Naomi Greene
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824838355
- eISBN:
- 9780824869755
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824838355.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This chapter examines three American films that take us from otherness to sameness and reflect the swing of the pendulum governing images of China that took place in the 1930s: Josef von Sternberg’s ...
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This chapter examines three American films that take us from otherness to sameness and reflect the swing of the pendulum governing images of China that took place in the 1930s: Josef von Sternberg’s Shanghai Express and The Shanghai Gesture and Sidney Franklin’s The Good Earth. The chapter first discusses the 1927 silent film Mr. Wu, directed by William Nigh, and the contrast between the two faces of the protagonist. It then explains how Shanghai Express, The Shanghai Gesture, and The Good Earth embody the opposing archetypes of the Chinese that have long inhabited the Western imagination. Whereas von Sternberg’s films bear witness to American sexual taboos, The Good Earth reveals a missionary or Christian-inflected preoccupation with the “good life.” However, all three films define the other in terms of the self; sameness, not difference, holds sway. The chapter also looks at cinematic representations of the Chinese villain par excellence, Fu Manchu, in order to highlight the Chinese stereotypes prevalent in American films.Less
This chapter examines three American films that take us from otherness to sameness and reflect the swing of the pendulum governing images of China that took place in the 1930s: Josef von Sternberg’s Shanghai Express and The Shanghai Gesture and Sidney Franklin’s The Good Earth. The chapter first discusses the 1927 silent film Mr. Wu, directed by William Nigh, and the contrast between the two faces of the protagonist. It then explains how Shanghai Express, The Shanghai Gesture, and The Good Earth embody the opposing archetypes of the Chinese that have long inhabited the Western imagination. Whereas von Sternberg’s films bear witness to American sexual taboos, The Good Earth reveals a missionary or Christian-inflected preoccupation with the “good life.” However, all three films define the other in terms of the self; sameness, not difference, holds sway. The chapter also looks at cinematic representations of the Chinese villain par excellence, Fu Manchu, in order to highlight the Chinese stereotypes prevalent in American films.
Graham Russell Gao Hodges
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9789888139637
- eISBN:
- 9789882208698
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888139637.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Media Studies
This is a biography of Anna May Wong, legendary Chinese American actress. Its covers her upbringing as second-generation Chinese America in Los Angeles. It uncovers early career in Silent Films, ...
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This is a biography of Anna May Wong, legendary Chinese American actress. Its covers her upbringing as second-generation Chinese America in Los Angeles. It uncovers early career in Silent Films, struggling to maximize value of her popularity move to Europe to gain greater fame and resist stereotyped racial roles. The book reflects her immense stardom in 1920s and 1930s and controversy over yellow-face casting in film The Good Earth. The reaction to Wong in Europe and her controversial reputation in China are also discussed. The book also mentioned her fifty-five films, television and radio shows and stage performances. Her personal struggles and accomplishments, support for China during World War II and later life can be seen through the book. It concludes with Wong's impact on Asian American cinema.Less
This is a biography of Anna May Wong, legendary Chinese American actress. Its covers her upbringing as second-generation Chinese America in Los Angeles. It uncovers early career in Silent Films, struggling to maximize value of her popularity move to Europe to gain greater fame and resist stereotyped racial roles. The book reflects her immense stardom in 1920s and 1930s and controversy over yellow-face casting in film The Good Earth. The reaction to Wong in Europe and her controversial reputation in China are also discussed. The book also mentioned her fifty-five films, television and radio shows and stage performances. Her personal struggles and accomplishments, support for China during World War II and later life can be seen through the book. It concludes with Wong's impact on Asian American cinema.
Michael Sragow
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780813144412
- eISBN:
- 9780813145235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813144412.003.0018
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
After finishing The Farmer Takes a Wife, Fleming and a friend went on a long safari in what is now Kenya. He shot big game and returned to the U.S. revitalized and ready to take on his next big ...
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After finishing The Farmer Takes a Wife, Fleming and a friend went on a long safari in what is now Kenya. He shot big game and returned to the U.S. revitalized and ready to take on his next big project, the adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s novel The Good Earth. Fleming and MGM made extensive preparations for the movie, but just before shooting, Fleming developed a blood clot and was confined to bed. The film was then given to director Sidney Franklin.Less
After finishing The Farmer Takes a Wife, Fleming and a friend went on a long safari in what is now Kenya. He shot big game and returned to the U.S. revitalized and ready to take on his next big project, the adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s novel The Good Earth. Fleming and MGM made extensive preparations for the movie, but just before shooting, Fleming developed a blood clot and was confined to bed. The film was then given to director Sidney Franklin.
