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Anna May Wong - Frosted Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times & Legend
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In the early 1990s, a well-known director at a reception following the screening of a
Kurosawa film brought Anna May Wong to Elaine Mae Woo's attention. Elaine admitted that she
new nothing about Anna. The director shook his head, said a couple of words and then walked
away. It was at this point, that Elaine swore that she would learn about Anna before she
would ever see this director again. This is how the making of Anna May Wong: Frosted
Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times, and Legend began. Nearly ten years in the making, this
biographical documentary film is finally being presented to the public. Interviews were
conducted with members of Anna's family, childhood friends and people who worked with her.
Without the support of individuals: Nancy Kwan, Kevin Brownlow, A. C. Lyles, Judy Yung,
Philip Leibfried, Leonard Maltin, Law Kar, many other film historians, archives, academic
institutions and devoted Anna May Wong admirers, this film would never have been
made.
With disarming sensuality and commanding presence, Anna May Wong defined the role of the
exotic Asian woman in early Hollywood cinema. Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows: Her
Life, Times, and Legend (2008) tells the story of a Chinese-American woman who endured
many hardships and heartaches to become an international star of film, stage and television.
At the young age of 16, she was handpicked to star in Technicolor’s two-color picture,
The Toll of the Sea (1922). She caught the eye of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who would
cast her as the seductive Mongol slave in his ambitious epic, The Thief of Bagdad
(1924). She bewitched silent moviegoers with the mixture of sweetness, vulnerability, and
sultriness that she infused into her characters. As the silent era transitioned to
talking-pictures, Anna’s characters also transformed. In Shanghai Express (1932),
Anna displayed keen wit and intelligence that challenged the star power of Marlene Dietrich.
Anna never stopped searching for challenging film roles in Hollywood and abroad. She
performed on stage and “one-woman” performance throughout England and Europe. During World
War II, she used her fame to promote the China War Relief efforts. She entertained American
and Allied troops, sold war-bonds, and donated her furs and jewelry. By the end of the war,
the public had grown weary of Asian-themed films and even Hollywood had little need of Anna.
In 1951, Anna retreated to television beginning with her own television show. Now, after
many years of relative obscurity, a younger generation has begun to discover her.
Narrated by Nancy Kwan
Producer/Director/Screenplay: Elaine Mae Woo
BW&C-50m.
 
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