Looks Familiar

Something about the face. Could this be the future "Blind Swordswoman" of four later films--Yoko Matsuyama? The link will tell you where to go on YouTube.

 

I think so!

France Nuyen Interviewed

France Nuyen was interviewed recently by The Lambs, a theatrical organization started way back in 1874! This interview is special, as Ms. Nuyen (spelled her with the extra "g" as the name is spelled in Vietnam) does not give or asked to give interviews. Enjoy! 

 

Four in One

BURKE'S LAW was a very successful TV series with Gene Barry that ran from 1963 to 1966. In the 1964 episode, "Who Killed the Paper Dragon," four Asian-American actresses appeared on the show. Primarily, there was Ginny Tiu and Miyoshi Umeki, playing daughter and mother. Secondary roles were played by Tura Santana, as a dancer in a private room, and June Kim, as a hostess. One of the main male roles was played by James Shigeta, who in the film FLOWER DRUM SONG fell in love with...Miyoshi Umeki.

 

Tura!

The Suzie Wong Play with Nuyen and Shatner - Scenes

You have to click on the link and watch the video on YouTube.

Who is this girl?

 A question. I know the answer, but a lot of people don't.

Pink Lady

You learn something every day, well, at least, every week or month. I never knew about this duo, but they are/were very big in Japan. What is more important, they were the first Asian variety series in America, and the third American TV show with the main star an Asian, in this case, two. First, there was Anna May Wong and her THE GALLERY OF MADAME LIU-TSONG (1951), and then MR. T AND TINA (1976). Both shows failed.  

Pink Lady (that's the name of the duo) had on their own variety show in the States in 1980. Because they knew very little English, they were joined by comedian Jeff Altman, and so the series was called at times, PINK LADY AND JEFF. They made six shows, but the series was taken off the air when it just didn't get America excited, a fate of Anna May Wong and MR. T's Pat Morita.

The clip will show you how big they were on their final tour. 

 

Romi Again and...

It was a surprise to see this on YouTube. In Japanese, but there are a lot of photos of Romi Yamada:

 

 

 

Meanwhile, my absence had a lot to do with computer trouble. I think, and hope, that the difficulties are over now!

And her is a song from Romi: 

 

She Was Nancy

So far the only actress to win an Oscar was Miyoshi Umeki for her supporting role in SAYONARA (1957). When she performed in Japan, where she was born on May 8th, 1929, she was known as Nancy Umeki and a little while here, but then her real name was used as her Japanese name sounded more authentic for the interest over things Asian. Aside from her brief movie career, which included FLOWER DRUM SONG and CRY FOR HAPPY, she made many television appearances. Then, when things seemed to be quieting down, she appeared as "Mrs. Livingston" in the TV show, THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER. That show ran from 1969 to 1972, and has become as institution. She has a lovely voice and a lovely presence in the films she did.

 

Is She Asian?

For a long time, I was aware of Barbara Luna. I always thought of her as Hispanic, but recently I started finding out more. Though she was born in New York City, her father seems to have been a Filipino. She was, in fact, a Eurasian, with other ethnic influences, primarily Hungarian from her mother's side. If one goes to her website, BarBaraLuna.com, one will find more about her. As far as I know, she wasn't talked about as an Asian (she may have early on) and referred to as an Asian who broke this or that barrier, frequently mentioned these days. Her looks meant she could play many parts, and indeed some of her roles were as a Hispanic. She did loads of TV and a smattering of feature films. One of the biggest of the later is THE DEVIL AT 4 O'CLOCK, a 1961 film where she worked with Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra. She played the part of Camille, a Polynesian woman who is blind. And, yes, the Philippines is in Asia.

 

Okay, She's Cute...

The former child prodigy, Ginny Tiu, was cute. Very cute. I posed the clip of when she was on THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW, and you can see why she was very cute. (I think I already said that.) She was very popular at that age. Not only was she on several TV shows, she also performed on stage. And she was in the Elvis Presley film, GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS with her younger sister. Her parents got sisters and a brother involved in show acts, too. And a recording studio. It was the Happy Little Tius and then The Ginny Tiu Revue, and probably a couple of other names before the team split, each going their separate ways.

Now Ginny Tiu performs at Hawaii's 53 By the Sea, or used to before the Covid pandemic closed a lot of places all over the world. The restaurant is open now, but how open and if Ginny is still performing are questions I can't answer can't answer at this point.

Charles Vine and the Asian Lady

Charles Vine, the 2nd best secret agent in the whole wide world, talks to this Asian lady, played by Mona Chong, before he finds out the real truth. Yes, a second more and it could have been embarrassing.

Just Like Really

When I reviewed Irene Tsu's new book, I mentioned two other books from Asian actresses that were published, one by Shirley Yamaguchi and the other by Tsai Chin. But I forgot an autobiography: JUST LIKE REALLY by Cherylene Lee. I was aware of this book and certainly Cherylene Lee. I had already written about her here and the other child prodigy, Ginny Tiu. But there was something regretful and sad about Cherylene. She died not long ago on March 18, 2016 after years of painful cancer treatments. Her mother had died several years before. There was a photo of them together that I put on this blog. Facebook never dies, so Cherylene's Facebook is still active.

Recently, I had to read her book. As I found out, it was not a simple task to acquire it. Though the book was around, I needed to pay full price and then some. Once ordered through an Amazon link, I got the book quickly. So no problem there.

Parts of JUST LIKE REALLY were difficult to read because of the emotion they generated. Not just Cherylene's emotion, but my own. Structured so that the story of Cherylene and her mom on cruises (stories that can be very funny) alternates with the story of Cherylene's career. Reading the book, I came across familiar names, familiar times. I was thankful for first-hand information.

Cherylene's book was published by Longevity Press with a street date of August 31, 2015. Longevity Press a very small publishing concern of Richard E. Bush. Despite the small nature of the Press, the book is very professional in design and content. If you check the dates of the book's publication and Cherylene's death, you will see there is not much separation. Another reason for my sadness.

Curious, I did some behind-the-scene searching and found out that: 

JustLikeReally Website

Expires On

2022-08-26

Registered On

2015-02-19

Updated On

2020-08-18

 

Cherylenelee.com

 

Expires On

2022-08-26

Registered On

2007-07-31

Updated On

2020-08-18

 

The Cherylenelee site is no more. It seems an idea that was never developed. But the JustLikeReally website was done and still active. The site contains info about Cherylene's career, photos, etc. Somebody worked on it who knew what he or she was doing.

 

I don't know how good are Cherylene's plays, as I haven't read or seen them performed, but the book is a masterpiece to me. But I still get emotional when thinking about Cherylene.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

I am a firm believer in respecting the culture of other lands. Here you see how important is the communal bath in Japanese households. Men and women together. (Though this picture is just of women, as you can tell!) I don't know if this tradition is just as valuable as it once was, but it is important and should be honored.

 

 

The photo is from CRY FOR HAPPY, a 1961 film with, for the male roles, Glenn Ford, Donald O'Connor, and James Shigeta. Taking a bath and honoring tradition are, pictured from left to right, are Miyoshi Umeki, Michi Kobi, Tsuruko Kobayashi, and Miiko Taka. Miyoshi is so far the only Asian actress to win an Oscar. She received it for SAYONARA, which also starred Miiko Taka.

That Dress...

Anna May Wong in the "dragon" dress used for LIMEHOUSE BLUES, the 1934 film with George Raft. In the film, Wong and Raft had a dance sequence that is quite memorable. Also quite memorable was this dress, which designed by Travis Blanton and still shows up in museums and special events.

 

When Being an Asian Actress Meant a Lot in Hollywood

Very quickly, I learned not to take current pronouncements as gospel-truth. There were times when being an Asian actress in Hollywood was a "big thing." More and more, roles for Asian actresses in America were sought for major roles, unlike in earlier times when a white actress could play the part of an Asian. This change started in the 1950s. One of the important changes was TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON. First the novel, then the play, and finally the movie with Marlon Brando (yes, playing an Asian), Glenn Ford, and...actress Machiko Kyo, playing the important part of Lotus Blossom. 

 

 

Very soon, Brando was playing another role, this time without Asian makeup. His female partner was another Asian actress, her first film role--Miiko Taka. The film: SAYONARA.

 

 

 

Best Wishes from Maylia!

 

Who is Maylia? Well, she was  heralded as the new Anna May Wong and appeared in a few films like SINGAPORE and TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Truth is, no one could match Anna May Wong's popularity at the time, even though there were Asian actresses who made the attempt or their publicists did. Maylia (birth name: Gloria Suie Chin) was actually a Detroit girl who eventually married actor Benson Fong in 1947. Both set up the chain restaurants, AH FONG, in the Los Angeles area, which were very popular. The Fongs also had five children, so just running restaurants, or appearing in films, was not all they are noted for. The Fongs had a large family which must be larger by now!

One of my biggest sorrows is learning that a person I am researching has died fairly recently, sometimes very close to where I currently live. I picture in my mind that the person thinks she is forgotten by all. Maylia had a big enough family to disprove that and, besides, lived on the West Coast, but I would still like to talk to her and find out more about her career. Not to be, but...

I had the opportunity to get an autograph by Maylia. And then a large photo, publicizing her in one of her films. I am not an autograph hunter, but the price was very low on eBay, and I jumped at the chance. And then there is a thought that bought a smile to my face. What if the "Best Wishes" was directed to my project and coming from a contented beyond?

 

Irene Tsu Wants You to Come to Chevron Island

 

 

 

 

To find out more, much more, read Irene Tsu's just published autobiography:

 

A WATER COLOR DREAM 

 

Mystery Photo

Answer: As far as I know, this is Lillie Mui, a young actress who just appeared in two films: TOO HOT TO HANDLE (1938) and BARRICADE (1939). This shot is taken from TOO HOT TO HANDLE, with Clark Gable as a newsreel reporter. Talk about "fake news" with some of this reporting! (Using a contemporary term for those times.) Everything is done for the newsreels, including setting up fictitious scenes. Nowadays newsreels are a thing of the past and unseen for decades at the local movie theater, but they were big back then.

I wasn't able to find anything about Mui, aside from a IMDB listing and a couple of cast mentions in newspaper archives. Her bit in the Gable film is most amusing.

Lucky Grandma - A Review

They used to say, and perhaps still do, a "tour de force." The term comes instantly to mind as one is watching LUCKY GRANDMA and the performance of actress Tsai Chin, who plays the title role. I've been aware of Tsai Chin since the sixties when I first saw her in THE FACE OF FU MANCHU. At that time, she was playing as Fu's daughter, named in the series as Lin Tang. She was in five of these films, of which I only saw the first two in a theater. The third, THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU, I must have seen on television later, as I had not seen it when it was shown, without promotion, on the bottom half of a double bill. The last Fu Manchu films were directed by Jess Franco and are some of his worst films, though watchable when Lee or Chin are on screen. I saw Chin in the Bond film YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, but didn't pick up on her and the Fu Manchu connection. She was around later, but did not have any continual presence in American theaters or television shows. But things began to pick up. She published an autobiography in 1988, DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI, and was the ensemble cast of THE JOY LUCK CLUB in 1993. She was also appeared in Daniel Craig's first Bond film, CASINO ROYALE (2006), becoming one of the rare, non-regular actresses to appear twice in a Bond film, and the only one whose appearance was spread out in many years and for different Bond actors. One almost anticipated that her character in this film, "Madame Wu," would have more of a part, either later on in the film or in the series. Shades of Lin Tang. But that was not to be.

Nowadays, I know much more about her. Researching for my book on Asian actress in America, I am probably one of the few non-Asians who know her history. I have a DVD of THE VIRGIN SOLDERS, and am very much aware of MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, which makes a fib of the promotion of CRAZY RICH ASIANS unless the Japanese are not considered Asian. And I have on pre-order the Blu-Ray release of INVASION, a 1965 British sci-fi film she appeared in, along with another Asian actress, Yoko Tani. I will not sing the "Ding-Dong" song, however, and even Chin is probably tired of that one, having popularized it internationally decades ago.

But these days, the talk is of LUCKY GRANDMA. I had to order the Blu-Ray, but I was willing to be somewhat disappointed, having had an experience of seeing some independent, low-budget film. But my disappointment was not there once I started watching the film. Though it is labelled a "black comedy"or a "dark comedy," I would not hover around that term. The film becomes more and more serious, leading up to a climax that, for Chin, is the best thing acting-wise she had done.

Evey frame speaks of talent and care, in front of the screen and in back. The acting includes not only Chin, but the other Asian actors and actresses. (For this film there is no Occidental presence aside from an "Atlantic City" casino sequence, and, therefore, the possibility for an ethnic statement is not there.) Not only is the film one of the few independent Asian films in the States, but it also focuses completely on seniorhood that is not financially popular. While I don't know an Asian grandma like Lucky Grandma, nor would I, the character seems very real--to a point. I suspect that parts of Lucky Grandma's expression are quite normal for Tsai Chin. When she smiles (rarely in this film), I saw the same smile in photos and clips decades old. Few will be transported back to a young Tsai Chin, but I was in these instances.

I don't know if this film is eligible for an Oscar. Though it has a copyright date of 2019, the film was streamed this year because of the Covid pandemic. What I do know is that, if the film is eligible, I would not be at all surprised if there was an Oscar nomination for Tsai Chin. 

 

 

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Good Deed Entertainment Website for LUCKY GRANDMA