Anna May Wong was the filmic epitome of pre-WW II fascination with all things Asian. This embodied fear of the “yellow peril” right alongside intense interest in this most foreign of lands. Appearing as early as 1919 in a bit part, much to her Los Angeles laundryman father’s chagrin, her first starring role was in Hollywood’s first color film, 1922’s The Toll of the Sea, and she successfully made the often difficult transition to talkies. Throughout the 1930s Wong found steady work as the gorgeous and exotic star of many melodramas and action films, including A list supporting roles in Europe and B movie starring roles in the states. Although Anna May was stunningly beautiful—tall and slinky with large expressive eyes, and sort of an Asian cross between Louise Brooks and Bettie Page—she was also an actress of great depth. Many of her performances are quite memorable, including holding her own against Douglas Fairbanks at the height of his powers in The Thief of Baghdad (1924) and upstaging (many feel) fellow prostitute Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express (1932). During this time she also performed on the stage in England and America, in addition to her globe-trotting cabaret act.

Anna May Wong overcame many obstacles, not the least of which was the blatant discrimination of the time and the behavior expected of marginalized Chinese Americans in general and women in particular. She was underpaid; typecast (dragon lady, slave girl, dancing girl, mistress, thief, spy, astrologist, maid, etc.—most of whom paid a fatal price for consorting with white men); officially despised in China for betraying the homeland (even though her American roots go back to 1855); and severely limited by the Hays Code, which forbad interracial relationships on the silver screen and mirrored the harsh anti-miscegenation laws of the time. Her greatest disappointment was being denied the starring role in MGM’s The Good Earth, which went to Louise Rainer opposite Paul Muni with the aid of “yellowface” makeup (spirit gum used to give the eyes a higher slant). Wong turned down the lesser role of Lotus as she would have been the only Chinese American in the film playing the only negative character in the story.

World War II dimmed her star and the passage of time has largely erased her memory. To some Anna May Wong is a heroic pioneering figure who won fame against all odds, while others view her as a second rate actress who willingly participated in stereotyping and the fetishization of eastern women. The real Anna May was the greatest Asian star of the 20^th century, and the stuff dreams are made of.

Authentic Hollywood movie and publicity stills are a hit or miss commodity. As with most things, the earlier and more rare the better, and condition can be important, but it often comes down to celebrity. Experience and market research will tell you who’s hot and who’s not.

Anna May Wong is more than just a pretty face…she’s a cult figure, spawning more books, documentaries, and film festivals all the time. An envelope of her original 8 x 10 glossies stuck in the middle of thousands of newspaper file photos was enough to make me go to the wall for the whole lot. It was worth it, as I recently sold 29 of these glorious black and white photos in 15 eBay auctions (grouped together by movie title) for a total of $1,960.

I kept six of these shimmering images to myself, representative of all her moods and attributes. Samples from both groups are presented below in date order.

Shawn Purcell operates Balopticon Books & Ephemera and can be contacted at http://www.balopticon.com