, 1960)
Director: Yueh Feng
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, Margaret Tu Chuan, King Hu, Lydia Shum

This family comedy was the screen debut of 15-year-old Lydia Shum, who would go on to become one of Hong Kong's most beloved comediennes. Betty Loh plays the eldest sibling who must maintain order while mom and dad are gone, and Margaret plays the younger sister who fools around and gets in trouble.

Li Lihua: Sexy, Sexy Lady

2009-11-27T22:30:00.000-08:00

One last shot from my salvo of scans from Southern Screen No. 6 (May 1958). Li Lihua has never looked sexier, in my opinion, than in this photo shoot promoting her movie A Romantic Lady (1959), in which she plays the "sexually hungry" wife of an impotent husband. In the film Li Lihua becomes pregnant by her lover Yan Jun. Although her husband eventually offers to raise the child as his own, Li Lihua chooses instead to keep her baby and live "a poor as well as simple life" with her lover. Such a story is quite daring compared to other Hong Kong movies of that era, which were in general quite conservative. Produced by Li Lihua and her real-life husband Yan Jun, this is one film that I'd really love to see!

A scan of the original article is available here.

Wolves with Cameras

2009-11-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

"Man Lee-Hung [aka Fanny Fan] is seen in a swimming suit that reveals her shapely figure in full."

More goodness from Southern Screen No. 6 (May 1958). You can see the original article here.

WHEN PHOTOGRAPHERS MEET ACTRESSES

On a sunny May afternoon Shaw's film actresses Ting Ning, Ting Hung and Man Lee Hung were invited by members of The Hongkong Photographers Association for a photographic study at a country villa in the New Territories, Kowloon. Present were more than two hundred amateur and professional photographers who in three hours or so took more than 5000 pictures.

"Ting Hung serenely leans against a rattan chair awaiting to be photographed."

"Film actress Ting Ning meets a barrage of cameras and flash coming from every direction."

Lovely Loh Tih

2009-11-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

A lovely pinup of Betty Loh for Lucky Cat Zoë.

—from Southern Screen No. 6 (May 1958)

Lin Dai and Kirk Douglas

2009-11-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found this photo when I was looking for material about Margaret Tu's early career at Shaw Brothers. It was taken during Lin Dai's 1958 trip to the United States. Here's the accompanying blurb as it appeared in Southern Screen No. 6 (May 1958).

LIN DAI WITH HOLLYWOOD STAR KIRK DOUGLAS

Taken at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, where she dined with many famous stars. She was a guest of Bette Davis who entertained Lin Dai at her home in Beverly Hills. RAYMOND FRIEDGEN of Beverly Hills who has made several pictures in Hongkong is representing Lin Dai for her activities in Hollywood.

Linda was certainly wise to seek her fortunes back in Hong Kong rather than in Hollywood. I can't find any evidence that Raymond Friedgen was a mover or a shaker. In fact, it appears that he only produced one film in Hong Kong (and not much else of note): the decidedly "B"-looking Hong Kong Affair (1958), starring Jack Kelly, best known as James Garner's brother on the TV show "Maverick". Better to be a queen in Hong Kong than a "Suzie Wong" in Hollywood.

Margaret Tu and Betty Loh: Falling Blossoms

2009-11-25T23:48:00.001-08:00

This picture of Margaret Tu Chuan and Betty Loh Tih, taken during the production of their film When the Peach Blossoms Bloom (1960), always fills me with bitter sweetness. By the end of the decade, both stars would take their own lives: Betty on December 27, 1968; Margaret on November 30, 1969.

* Photo from Southern Screen No. 30 (August 1960)

Margaret Tu: Funny Girl

2009-11-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

As we approach the anniversary of her death — 40 years ago this coming Monday — I'll be paying tribute to the lovely Margaret Tu Chuan. Here are some charming pics to remember her by.

—from Screenland No. 17 (February 1961)

Old Shanghai Comes to San Francisco

2009-11-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when I saw this giant-sized cover of The Young Companion in a vacant San Francisco store front. What used to be a Diesel retail outlet is now cleverly being used as advertising space for Shanghai, an upcoming exhibition at the Asian Art Museum. Obviously I'm biased, since this is totally up my alley, but it promises to be the museum's coolest show since the amazing Tezuka: The Marvel of Manga exhibit from two years ago.

If you live in the Bay Area or happen to be in San Francisco next year between February 12th and September 5th, be sure to check it out. If not, then pick up the catalog, which — judging by these sample pages and cover — looks like it will be a must-have addition to the Soft Film Bookshelf.

To get you as excited about this as I am, here's a little something to set the mood...

"San Francisco" (1939) by Martha Soo with Don Jose & His Orchestra

Martha Soo won the first prize in an amateurs singing contest hosted by the Paramount Night Club, one of the biggest and poshest in Shanghai, and together with it a recording contract with Pathé Records (EMI). She recorded her prize-winning song, Jeanette Macdonald's San Francisco, not in the original English but in a translated Chinese version, and sang it in a jazz-influenced style which included bits of scat singing, imitating her favourite singer Ella Fitzgerald.

* Song and liner note from The Age of Shanghainese Pops 1930-1970 by Wong Kee Chee

Christy Yow: Making of Rose Chan

2009-11-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Christy Yow just started a blog to chronicle her journey of becoming Rose Chan for Eric Khoo's film The Charming Rose.

Besides learning to handle snakes (both reptilian and human) and toughening herself against the slings and arrows that come with such a provocative role (Rose Chan had rotten eggs and live snakes thrown at her), Christy recently met with Rose's first boyfriend and promises to report about the experience. I'm definitely looking forward to that, as well as further stories from behind the scenes!

* Photo of Christy from her blog Making of Rose Chan

Fanny and Margaret: A Pretty Pair

2009-11-13T22:24:00.001-08:00

Here's a color pinup of Fanny Fan and Margaret Tu from Southern Screen No. 60 (February 1963). It was taken during the photo shoot about which I just posted.

Margaret and Fanny: Do the Twist!

2009-11-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun piece from Southern Screen No. 56 (October 1962) featuring Margaret Tu with Fanny Fan. (A scan of the original article is available here.)

Both stars were famous for their sex appeal, but whereas Fanny was pigeonholed as a bombshell, Margaret achieved recognition as a serious actress. It's been said that she stole the show from Lin Dai in Madame White Snake (1962). She even won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Horse Awards in 1963 for The Second Spring, but she petulantly complained that her role was NOT a supporting role — backhandedly slighting both Li Lihua, the film's lead, and Loh Tih, who won the Best Actress award for Love Eterne (1963).

After a brief hiatus in the mid-sixties, Margaret and Fanny both returned to Shaw Brothers, but as decidedly lesser stars. Fanny achieved a new notoriety with her risque scenes in The Golden Buddha (1966) and Angel with the Iron Fists (1967), while Margaret seemed not entirely happy playing second fiddle to Shaw's new crop of fresh-faced beauties.

In an ironic twist of fate, Margaret and Fanny ended up starring together in Diary of a Lady-Killer (1969) — the last film for each of them — as "loose" women and murder victims. As she always did in her nude scenes, Fanny owns the screen with a palpable sense of power (here it comes from seeing her in the shower with Chin Han, husband of Shaw's reigning movie queen Ivy Ling Po); Margaret, on the other hand, looks quite degraded in her final, tawdry appearance on the silver screen. Six months after the film was released, she took her own life.

Well... that was a depressing little detour. Let us return to happier times, when the future of these two sexy young stars looked like nothing but blue skies!

FANNY FAN AND TU CHUAN

You will seldom see such a pretty pair together!

The two lovely dolls you see on this page are two of the brightest young stars of Shaw Brothers. In case you don't recognize them — which is most unlikely — they are Fanny Fan and Margaret Tu Chuan.

The photographer who snapped these shots considered himself the luckiest man in the world on that day. He happened on the two girls sipping a soft drink at Shatin Heights, then decided to attach himself to them for the day.

He ended up with these pictures!

Margaret Tu: Princess of the Milky Way

2009-11-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here she is... Hong Kong's Princess Margaret... also known evidently (see magazine cover) as "The M" (yes, I know it's a fanciful interpretation... but please indulge me). Fresh from her breakthrough year (1960), "The M" looks like she's ready to take down the reigning queens of Shaws (watch out Lin Dai and Loh Tih). An intoxicating blend of haughty and naughty, amorous and glamorous, Margaret Tu was truly one of the most unforgettable stars of the Chinese Silver Screen.

* Photo courtesy of the eBay Archive

A Dancing Competition: Margaret Tu and Cheung Ying-Choi

2009-11-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a cute piece from Screenland No. 26 (November 1961) showing Margaret Tu Chuan, from Shaw Brothers' Mandarin division, and Cheung Ying-choi, from its Cantonese division, going toe to toe. Both starred together that year in When the Poles Meet, the studio's attempt to cash in on the success of rival MP&GI's cross-cultural comedy The Greatest Civil War on Earth (1961). BTW, the romantic leads of the Shaw entry were none other than Patricia Lam Fung and Peter Chen Ho — both quite good dancers whom I'd also love to see go toe to toe.

A DANCING COMPETITION

Margaret Tu Chuan and Cheung Ying-choi are good friends but just friends and nothing more. They are good friends because they are both naive and childlike.

But this particular day they do not get along so well when they start to argue about dancing, both claiming to be the best. Finally, Cheung suggests hotly, "How about a dancing competition between you and me? The first one to stop dancing will be the loser." And he nominates me to be their referee.

"But that doesn't seem fair to me," I provoke, "you being a man and little Margaret..."

The 'little' bit does it. For Margaret promptly puts in, "Oh, don't you worry about me. We are starting right now!"

So they begin to busy themselves with their rocks and sways while I happily busy myself with my camera. They keep at it for one and a half hours without a stop, and do you know how many shots I took.... Oh, I think you are more interested in the other outcome, so I better tell you right away: Cheung stopped first and lost!

* The original article is available here.

Animal Lover: Christy Yow

2009-11-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

In preparation for her role as legendary Malaysian burlesque performer Rose Chan, actress-model Christy Yow recently spent four hours overcoming her fear of snakes by making friends with a 3-meter, 9-kilogram albino python.

Wrestling pythons was one of Rose Chan's specialties and the highlight of her show. According to a news item that appeared in the U.S. press, Rose even took out "a license for a six foot long monitor lizard to brighten up [her] act" (Chicago Daily Tribune, March 22, 1957). This was just months after she reportedly lost consciousness when one of her 6-meter pythons coiled itself around her body (The Waco News-Tribune, December 27, 1956). It evidently took a full five minutes for Rose's "brawny stagehands" to free her from the python's stranglehold!

Last week I told you about the anonymous fan who offered Christy S$50,000 to strip at a charity screening (of her new movie Auntie Lucy) that she personally initiated in order to raise money for Pets Villa, a volunteer-run shelter for Singapore's stray cats and dogs. Christy had reportedly dared the fan to show up at the event, saying that she would strip if he brought the money as promised. Later she told the press that she was only joking and would never use sex to sell charity.

After the man's prurient proposal was published in a local newspaper, he immediately emailed Christy to apologize and asked how he could make amends. Christy suggested that he buy tickets for underprivileged seniors so that they could attend the screening. The shamed fan paid S$4,500 for 300 tickets, which allowed groups from the Geylang Old Folks' Home and two local senior citizens clubs to join in the fun.

Here's a photo from the October 31st event showing Christy Yow with Eric Khoo, director of the forthcoming Rose Chan film (which is scheduled for production sometime next year).

And here's Honey, one of the current residents of Pets Villa and, no doubt, a big fan of Christy!

Further Reading

"Christy Yow Plays with Python"

"She's Shamed by $50,000 Offer to Strip"

"A Successful Aunty Lucy Charity Screening"

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Daily Chilli; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film eBay Archive; photos of Eric Khoo, Christy Yow, and Honey from Homeless In Seletar

The Truth About Ming & Ling

2009-11-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Ming & Ling in the early 1940s

Let the following be a lesson that all "truth" is provisional — especially here on this blog!

A couple of months ago I posted two songs allegedly recorded by vaudeville duo Ming and Ling. Ever since Nick Tosches added a chapter about them in the revised edition of his book Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll (1991), these "Chinese Hillbillies" became something of a cult item among rock music aficionados. And their legendarily obscure singles — "records so strange that they defy description" — took on a decidedly Holy Grail sheen.

Although Tosches acknowledges in his book that there may have been more than one Ming and Ling — and that the duo who recorded these wild rock-and-roll songs might not be the vaudeville duo who performed throughout the forties and fifties — his enthusiasm is so contagious that you want to believe they are one and the same.

Well, it turns out that this is not the case. I was recently contacted by Ling's son-in-law John Buckley, who set the record straight about Ming & Ling.

The duo only performed live and never made any recordings. Contrary to the story they gave the press, they are not cousins but in fact father and son. Ling's real name is Gregory Paguio, and he is not Chinese but half-Filipino and half-Irish. His father Ming's real name is Jose T. Paguio. Jose had played in vaudeville for many years before asking Gregory, who was just 17 at the time, to join him on the stage in 1940.

The two performed as Ming & Ling for more than twenty years until Jose's retirement in 1962, after which Gregory led an Oriental revue produced by former Forbidden City dancer Dorothy Toy. For the next five years Gregory toured the West Coast and Asia before retiring in 1967. I'm guessing that's him in the ad, surrounded by a bevy of Oriental dolls and looking very James Bond! Here's what one reviewer had to say about the show: "Toy, Ling and Oriental Revue at Three Rivers Inn shouldn't be missed by any who appreciates lively, daring, beautiful girls, Hawaiian songs and dances, Geisha Girl Shows, and fabulous costumes. M.C. Bob Ling surprises the audience with his delightful impersonations of Perry Como [and] Dean Martin" (The Syracuse Post-Standard, September 30, 1966).

Well, it's good to finally know the truth about Ming & Ling's alleged recordings. Although this may technically disqualify them from being "Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll", they remain one of the most fascinating acts from the twilight years of vaudeville. Now, if we can only get our hands on their 1949 appearance on the "The Milton Berle Show"!

Many thanks to John Buckley for contacting me and generously providing the photos of Ming & Ling. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to email him (buckley1969@gmail.com).

Finally, let me give a shout out to John's son Brian Buckley, who is himself an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, and to "Ling", who is still with us today.

Remembering the good old days: Jose and Gregory Paguio

Christy Yow: Becoming Rose Chan

2009-11-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I posted about the casting of model Christy Yow in Eric Khoo's upcoming biopic about Rose Chan, Malaysia's legendary "Queen of Striptease".

Well, it seems that Christy is already experiencing what it's like to be Rose Chan. A week before the recent charity premiere of her debut film Auntie Lucy in Singapore, Christy received an anonymous email from a "fan" promising to donate S$50,000 (US$36,000) to the Animal Lovers League if she stripped at the event.

"Since she has to strip for the [Rose Chan] movie sooner or later, if she is willing to do it that day, I will donate S$50,000," the sender wrote.

Asked for a comment, Christy said, "The sender should not have made the request. This is humiliating [to] me. You should not ask for returns when it comes to charity."

Nevertheless, Christy was reported as saying that if the sender had the courage to attend the show, then she would strip. But she added, "I can only show my back."

She also allegedly made a counter-offer. "If the person donates this sum of money, I will discuss with the director of Mei Gui Xiang [The Charming Rose] to let him view our shooting."

Is all this just a clever PR stunt, or is it a case of life imitating art imitating life?

Besides her reputation as "Queen of Striptease", Rose Chan was also renowned as "Queen of Charity" because she often donated part of the proceeds from her performances to charities, such as orphanages, homes for the elderly, institutions for the blind, and sanatoria for tuberculosis patients.

No word yet on whether Christy actually bared her back for Singapore's orphan cats and dogs, but as she rapidly becomes Southeast Asia's hottest sex symbol, she might consider growing some thorns to protect herself from the wolves.

Further Reading

"Christy's $50,000 Strip Offer"

"Fast Track to Fame for Christy Yow"

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Tomboy Photo Project; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film Collection

Bai Guang: Durian Lover

2009-10-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Now here's a woman after my own heart, a fellow lover of the forbidden fruit.

According to the caption that accompanied this cartoon, Bai Guang loves durian so much that she wishes she could be born a nyonya and stay in Singapore for good.

The funky fragrance of durian is definitely not for those with delicate taste. Let Yan Jun and Li Lihua turn up their noses at your catch, Miss Bai. I will gladly join you in a finger-licking feast for two!

Thanks to Oldflames for sending the "Stars' Dream Journey to Singapore" spread from which this comes.

Bai Guang: Lady Bodhisattva

2009-10-29T23:58:00.000-07:00

Ah... Bai Guang, my lady bodhisattva... although you are infamous as the supreme bad girl of Chinese cinema, your devotees find nothing but sweetness in your sour beauty, as they single-mindedly follow the tantric path towards your white light.

"I'm a Female Bodhisattva" by Bai Guang
from Courage in the Spy World (1949)

Translated lyrics can be found at my new favorite blog, Ambuscade from Ten Sides. The breathtaking pinup of Miss Bai comes from International Screen No. 23 (September 1957).

Who's the Moddest Queen of All?

2009-10-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Why, it's Angela Yu, of course!

A great big thanks to Oldflames for sending this mad mod cover and providing the title of this post.

Name those Fortunes!

2009-10-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, kung fu fans! Who can name all of Master Yu Jim-yuen's "Little Fortunes" in this photo from The Birth of Yue Fei (1962)? I'll start off with the easy ones: Sammo Hung (standing in the middle, looking a bit bewildered) and Mang Hoi (top row, far right). Which one is Jackie Chan? I'm tempted to say the scowling fellow in the top row, far left. But I have a hunch he might be one of the little shrimplings.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Master Yu's China Drama Academy, the training ground of a generation of stuntmen, fight choreographers, and action stars who revolutionized martial-arts movies. Try imagining Hong Kong cinema without Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, and you'll realize the depth of their influence. And those two big shots are just the tip of the iceberg. Die-hard fans will have their own personal favorites, whether it's Yuen Biao or Yuen Wah.

Next month the Hong Kong Film Archive is presenting a small retrospective to celebrate the early films of Master Yu's students. It will include two other films from the early 1960s featuring the "Little Fortunes" when they were kids.

For a fun read, check out these reminiscences of the "Seven Little Fortunes", which appeared in translation all summer long at HKSAR Film No Top 10 Box Office.

And finally, here are two clips: the first is from Seven Little Valiant Fighters (1962), which will be shown in the Hong Kong Film Archive's retrospective, and the second is from Dragons Forever (1988), featuring Sammo, Jackie, and Yuen Biao in a hilarious three-way scuffle.

Christy Yow is Rose Chan

2009-10-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Back in May I posted about director/producer Eric Khoo's search for an actress to play Rose Chan in his upcoming biopic about Malaysia's legendary "Queen of Striptease". After looking for a year and a half, he has finally chosen Christy Yow, a Malaysian model who caused quite a stir last December when she appeared in a bikini on the cover of FHM Singapore and was quickly dubbed "36C Christy" by the local tabloid press.

Christy is certainly sexy enough, but it remains to be seen whether she has the necessary chutzpah to portray the indomitable Rose Chan, who besides stripping was famous for wrestling pythons and having motorcycles ride over her.

Production on the film is scheduled to start late next year in Shanghai. Here's wishing Christy great success in channeling Rose's wild spirit!

Further Reading

"Khoo Finds His Rose"

"Busty Malaysian Actress to Play Queen of Striptease"

"I'm Really Just a SHY GIRL"

"The Girl Next Door: Model Christy Yow is Making Heads Turn in Asia"

"Not Just Your Girl Next Door (Although She Is)"

Christy Yow's Southern Exposure

* Photo of Christy Yow from The Daily Chilli/Asia News Network; photo of Rose Chan from the Soft Film Collection