The Chinese Mirror

Welcome to The Chinese Mirror

"The art of a people is a true mirror to their minds."
--Jawaharlal Nehru

    The national cinema of every nation reflects to some degree the culture, heritage and traditions of that nation, its historical concerns and its people's joys, sorrows and aspirations throughout history.  Even many films which appear at first to be little more than sheer escapist entertainment may still provide some insight into these matters, as a reflection of what has concerned and still interests the people of that nation.

    The Chinese Mirror is an online journal devoted to the history of one of the world's most productive national cinemas of the 20th Century, reflecting the hopes and sufferings of the Chinese people throughout a century of revolution, civil war and foreign invasion. The primary objective of this journal is to provide an historical record of China's contributions to world cinema, and introduce its classic films and filmmakers to the Western world.  The secondary objective is to convey to Western readers some understanding of China and the Chinese people through their motion pictures, and hopefully provide some insight into how their modern history has influenced their contemporary world outlook.  The articles published here are provided as a service to scholars and researchers in the West, particularly those who may not be proficient in the Chinese language.  It is hoped that what is presented here will inspire some visitors to this site to learn more about China's motion picture tradition, and perhaps guide them to some greater understanding of this massive, complex, fascinating country and its people. While the majority of the topics discussed will be concerned with classical films and filmmakers, there will be some attention to the modern era as well.  All of the articles presented in these pages are the work of the website publisher, either authored or translated by him from the Chinese film literature.  This material is made available to the public under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Noncommercial).

    Any use of this content should cite The Chinese Mirror as the source, and if the article is labeled as a translation, use of that material in further research should also cite the original Chinese source, for which full bibliographic information will be provided with the translation.       

Real and False Daughters (1927)

    Another of the popular movies of 1927 was this story of inheritance and greed, combining a romantic triangle, a kidnapping and a climactic fight, interspersed with some comedy throughout.  Two veteran characters actors, Wang Xianzhai and Huang Junfu, nearly always cast as serious villains, in this film portrayed comic bumblers.

Zhenjia Qianjin (1927) 真假千金 (Real and False Daughters)

    Mingxing.  B&W.  Silent.  9 reels.  Premiered August 24, 1927 at the Palace theater in Shanghai. Direction:  Zhang Shichuan.  Screenplay:  Yin Minwei.  Program notes:  Zheng Zhengqiu.   Cinematography:  Dong Keyi.  Sets:  Dong Tianya.  Cast:  Xuan Jinglin (Chang Manying), Zheng Xiaoqiu (Chang Guoying), Huang Junfu (Chang Songzhai), Wang Xianzhai (Hu Yuanfang), Zhao Jingxia (Li Aijuan), Zhu Fei (Kong Buan), Wang Jiting (Gu Shaoru).

    When Chang Xuzhai, a widower and the richest man in the county, dies in early middle age, he leaves behind two teenage children:  a teenaged son Guoying, and his slightly older sister Manying. Always believing his wealth would guarantee his children's futures, Mr. Chang devoted his time to making money, giving little attention to their upbringing and education, either formally or socially.  As a result, Manying just wants to party and have fun, while Guoying thinks of little other than sports.  Both are naive, ignorant of the dangers in the world and how treacherous other people can be.

[plotting to get their niece and nephew's fortune:  Huang Junfu, left, and Wang Xianzhai]

     The father's will stipulates that two-thirds of the estate go to Guoying, with the remaining one-third to Manying as her future dowry.  The size of the estate and the orphans' youth brings out a swarm of relatives and others hoping to share in the inheritance.  Particularly covetous are uncles Chang Songzhai and Hu Yuanfang, who keep hatching schemes to get the fortune, none of which ever work.  Manying steps up her busy social life, and spends lavishly on parties and clubs.  Her circle of friends expands.   One of Manying's girl friends is Li Aijuan, who has a boyfriend named Kong Buan she introduces to Manying.  Another of Manying's new acquaintances is a shady character named Gu Shaoru, also covetous of the heiress's fortune. 
    When Manying expresses a desire to learn to dance, Kong says he is also interested in learning, and offers to be her partner.  As the two frequently go to dancing classes together, and become better acquainted, they begin falling in love.  Li Aijuan grows increasingly  angry and jealous about what she sees happening.  Kong wants to extricate himself from this romantic tangle, and at last decides on Manying, telling Aijuan it is over.  Aijuan angrily goes to see Manying and accuses her of betraying her and stealing her boyfriend.  They have a bitter quarrel, but just as the argument is about to get violent, Guoying intercedes and tries to be a peacemaker.  Aijuan leaves.  Two old friends have now become enemies.  Seething with anger and bitterness, Aijuan approaches Gu Shaoru with the proposal the two of them kidnap Kong, then demand a large ransom sum from Manying, an idea he immediately approves.        Manying is understandably alarmed when she receives the ransom note, but having already squandered so much of her inheritance she is unable to meet the demands.  So she turns to her brother for help, and he generously agrees to amass the necessary amount of ransom money.  The ransom note also instructs Manying to personally deliver the money, and fearing for her safety, Guoying dresses as a girl and goes with his sister.   When they arrive at the ransom drop-off location, they meet the two kidnappers disguised as street thugs, but the brother and sister quickly see through the ruse.  A struggle ensues, but the criminals are quickly overpowered by the athletic Guoying and his sister, who then set free Kong Buan. 
    When the three return home, the police are there to notify them they have captured two additional kidnapping subjects:  it turns out to be the greedy uncles Chang Songzhai and Hu Yuanfang.  When the two had observed the brother and sister preparing the ransom money, they secretly took some of the banknotes, unaware that the bills had been marked beforehand, and the authorities instructed to arrest anyone later attempting to cash them.  So the two uncles had to suffer the embarrassment of being jailed, then having to rely on their niece and nephew to bail them out.  

[Manying (Xuan Jinglin) identifies her two conniving but ultimately incompetent uncles]

Shandong Ma Yongzhen (1927)

    The recent release of《Ip Man 2》, sequel to 2008's very successful《Ip Man》, highlights the ongoing popularity of movies based on true-life martial arts legends, and what a rich source of material these legendary heroes have been for filmmakers.  Wong Fei Hung has easily been the one portrayed most often on screen, with Fong Sai Yuk a distant second.  There have been others, most recently in Jet Li's 2006《Fearless》, the story of Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910).  All of these were heroes as the term is usually understood.  But another who has been portrayed a few times was Ma Yongzhen, who really doesn't fit the heroic mold, as he was almost an anti-hero.  Ma was a native of Shandong who rose from poor but ambitious and idealistic country boy who went to Shanghai to try his boxing skills against the best the city had to offer, but instead turned somewhat to the dark side and became one of its top gangsters.  At that time (the mid-19th century), Shanghai's teahouses were the center of much of the city's illegal activity, as were speakeasies, seedy night clubs and strip joints later on in America and Europe.  Unable to beat him, Ma's adversaries initially bought him off by giving him his own teahouse, from which he  operated a protection racket, extorting the wealthy in the area he controlled, men usually as corrupt as himself.  But he was popular among Shanghai's poor and downtrodden, a popularity which stemmed from his remembering his own humble origins and treating society's lower classes as his people, helping out when they were desperate and giving them some measure of protection from those who would abuse and exploit them; in other words, an outlaw, but more Godfather than Robin Hood.   

    Ma Yongzhen's story has been told twice on screen in the sound era:  in 1972's 《Boxer from Shantung》[aka《Killer from Shantung》], and in 1997's《Hero》, (not to be confused with the 2002 Zhang Yimou/Jet Li movie of the same English release title).  The two sound versions were transplanted in time to the wide-open, triad-dominated (and probably more interesting), "city for sale" Shanghai of the 1930s.  But the real Ma Yongzhen was a 19th century person, whose last battle took place in 1879.  His story in its correct historical setting has been told once, in a 1927 Mingxing silent production 《Shandong Ma Yongzhen》, starring early martial arts actor Zhang Huichong in the title role, with Zhao Jingxia as his loving sister (and eventual avenger) Ma Suzhen.  While stories based on legends are always a combination of facts and folktales fleshed out with the imaginary creations of the dramatists, it is known that Ma Yongzhen's final battle was an epic one that took place in a teahouse, with Ma battling to the death against an overwhelming number of assassins.  Each of the three versions concludes with that battle, and while the actual details of the fight are of course products of the directors' imaginations, the plots of all three movies stay fairly close to the known historical facts.  In the original, 1927 version, Yongzhen is avenged by his sister at the end; the 1972 version also had the vengeance story, but as a sequel. 

    In Chinese martial arts movie history,《Shandong Ma Yongzhen》was one of the earliest hits, released before the later mania for the genre touched off by《Burning of Red Lotus Temple》a year later.  Zheng Zhengqiu based his screenplay on his own stage play, and the success of the film led to a revival of the play, which had a good run on the Shanghai stage in the 1930s.  It is interesting that the director was Zhang Shichuan, for while he was the top director at the Mingxing studio, and no stranger to the martial arts genre, as Zhang himself later wrote, he treated it as just another type of movie.  It was not until he had read the novel on which《Burning》was based that he realized the potential of the genre and made it a focus of the studio's output, and until the mania died out (the victim of changing public taste and official censorship) it was really a franchise.

    Also of interest in the casting is that of Zheng Xiaoqiu playing a negative character, a would-be sexual predator:  Zheng was just 17, and making the transition from child star to adult leading man; as far as I can determine, this was his only screen appearance as a bad guy.

[Full credits and plot synopsis follow after the bump]

Zhao Jingxia (? - ?)

[We could find no portrait photo of Zhao Jingxia:  despite her numerous film appearances, the only image we could confirm was definitely her was from the 1926 film we wrote about earlier, 《He Wants a Baby》.]

    Shanghai native Zhao Jingxia 赵静霞 joined the Shenzhou Film Company after graduating from middle school, and first appeared in 1925's《Unbearable Memories》as the spoiled daughter of a wealthy man.  This supporting role gained her a contract with the larger and more prosperous Mingxing studio, but also typecast her as a secondary player.  She was usually the second or third female in cast credits, often as the young wife of a supporting male character.  Zhao's debut role for Mingxing was as the concubine Pingjin in 1926's 《He Wants a Baby》.  This would be the first of more than 30 silent films she would make with Mingxing, although she had an uncredited part in China's first sound film, 《Songstress Red Peony》and one lead role in 1931's 《A Miss From Shanghai》.  By the turn of the decade, her roles had been getting steadily smaller, so she retired from the screen after 1931.  [Complete filmography follows after the bump]

Chinese Film History Studies

    As most film fans know, 1995 marked the centennial of the Lumiere brothers' invention of motion pictures, celebrated worldwide in various ways, e.g. retrospective film festivals, colloquia, forums and seminars, special publications, etc. In China, it stimulated awareness that the year was also the 90th anniversary of Chinese filmmaking, and China's own movie centennial was coming up in 2005. From that point, Chinese film history studies entered a growth period which accelerated greatly in the early 2000s, in the runup to the Chinese centennial.  While the outpouring of research and publication in the subject peaked in the middle of that decade, Chinese film history studies have continued to grow and flourish since then.
    We recently took a hiatus from posting, partly for some vacation down time, but also to organize our collection of Chinese movie history materials, which was getting out of hand.  When that task was completed, it seemed appropriate to share it with readers.  We had previously published a bibliography of such studies for 2008, but that was just a selection of what was available.
    So as a service to our readers, we have begun posting bibliographies of these publications.  The lists will be confined to Chinese language publications from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan; Western language publications are covered in other sources, e.g. the Bibliography of Asian Studies.  These will be posted in reverse chronological order, and archived under the category "Chinese Film History Studies [year]".  The years 2007-2009 have been posted, and future additions will be announced here as added to the archive. The bibliographies will go back at least to 2000.  Selected articles may be translated and published here in the future.

Charlie Chaplin: One Night in Shanghai

INTRODUCTION

A bowler hat on his head and a small cane in hand, wearing an ill-fitting, shabby tuxedo and oversized shoes ... a pinch of black mustache beneath his nose ... a duck-like waddle ...  Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" on-screen image was unmistakable, as instantly recognized throughout the world as Mickey Mouse.

Chaplin was enormously popular throughout the world, with China among the many countries where audiences loved his films.  Chinese historical records indicate his films were being shown there as early as 1919.  His films meshed perfectly with Chinese audiences' tastes at the time, as slapstick comedy shorts were the dominant genre of China's own nascent movie industry in the early 1920s.  Even after China's own filmmakers supplanted comedy with other genres later in that decade  ("mandarin ducks and butterflies" romances, then martial arts fantasies), the comedies of Chaplin and other Hollywood silent comics remained popular imports throughout the silent era.

I have already written about a Chinese comedy short, a Chaplin homage, which related a fictional visit of the comedy legend to Shanghai, with a Chaplin impersonator portraying the "King of Comedy."  But Chaplin himself finally visited China's movie capital in 1936, and the Shanghai movie community's welcome on that occasion was no less enthusiastic than it had been in the fictional version.

BACKGROUND

In early 1936, Charlie Chaplin had just completed filming his first sound film, "Modern Times," after which he embarked on a round-the-world cruise with his leading lady and fiancee, Paulette Goddard.  This was not the first time Chaplin had sailed to, or at least approached, Shanghai:  in 1931, after completing "City Lights," he and his brother Sydney went to London for the premiere, then traveled through Europe and India to Japan, a 16 month trip during which he met, successively, with Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Einstein, Gandhi and others.  After Japan, they sailed back to the U.S. on a second vessel which docked in Shanghai, but Chaplin chose not to leave the ship.  For his 1936 trip, Chaplin went in the opposite direction, sailing first to Asia and then on to Europe.

How the news of Chaplin's approach reached Shanghai is a bit of a mystery, as the actor's itinerary was a closely-guarded secret, even in the U.S.  In fact, not until he arrived in Honolulu was it was learned he was accompanied by Miss Goddard.  However, the news reached Shanghai on March 8 that a US ship, the President Coolidge, was approaching the city and that one of the passengers aboard was the world-famous and much-loved comic.  The city's film community was abuzz with the news, and hasty preparations to greet him began immediately.  But a possible flaw in this was the question of whether Chaplin would get off the ship, which would dock there for less than 24 hours, leaving early the next morning.  The itinerary was secret as he had wanted a quiet, relaxing holiday, free of the mobs of reporters who beseiged him whenever he traveled outside the U.S.  This time would be no different, as there were already more than 40 Chinese and foreign journalists at the dock at noon, before the Coolidge had even entered the harbor.  For some reason, there were no local movie celebrities at the dock, perhaps because the visit had caught the studios a bit by surprise; in any case, they made up for it that evening, especially considering they had only 24 hours to prepare.  (It later turned out that Chaplin's original itinerary was:  "Sail from California to Honolulu and then across to Japan.  One day's stopover in Shanghai, then depart for Hong Kong on the same ship.  Change ship in Hong Kong and go on to Manila, Bali and Indo-China."  At last, passage "through the Suez Canal to Paris."  The entire trip was to take five months.)

Wu Suxin, Zhang Huimin, and the Huaju Studio Silents

        After relying in the earliest years of Chinese filmmaking on stage artists, by 1925 China's growing number of film schools, studio-operated as well as independents, were turning out a deep pool of acting talent trained specifically for the the screen.  One of these was a young actress named Wu Suxin, who became a leading martial arts film heroine during the late-1920s mania for that genre.
    Wu Suxin was born in 1905 or 1906, and while sources list her as a native of Xiangshan, Guangdong, it is unclear as to whether that was her actual birthplace or her family's ancestral home.  (Chinese biographical sources often list both, especially if the subject was born in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin or outside of the China mainland.)  We do know that her birth name was Wu Baodiao 吴宝蝉, and after graduating from Kai Xiu Senior Girls School in Shanghai, she enrolled in the (independent) Far East Film College to study acting.  After graduating in 1925 she joined the newly-founded Tianyi Film Company (forerunner of the Shaw Brothers) and had important supporting roles in such films as "Repentance," "Movie Actress," "Legend of the White Snake," "The Tragedy of Liang and Zhu" and "The Pearl Pagoda," all of which starred Hu Die (still several years away from becoming China's "Movie Empress") with Wu Xin holding second or third billing among the females in each film.     

[left, Wu Suxin in traditional bridal dress; click on any image to see full size]    

    One of her early supporting roles was in the Minxin studio's "Heroine Li Feifei."  This brought her to the attention of two brothers who were starting their own studio, and for the next several years the name of Wu Suxin was inseparable from that of another: Zhang Huimin 张惠民.  We earlier discussed the varied careers of Zhang Huichong, the eldest of seven sons of a wealthy Shanghai businessman, who left a sizable fortune when he died.  Zhang Huichong used his part of the legacy to start a film company with his actress wife Xu Sue, a studio that specialized in martial arts films.  Hoping to emulate their elder brother's success, the second and third eldest brothers, Zhang Huimin and Zhang Qingpu 晴浦 used their share to start another studio they called Huaju, also specializing in martial arts. They recruited Wu Suxin to be their principal leading lady.  Her first movie for Huaju was the two-part "White Lotus," and from that start she went on to make a total of 24 films for the studio between 1927 and 1931, the bulk of them martial arts adventures, although Huaju moved into other genres when the mania for action films declined at the end of the 1920s.  One of Wu Suxin's recurring characters was a swordswoman called the "White Rose," and Huaju began listing her in the English language credits as "White Rose Woo," even in her non-action roles.  In most of these movies, Zhang Huimin had the male lead, with he and brother Qingpu sharing the directing, writing and cinematography functions.

Tang Wei: "I Still Haven't Learned to be a Star"

     [Since Chinese film authorities lifted the two-year ban on Tang Wei (汤唯) from filmmaking, which actually resulted in her disappearing from movie screens for three years, the promising young actress is back.  With one movie released very recently (to good reviews) and a second now in post-production, she has naturally been the subject of numerous interviews in the Chinese entertainment media.  The following is a translation of one of the longer (and I think best) of these, an interview Tang Wei gave to the Shanghai magazine Bund Pictorial in March, and published in Bund's print edition of April, 2010. The article is online at the magazine's site, as well as reprinted in other Chinese online news sources. Comments in brackets, like this one, are the translator's, added where it was thought more detail or clarification was desirable. Tang Wei's character in "Crossing Hennessey" is named Oi-lin, but some Chinese sources say the character has the Western name Eleonora; that is the one used here, and if that turns out not to be true, it will be corrected.  Tang Wei's preliminary remarks upon meeting the interviewer refer to an earlier Bund interview which was also translated in The Chinese Mirror.]

Text:  Li Jun (李俊).  Photography:  Xiao Wu (小武).  Ms. Tang's apparel by  Ling Yun (凌云). Interview venue provided by the Kangxi Star Photographic Studio in Beijing.

    What's the most popular word in the 2010 movie world?  "Comeback."  With their sex tape scandal faded from the news, Edison Chan and Gillian Chung have surfaced again, with non-stop commercials and filming.  But the Chinese movie comeback that will undoubtedly shine the brightest is that of Tang Wei. Her high-profile appearance on the red carpet at the premier of her new film "Crossing Hennessy" was also a declaration of her own comeback, signifying that the star of Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" was back on the big screen after two years of exile. Her new movie will be released in [mainland] theaters nationwide on April 2, and comments after advance screenings generally said that Tang Wei lights up the box office.  

    In just four short years, 31-year-old Tang Wei has gone through a roller coaster of life's ups and downs.  Since early 2006 she has gone from being just one of more than 10,000 aspiring young Chinese actresses, most of them acting in various small theaters throughout the country.  Her life changed completely when director Ang Lee selected her as Wang Jiazhi [her character in "Lust, Caution"].  Overnight she became famous and her family moved north. But fame is a two-edged sword, and at the same time she was wounded by its sharper edge, resulting in her sudden disappearance from public view.  Now, Tang Wei is back. 

     A dark blue commercial vehicle pulls up in front of the studio, and Tang Wei is the first to jump out. It is early March in Beijing.  Tang Wei is wearing a black jacket, a white shirt and jeans, her hair pulled back in a pony tail.  

    "I just returned to Beijing late yesterday, and I didn't sleep well.  I didn't get jet lag going over [to the US] but I did coming back, that's why my eyes are swollen," she explains, rubbing her eyes.

    Tang Wei had just concluded the filming of her next movie "Late Autumn" in the United States.  The day filming wrapped, she stayed up all night packing, and the next morning was on the first flight back to Beijing from Seattle.  

    "We finally meet, but actually have to continue speaking into space, because I can't open my eyes to see you!"  (Laughs)  Tang Wei, sitting before a mirror, closes her eyes as mascara is applied.
    "The last time I talked with you was by phone, in January 2008," says the reporter.
    "When we were on the phone back in 2008, can you tell me what question you asked me at that time?  What the situation was then?" Tang Wei turns things around and starts the questioning.
    "It was like, what time is it there?  Where are you?  It seemed you were very mysterious, and didn't answer, and you sounded very far away."
    "I remember that.  I was in a foreign country then, sitting at a table in an office, and watching the rain fall outside the window."
    "You said back then that your ideal life was to live in your own house with your family and a big dog."
    "Well, I haven't realized that ideal so far," Tang Wei said.

    Tang Wei is back.  On March 21, the Tang Wei-Jacky Cheung film "Crossing Hennessy" was shown at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Tang Wei set foot on the red carpet, dressed in a simple flowered short dress.  Tang Wei was out of movies for fully three years, and disappeared completely from various commercial involvements.  Her last production was also her first, Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution."

He Wants a Baby (1926)

    Earlier articles about the works of Zheng Zhengqiu and Hong Shen noted their committment to social reform, using their movies to criticize and expose traditional practices they opposed, such as arranged marriages and mandatory lifelong celibacy for widows, no matter their age.  Another feudal practice they abhored was patrilineage, which severely restricted the inheritance rights of widows and daughters. Women had enjoyed these rights in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), but those rights were taken from them during the succeeding dynasty, the Yuan (or Mongol), largely through the influence of Neo-Confucians at the imperial court.  The practice had continued into the 1920s.  (A childless widow who never remarried could legally adopt an heir, and this was a key plot point in the previous year's "The Good Brothers," which Zheng Zhengqiu had also scripted for the Mingxing studio.)

Zao Sheng Guizi (1926) 早生贵子 (He Wants a Baby)

literal English title:  (Have an Heir Soon)

alternate release title:  Lao Kangli (1926) 老伉俪 (An Elderly Couple)

    Mingxing.  B&W.  Silent.  9 reels.  Direction and Program notes:  Hong Shen.  Screenplay:  Zheng Zhengqiu. Cinematography:  Dong Keyi.  Sets:  Dong Tianya.  Cast:  Song Chanhong (Wu Dingqi), Xuan Jinglin (Mrs. Wu, née Sun), Zhao Chen (Sun Zijun), Zhang Minwu (Fuguan), Wang Xianzhai (Wei Qidong), Huang Junfu (Changshou), Huang Junzhen (old Mrs. Wang, the matchmaker), Cen Xueqin (Mrs. Li, née Wang), Zhao Jingxia (Pingjin), Ye Liangde (Li A Mao). 

 

[left, an extortionist is about to be dealt with severely:  Song Chanhong, Xuan Jinglin and Zhao Chen, right to left]  

     A prosperous couple. Wu Mei and his wife, have reached middle age, and while their marriage has been a happy one, it is childless. This worries Mr. Wu, for the lack of an heir would leave Mrs. Wu in an extremely vulnerable position, literally at the mercy of whatever male relative inherits the Wu estate.  So Mr. Wu retains a matchmaker named Wang to find him a concubine, a young woman who can bear children.  The matchmaker knows a shiftless thug named Wei Qidong who is himself childless, a poor provider and abuser of his wife Pingjin.  So Mrs. Wang induces Wei to sell Pingjin to her, after which the matchmaker sends Pingjin to Mr. Wu, who is unaware of his second wife's childless marital history. Three years later, Wu still lacks an heir, and in frustration decides to send Pingjin back to the matchmaker and replace her with another concubine. When he tells Mrs. Wang of his intention, she secretly contacts Wei Qidong and demands her money back. Unhappy at this, Qidong goes to the Wu couple, tells them of Pingjin's earlier marriage to himself, and threatens them unless he receives compensation for his "loss."  The situation is saved by the intervention of Mrs. Wu's younger brother, who roughs up the rascal and throws him out.  In the meantime, not wanting to be turned out of the place where she has at last found a loving home, Pingjin feigns a pregnancy to buy some time, an act of desperation that is soon discovered.  But Mrs. Wu has become fond of Pingjin, regarding her as the daughter she never had, so she persuades her husband to be patient and give the younger woman another chance.  A year later, Pingjin does bear a son, and all ends well.

[below right, Mr. Wu's first and second ladies relax and admire the new addition to their family.  (Xuan Jinglin, left, and Zhao Jingxia, right]  


 

[above left:  in the classic era, in conjunction with a film's release, Chinese movie studios would sometimes issue still photos that showed the cast members in character as if posing for a family portrait, even though the photo was not an actual scene from the movie.  This may have been one of those, showing Xuan Jinglin and the heir some years later, although the only appearance of the boy's character in the film was the newborn, in the picture above right.]

Zhu Fei: the Gigolo

[Zhu Fei in early career.  Click on any image to enlarge] 

    Zhu Fei (朱飞) was born in 1903 to a wealthy Shanghai family with ancestral origins in the south of China.  Upon graduation from the Far East Business School in that city, his degree and English language fluency gained him a position with the Anglo-American Tobacco Company, which had begun operations in Shanghai in 1923.  In 1924 the tobacco company founded a motion picture division, with the objective of exploiting the popular new entertainment medium to promote its products.  Initially, Anglo-American made short documentary films, shots of scenery and newsreels, filmed in such cities as Beijing, Tianjin and Suzhou as well as Shanghai, with advertising for tobacco products inserted into the middle of each film, like commercials in modern TV programs.  In 1925, the company shifted to making narrative films, mostly shorts but also two full-length features.  The only credits that have survived from any of these was that of a British expatriate named W. H. Jansen as the division's chief cinematographer, and Zhu Fei acting in one of the features.  But Anglo-American's films were of poor quality, lacking entertainment value, and audiences and critics rejected them.  So at the end of 1925, the company decided it could not duplicate the success of the Commercial Press, and shut down the division.
 [right, Zhu in later career] 

      But Zhu Fei had attracted the attention of the Mingxing studio's top director Zhang Shichuan, and he invited Zhu to join his company.  At that time, the dominant movie genre was the school called "Mandarin ducks and butterflies," relating the romantic struggles of a couple, typically a handsome, somewhat effete scholar and a beauty, often in ancient costume but sometimes updated to modern times.  Zhu Fei's appearance made him a natural for these.  He was very popular with female fans, many referring to him as their "screen lover" while critics pronounced him the standard for male beauty and projected he would have a brilliant career, the future "Asian Valentino." 

[above left, in 1926's "Her Sorrows" with Yang Naimei]

[lower right, in 1929's "The Beauty Under the Blade, with Han Yunzhen]

    Unfortunately, it didn't last long, the victim of changing audience taste in movies.  By the end of the 1920s, ancient costume romances had faded in popularity, supplanted by martial arts fantasies that featured athletic and rugged leading men, former star athletes like Jin Yan, Gao Zhanfei and Gong Jianong. Although Zhu was in a few parts of the "Burning of Red Lotus Temple" series, he was not suited physically to that now-dominant genre, and Mingxing didn't renew his contract when it expired. He made one movie in 1931 for Lianhua, "Hengniang," in which he had third billing behind his female co-stars Zhou Wenzhu and Tang Tianxiu, but he didn't make an impact.  

[left, in "Hengniang" (1931)]    

    So Zhu Fei left movies to pursue what had become his second career:  professional gigolo.  His boyish good looks had always been popular with women once described as being "of a certain age," i.e. more mature women willing and able to pay his bills.  He had no permanent address in Shanghai, and while the public thought this was because he was too cheap to buy a home, those in the film community knew that it was due to his second calling.  Like his contemporary Wang Yuanlong, he was rarely seen in public without a female companion.  Zhu Fei always stayed in good hotels, dined in fine restaurants and frequented Shanghai's most fashionable clubs, seldom having to pick up the check.  But in the classic fate of gigolos, as his looks faded from pretty to merely handsome, the supply of women sponsors began to dry up as well.  In addition, at some point Zhu Fei had become addicted to opium, and now his financial pressures were exacerbated by illnesses connected to the habit.  Desperate to recoup his fortunes, he attempted a comeback with Lianhua, his last studio, in 1934, but it came too late.  Zhu Fei died in Shanghai in 1935 of drug-related causes, age 32.  [Complete filmography follows after the bump]

Squandered Talent: the Wang Brothers

[left, Wang Yuanlong]    

 A prolific character actor with numerous credits in Hong Kong during the two decades immediately after World War II was Wang Yuanlong, nearly always a major supporting character.  Many of his earlier credits during this period were in martial arts and other action films, often as the hero's sifu; later, as he moved into middle age, he appeared more in dramas and romantic comedies, often as the father of one of the leads.  But like early martial arts heroine Qian Siying, while his face and name were familiar to HongKong film fans, it is unlikely that many outside of the industry knew of his earlier career in Shanghai, when he and his brother Wang Cilong were silent era leading men, and important members of China's first generation of directors.  (There were initially three Wang brothers in the Chinese movie industry, but like the Marx Brothers in Hollywood, not all had lasting on-screen careers.)  In the annals of show business, whether movies, music, or whatever, we often read the sad stories of celebrities whose stars shone brightly for a while, but whose fame and fortune were accompanied by poor lifestyle choices that ultimately destroyed their careers, and in some cases, their lives.  In the majority of cases, these one-time stars came from poor or modest backgrounds, and sudden success proved too much to handle; but the Wang brothers' story differs in that they were born into wealth, so perhaps the celebrity and power they enjoyed, combined with obvious character flaws, caused them to squander their talents.  But historical chance gave one of the brothers a second chance he exploited; for the other, the chance came too late.

    The wealthy Wang family of Baoding, Hebei, had three sons.  Except for a few film credits in the late 1920s, nothing is known of the eldest, who adopted the screen name "Wang Bailong" (王伯龙).  But it is recorded that second son Wang Yuanlong (王元龙), was born Wang Bingyu (王乘钰) in 1903.  He was athletic, and the family decided a military career would be most appropriate for Yuanlong, sending him to the Baoding Military Academy at age 19.  But two years later, in 1924, he decided on an alternate career path and went to Shanghai to seek employment as an actor in that city's new and growing film industry.  His first two films were with the Da Zhonghua (Great China) studio, and after it merged with the Baihe studio, he quickly moved into lead roles, including such popular successes as "Young Factory Owner" and "Battle Exploits," two of 1925's more successful films.    

    He was soon joined by the youngest of the brothers, Wang Cilong, born Wang Xuean (王雪庵) in 1907.  Probably using his elder brother's connections, Cilong joined the Great China studio in 1926, initially as a set designer, but soon moving into acting in minor parts.  That same year, Yuanlong turned his hand to writing and directing, beginning with 1926's "A Visit Home," which also gave Cilong his first role of substance.  In 1927, the three brothers decided to combine their movie experience with some of the family money and start their own production company.  The new business venture was called the San Long (Three Dragons) Film Company, aiming to exploit the martial arts craze of the time.  (龙, the second character in their adopted screen names, means "dragon".) 

    
[right, Wang Cilong]

["left, Four Heroes of the Wang Family'."]

    They produced several popular action films, beginning with "Four Heroes of the Wang Family," which featured the three brothers and another actor named Wang Zhengxin (王征信) [no relation] in the title roles, plus another Wang-surnamed non-relative, Wang Naidong (王乃东) as chief villain.  It may have been due to his athleticism and military training, but Yuanlong in particular was well suited to hero roles, and soon became a very popular leading man in the late 1920s.  Critics of the day were calling him the "Screen Emperor" several years before Jin Yan won that title in a newspaper fan poll.  The brothers followed their early success with more action movies in which they co-starred, but it all fell apart in a few years after the Chinese government's passage of the 1930 Film Censorship Act effectively banned martial arts fantasies, forcing the brothers to disband their company and follow other pursuits.  Bailong's next move is unrecorded, but Cilong joined the Lianhua studio as an actor and director, and Yuanlong  moved to Beijing to start and operate an acting school.  The two younger brothers were going downhill in their personal lives as well:  Cilong and his actress-wife Zhou Wenzhu had become drug addicts, and while there is no record of drug use by Yuanlong, Chinese sources describe his lifestyle as "dissolute and unconventional," and suggest he was a practitioner of what Hollywood termed the "casting couch."  Even in his Beijing period the stories of his numerous affairs continued.  

[right, Wang Yuanlong with Han Yunzhen in 1926's "Transparent Shanghai." The pageboy haircut, copied from Hollywood movie flappers, was popular with young urban Chinese women at the time.  Han (noted for her sexpot roles) may have been trying to project herself as the "Chinese Louise Brooks."]

     It may or may not have been connected to his personal life, but for whatever reason Yuanlong closed his film school in 1933 and returned to Shanghai to attempt a comeback.  He began by making a couple of minor films for his own, independent studio, then made three more for the Great Wall and Tianyi studios, but only one of these, 1934's "Give Back my Home" had any impact.  One of his comeback problems was that his matinee idol good looks had faded.  He disappeared from the film industry until 1939, when, somewhat ironically, the Japanese occupation of Shanghai revived his career by permitting Chinese studios to make movies that were sheer entertainments, and with the martial arts genre allowed again, he was in several productions that were popular with war-weary Shanghai residents hungry for escapist entertainment.   

[left, in 1931's "A Spray of Plum Blossoms," Proteus (Wang Cilong) captures the heart of Julia (Ruan Lingyu), seemingly by teaching her the latest Shanghai craze, "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider."]

     How the two remaining Wang brothers left Shanghai is unclear, but by 1940 they were in Hong Kong, prior to that city's occupation, starting a studio they called the Xinghai Film Company.  Cilong had abandoned his wife and child in Shanghai but continued supporting them financially; however, his death in 1941 at the age of 34 left them to an uncertain and probably tragic fate.  Whether he died of an overdose or from the cumulative effects of drug use is unrecorded, but his habit was certainly a factor.

[left, Two parents worried about their young adult children. Wang Yuanlong in the 1956 Hong Kong production "The Long Winding Road," with Chen Yanyan]

      Meanwhile, Wang Yuanlong sat out the war in Hong Kong in professional inactivity.  However, he did use the time to master the Cantonese dialect, which served him well in the postwar era.  When the war ended, he returned to Shanghai and resumed his career, mostly as an actor.  In 1949 he went back to Hong Kong for good, beginning a second career as a character actor and occasional director or writer.  Learning the Cantonese dialect greatly broadened his opportunities, as he was available for casting in both Cantonese and Mandarin productions.  While he never scaled the heights of his early career, Wang Yuanlong made (by my count) 110 films during this second phase, making the most he could of his second chance.   On July 20, 1959, while on location in Taiwan making what turned out to be the last of his films, Wang Yuanlong suffered a fatal heart attack, dying at age 56.  

 [right, Wang Yuanlong in one of his later roles as a wizened elder]