CHARLIE CHAN: Asian Actors in Hollywood

Asian actors have been in Hollywood since the 1910s with Sessue Hayakawa. Hollywood being Hollywood, though, the roles of Asians in the movies has stirred great passion and controversy ever since then.

Hollywood has had an unfortunate habit of using Asians in movies but usually in lesser parts.

The Chan movies have lately drawn fire as the best-known habit of Hollywood using Caucasians in "yellow face" while letting such talents as Anna May Wong languishing in secondary roles and almost forgotten in Hollywood history. . . .

Not to mention some reverse racism in having Hollywood pioneer Sessue Hayakawa as Vasco Lopez in The Brand of Lopez (1920).

But they never complain about that.

ANNA MAY WONG

Okay, so Anna May Wong was never in a Charlie Chan movie but can Chan fans anywhere discuss Charlie's movies and/or Asians in films WITHOUT Wong's name coming up at some point?!

ANNA MAY WONG

Frank Westmore makes Shirley MacLaine into a Japanese geisha, believe it or not, at

Shirley MacLaine as a Geisha according to Frank Westmore

Maven has come across some internet sites that highlight Asians/Asian American actors and actresses. . . . So whether you prefer old and/or newer movies, you're bound to know at least some of them on the list . . . not to mention having your own preferences!

Top Ten Crossover Japanese Actors Actresses

Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection

Mary Astor wrote about the studios' makeup practices in her autobiography, A Life on Film:

Mary Astor on Makeup in the Silent Era

Anna May Wong[1]*

Discovering Anna May Wong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7famM6ABrg&feature=related

Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong in Shanghai Express that also starred Warner Oland as a Chinese bad guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X02IRxVzpgM&feature=related

Anna May Wong - Chinese Costume Party Pt.1 - 1937 Technicolor:

She’s introduced just before her appearance at nine minutes plus she speaks in both English and Mandarin . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG0fSq9cYbE&feature=player_embedded

This is the rest of it . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2IAi0qPFt4&feature=related

Anna May Wong in China 1936 a modern Chinese perspective (in Chinese): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuEQTMof9oI&feature=related

Technicolor Sunkist Stars -1936 part 1- Frances Langford HQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2s6LGBeRRI&feature=related

Technicolor Sunkist Stars -1936 part 2 - Palm Springs Fun HQ:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMPETrarwE8&feature=related

In Picadilly (1929):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXb5dWstKPM

In A Study in Scarlet (1933 - a Sherlock Holmes entry):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-eo0q9t0_c

[1] Maven is grateful that she stumbled onto http://www.annamaywongsociety.com/ to realize that Wong had her own set of clips at www.youtube.com.

Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) in the REAL China?!

*And Conversely We Have Charlie Chan in China