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    Anna May Wong

    1905-01-03 (119 years old) in Los Angeles, California, USA

    Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress whose long career spanned both silent and sound films, television, stage, and radio. Apart from being recognized as the the first Chinese-American movie star, as well as the first Asian-American to become an international star, she was also seen as an acclaimed fashion icon due to her being the one of the early stars to embrace the flapper look. Born near the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles to second-generation Chinese-American parents, Wong became infatuated with the movies at an early age and quit education to focus on beginning an acting career. After landing parts as uncredited extras in silent films, she had her first leading role in The Toll of the Sea (1922), one of the first movies made in color. Her role in Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924) helped her achieve international stardom. Tired of being offered stereotypical supporting roles, she left Hollywood for Europe in the late 1920s, where she starred in several plays alongside notable names like Laurence Olivier. She made her final silent film in Britain titled Piccadilly (1929), which earned her wide praise. Her first talkie, The Flame of Love (1930), was recorded in three languages: English, French and German. She spent the first half of the 1930s traveling between the United States and Europe for film and stage work. Wong was featured in films of the early sound era, such as Daughter of the Dragon (1931) and Daughter of Shanghai (1937), and with Marlene Dietrich in Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (1932). These films brought her more and more fame, which she used to express her staunch political views. Although she advocated for Chinese-American causes and criticized the stereotypical roles she played, Chinese press and critics continued to view her as a disgrace to the country. After experiencing the most severe disappointment of her career, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer refused to consider her for the leading Chinese role in the film The Good Earth (1937), and instead chose a white German actress in yellowface, Wong spent the a year touring China, visiting her family's ancestral village, and studying Chinese culture. Returning to Hollywood, she starred in several B movies that portrayed Chinese-Americans in a positive light in the late-1930s. As World War II rolled around, she focused less on her film career and decided to devote her time and money in helping the Chinese against Japanese invasions. Returning to the public eye in the 1950s with several television appearances, she started her own detective mystery television show titled The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong (1951), the first U.S. television show starring an Asian-American. She was scheduled to return to film in Flower Drum Song (1961) but she died of a heart attack. For decades after her death, Wong was remembered mostly for the stereotypical roles she was given although critics have begun to reevaluate her life and career. In 2022, Wong became the first Asian-American to be depicted on American coinage when the quarters with her image on them went into circulation. In 2023, Mattel released a Barbie doll modeled on Wong in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

    Movies

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    Golden Gate Girls
    55 %|Apr 1, 2013
    Documentary, History
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    Portrait in Black
    57 %|Jul 27, 1960
    Drama, Thriller
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    Just Joe
    0 %|Jul 1, 1960
    Comedy
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    The Savage Innocents
    67.13 %|Mar 20, 1960
    Drama, Adventure
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    Impact
    61 %|Mar 20, 1949
    Thriller, Drama, Mystery
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    Lady from Chungking
    52 %|Dec 21, 1942
    Drama, War
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    Bombs Over Burma
    50 %|Jun 5, 1942
    Action
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    Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery
    53 %|Mar 24, 1941
    Mystery
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    Island of Lost Men
    57 %|Aug 16, 1939
    Crime, Drama, Mystery
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    King of Chinatown
    59 %|Mar 17, 1939
    Action, Crime, Drama
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    When Were You Born
    51.879999999999995 %|Jun 18, 1938
    Mystery, Romance
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    Dangerous to Know
    65 %|Mar 11, 1938
    Crime, Drama, Mystery
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    Daughter of Shanghai
    53 %|Dec 17, 1937
    Crime, Drama, Romance
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    Hollywood Party
    63 %|Apr 3, 1937
    Comedy, Music
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    Limehouse Blues
    42 %|Dec 11, 1934
    Crime, Drama
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    Tiger Bay
    64 %|Sep 1, 1934
    Crime, Drama
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    Java Head
    60 %|Jul 31, 1934
    Drama, Romance
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    Chu Chin Chow
    43 %|May 1, 1934
    Music, Fantasy, Romance
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    A Study in Scarlet
    55 %|May 14, 1933
    Crime, Mystery, Thriller
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    Hollywood on Parade No. A-3
    0 %|Oct 20, 1932
    Comedy
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    Hollywood on Parade
    30 %|Jun 5, 1932
    Comedy, Music
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    Shanghai Express
    69 %|Feb 12, 1932
    Drama, Romance, War, Crime, History
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    Daughter of the Dragon
    51 %|Sep 24, 1931
    Crime, Drama, Science Fiction
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    Flame of Love
    0 %|Sep 19, 1930
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    The Flame of Love
    55 %|Mar 7, 1930
    Music, Romance, Drama
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    The Road to Dishonour
    0 %|Feb 26, 1930
    Drama, Music
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    Elstree Calling
    51 %|Feb 6, 1930
    Music, Comedy
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    Pavement Butterfly
    60 %|Apr 9, 1929
    Drama
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    Piccadilly
    64 %|Feb 1, 1929
    Drama, Crime
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    Song
    80 %|Aug 21, 1928
    Drama
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    Chinatown Charlie
    0 %|Apr 15, 1928
    Comedy
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    Across to Singapore
    68 %|Apr 7, 1928
    Adventure, Drama
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    The Crimson City
    0 %|Apr 7, 1928
    Action, Drama, Romance
    actor
    Souvenirs
    0 %|Feb 15, 1928
    Drama, Romance
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    Streets of Shanghai
    0 %|Dec 15, 1927
    Drama
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    The Devil Dancer
    0 %|Nov 3, 1927
    Drama, Romance
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    The Chinese Parrot
    0 %|Oct 23, 1927
    Mystery, Crime
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    Old San Francisco
    57 %|Sep 4, 1927
    Drama, History, Romance
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    Why Girls Love Sailors
    59 %|Jul 17, 1927
    Comedy
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    The Honorable Mr. Buggs
    60 %|Apr 24, 1927
    Comedy
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    Mr. Wu
    55 %|Mar 26, 1927
    Drama, Romance
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    Driven from Home
    0 %|Jan 15, 1927
    Drama
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    The Desert's Toll
    0 %|Nov 14, 1926
    Western
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    The Silk Bouquet
    0 %|Jun 25, 1926
    Drama
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    A Trip to Chinatown
    0 %|Jun 6, 1926
    Comedy
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    Fifth Avenue
    0 %|Jan 24, 1926
    Drama
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    His Supreme Moment
    0 %|Apr 12, 1925
    Drama
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    Forty Winks
    0 %|Feb 2, 1925
    Comedy, Drama
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    Peter Pan
    70 %|Dec 29, 1924
    Family, Adventure, Fantasy
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    The Alaskan
    0 %|Sep 14, 1924
    Drama
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    The Fortieth Door
    0 %|May 25, 1924
    Adventure
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    The Thief of Bagdad
    73.24 %|Mar 18, 1924
    Romance, Adventure, Fantasy
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    Lilies of the Field
    0 %|Feb 29, 1924
    Drama
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    Thundering Dawn
    0 %|Nov 5, 1923
    Drama, Romance
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    Drifting
    62 %|Aug 26, 1923
    Drama
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    Mary of the Movies
    0 %|May 27, 1923
    Drama, Romance
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    The Toll of the Sea
    62 %|Jan 22, 1923
    Drama, Romance
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    The White Mouse
    0 %|Nov 6, 1921
    Drama
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    Bits of Life
    0 %|Sep 26, 1921
    Drama
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    Shame
    0 %|Jul 31, 1921
    Drama
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    A Tale of Two Worlds
    55 %|Mar 13, 1921
    Drama
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    The First Born
    0 %|Jan 30, 1921
    Drama, Romance
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    Outside the Law
    62 %|Jan 6, 1921
    Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
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    Dinty
    52 %|Nov 21, 1920
    Adventure, Comedy
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    The Red Lantern
    60 %|May 4, 1919
    Drama

    Series

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    Asian Americans
    0 %|May 11, 2020
    Documentary, War & Politics
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    The Barbara Stanwyck Show
    62 %|Sep 19, 1960
    Drama
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    Danger Man
    74 %|Sep 11, 1960
    Action & Adventure, Drama
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    Adventures in Paradise
    57 %|Oct 5, 1959
    Action & Adventure, Drama
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    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
    67 %|Sep 6, 1955
    Drama, Western
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    Climax!
    27 %|Oct 7, 1954
    Drama, Mystery
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    Climax!
    27 %|Oct 7, 1954
    Drama, Mystery
    actor
    The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong
    0 %|Aug 27, 1951
    Mystery