I can think of only two other Asian actresses that released an autobiography published in America. One was Shirley Yamaguchi (FRAGRANT ORCHID), who stopped her story in mid-stream before her arrival in this country, and the other was Tsai Chin. The Chin book, DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI (1988), was an overview of her life up till then and was very honest about the heavy dramas in her life, including the Cultural Revolution that affected her parents back in China and her attempt at a suicide. Now comes A WATER COLOR DREAM: THE MANY LIVES OF IRENE TSU.
During her very young years, Irene Tsu studied ballet and toured with the traveling company of THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG. Not too much later was a trip to Hollywood for the filming of FLOWER DRUM SONG. Tsu's companion, both in the WONG tour initially and the filming of FLOWER DRUM SONG, was Nancy Kwan, who made a leaping advance with a one-two punch of the WONG and SONG films. Tsu, however, was a "working actress," which meant taking many roles on films and television and advertising for companies like Chevron.
Some actors and actresses minimize their acting and directing compatriots, if they mention them at all. Not Tsu. She also seems to be impressed like a regular person by well-known actors and actresses who were already big before her cinema career. Reading her book, I was constantly coming across a name that I knew. I had to smile several times at the mention of Pat Suzuki, who probably was the first "Asian" I had heard about when I was very young. My parents regularly played a RCA compilation album of various artists and one of the songs was Suzuki singing, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Decades later when I was doing messenger work for CBS, I met Suzuki at her Manhattan apartment and was impressed by her, and she seemed impressed that I knew of her! Tsu's book, therefore, brought many smiles to my face because she wrote of people and incidents that I was familiar with in my research. Even Lisa Lu was mentioned! Aside from the cast and crew, I am probably the only one who knows
about THE YIN AND YANG OF MR. GO, another film Tsu has memories of--and photos.
Of course, prominent in her autobiography were people like Elvis and her two-year romance with Frank Sinatra. I have to say that Sinatra's world is "not my scene." I come from a different generation. (As does Tsu.) Expressions like "broads" are not part of my vocabulary, and the Sinatra world of boozing and babes does nothing for me but just zeroes in on how different I am and the times are. Even Tsu, not that much older than I, inhabits a world that is somewhat foreign to me, though more accessible. I am not a follower of fashion, while Tsu became a successful dress designer for a while, nor do I go to yoga classes and teach Bikram Yoga. (I did yoga religiously, but in front of a TV set while paying attention to Richard Hittleman's YOGA FOR HEALTH.) And for many years now she is doing realtor work in the Beverly Hills area. So I am a poor boy from the other side of the town. But I am thankful for Tsu's memories. They are clear to read and don't deviate to unnecessary, long tangents. The entirety ends with her greatest challenge: motherhood. She adopted a Chinese girl, named now Yasmine. That, and the her parents coming over to help with the child rearing and her emotional connection at that time with her father, are a warm finish to a book that is much welcome.
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Irene Tsu's book, which includes a very full photo section, can be ordered from several places including Amazon, Bear Manor Media, and her own website, IreneTsu-Entertainment.com
