On July 21 this year, Marvel's first Chinese superhero movie "Shang Qi and the Legend of Ten Rings" announced the cast. Canadian Chinese actor Liu Simu played Shang Qi, and the villain Mandarin is starring Tony Leung .
was accused of the character Mandarin for containing an insulting element, and was boycotted by netizens.
html In August, many luxury brands were suspected of insulting China, causing celebrities such as Yang Mi and Liu Wen to terminate their contracts with the brand, which in turn caused a series of controversy.
On September 5, the CEO of Coach's parent company stepped down, which is said to be due to the previous "indignity of China T-shirts" incident.
, which was once high-ranking foreign capital, has now collectively changed its direction and has licked the Chinese market one after another. Even the arrogant Disney has opened an exception for China. The live-action movie " Mulan " officially announced Liu Yifei , and there are also Jet Li , Zheng Peipei , Donnie Yen , etc. starred together.
Once upon a time, the Chinese were just the "Yellow Peril" on the screen of Hollywood , evil characters such as Mandarin, or the lonely girl played by Huang Liushuang .
One hundred years ago, Hollywood had a rude stereotype about China. Huang Liushuang, as the first star in China to make a living in Hollywood, spent her whole life trying to break this barrier.
but in the end it can't stand Hollywood's discrimination against China. Unfortunately, he was misunderstood and "insulted China" and was banned and finally died of depression.
A bumpy life is a sigh of relief.
Chinese dolls in Hollywood
All legendary lives start with the same dull beginning.
In 1905, Huang Liushuang was born in Los Angeles, USA. Her parents run a laundry in Chinatown.
Like the Chinese in the United States at that time, Huang Liushuang's parents worked hard and lived a humble and dedicated life. Their only wish was to raise eight children in the family and let them take over the job in the laundry.
html Unexpectedly, Huang Liushuang, the most well-behaved and clever second daughter, actually had other bold ideas - she wanted to become an actress in Hollywood. html When he was 09 years old, Huang Liushuang bought a movie ticket with a tip for helping others wash clothes and watched the first movie in her life. Since then, I have developed a great yearning for the world on the screen.She often locks herself in the room, uses the bed as a stage, and the dolls as props, and writes and acts in front of the mirror, and enjoys it.
The Hollywood crew at that time often filmed in Chinatown and also recruited some Chinese extras based on local materials. Every time a crew comes to film, Huang Liushuang will always go to watch the fun.
Once, a crew member needed a child from Dongfang Kong to play. Huang Liushuang recommended herself, smart and outstanding, and was attracted by the director at first sight.
So, Huang Liushuang became a regular visitor on the set. At the age of 14, she waited for a character with lines, a supporting role in the movie "Red Lantern".
In an interview with reporters, Huang Liushuang said: "When the performance, I had a wonderful feeling, as if I was playing myself." When
16, she won a supporting role with a greater role and acted opposite the star Lang Chaney in the movie "Life". Although she is young, Huang Liushuang's acting skills and her amazing beauty quickly attracted the director's attention.
As expected, Huang Liushuang was spotted by the director of Metropolitan Film Company Franklin , who invited her to star in the film "The Death of the Sea" set against the Chinese story.
The Lianhua played by Huang Liushuang rescued a Western man and made a lifelong decision with him. After learning that the man already had a family and became a mistress, Lianhua, who was abandoned all the time, committed suicide by angrily and indignantly.
17-year-old Huang Liushuang interprets such a tragic and delicate character in a moving way. After the release of the video, the praises were buzzing.
Japanese media even posted: "Huang Liushuang's acting skills are far above Japanese performing stars."
The Hollywood movie stars at that time were basically white faces, and occasionally some Asian faces were probably Japanese. As for Chinese, they can only play evil supporting roles in the film and then die.
So "The Sea Death" starring Huang Liushuang is of considerable epoch-making significance.
But the following starring in "The Thieves of Baghdad" seems to have returned to the starting point. In the
film, Huang Liushuang plays a Mongolian female slave. She has no outstanding roles and amazed the world by revealing her body, winning the box office championship that year.
American media commented that "only Liu Shuang's beautiful body is deeply engraved in the audience's mind."
Facing praise, Huang Liu Shuang fell into confusion and confusion. What she played seemed to be a weak Chinese baby image for white people to enjoy.
She couldn't help but feel sad and asked the American media: "Why are the Chinese on the screen always some bad guys and villains? I seem to be able to play prostitutes or women who sacrificed for love and have no social status, and finally they can only die again and again in the film."
She said self-deprecatingly: "Dead pitifully seems to have become my unique skill."
Ununderstood Life
In 1928, in order to get rid of Hollywood's stereotype of Chinese identity, Huang Liushuang left Hollywood in the United States and went to Europe to shoot a movie. During
, she starred in five British films. He also learned some French and German, and also starred in European opera.
1929, a movie "The Chinatown Fun Dream" swept across Europe.
film The image of Chinese people has improved significantly for the first time. Huang Liushuang plays the maid "Shosho" who overcomes difficulties and becomes a dancer. Although she is smart and calculating, she is brave in pursuing her dreams and her image is three-dimensional and full.
This film is popular in various British cinemas, so Huang Liushuang was invited to attend the British royal banquet.
A year later, Huang Liushuang was invited by Paramount Pictures to return to Hollywood and played the leading role in the movie "Daughter of the Dragon", partnering with Japanese actor Yukishou Hayakawa.
This is the first movie starring two Asian actors and is an extraordinary move in the history of film.
And she and actress Marlene Deedley co-star " Shanghai Express ", easily became the box office star of that year.
Huang Liushuang believes that her efforts will make Hollywood's view of Chinese people change. However, she was wrong.
1936, Hollywood planned to film the movie "The Earth" adapted from the classic Pearl Buck. As a Chinese actor with impeccable status and acting skills, Huang Liushuang played the role of the heroine Alan, a Chinese girl.
However, in order to take care of the white tastes of the Oscars, the filmmaker finally chose to star in German actress Louis Reina. The reason for Huang Liushuang to refuse was actually "She is too oriental."
In the end, Rena won the Oscar for Best Actress with Alan in "The Earth". Huang Liushuang also saw the utilitarian reality of the United States clearly. At this time, she received an invitation letter from China.
When Huang Liushuang met and master Mei Lanfang when she was in London. She once asked the latter to teach Peking Opera. At that time, Mei Lanfang had no time to take care of it, so she sent a letter to agree to accept Huang Liushuang as her disciple.
Huang Liushuang made a quick decision, turned down all film contracts from the United States, and rushed to China.
There were many celebrities from Shanghai who came to welcome her, including the famous diplomat Gu Weijun and his wife and scholar Lin Yutang . Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang and a generation of actress Hu Die prepared a dinner for her, accompanied her to visit Shanghai and meet celebrities from all walks of life.
All of this made Huang Liushuang feel the warmth from the motherland, and her erratic heart that was wandering in Chinese and Western cultures was comforted.
In a letter to her American friends, she wrote: "Although China is unfamiliar with me, I'm back home, I really wish I was born here."
Suddenly the situation changed, and the media began to criticize her image in Hollywood. Some reporters even asked her sarcasticly: "What's the difference between you playing so many roles that insult China and cultural traitors?"
Because Huang Liushuang had played erotic and sexy roles, the public believed that she was a puppet used by Hollywood to ugliness Chinese and gave her the label of "insulting China".
Huang Liushuang defended: "I don't have many choices, and it's not my choice in many cases. But if I don't play, there will be white people to play, and I just want to get a chance to let Chinese people play Chinese."
But no one listened to her explanation. She wanted to return to her ancestral home, Taishan , but the locals refused to let her enter Taishan County , and even threatened to expel the Huang clan.
Huang Liushuang had to return to the United States in a dim manner.
Conclusion
Shortly after returning to the United States, the War of Resistance Against Japan broke out in full swing. Huang Liushuang was anxious and actively invested in anti-Japanese propaganda films and donated all the income from the film industry to the China United Relief Association. In addition, he delivered speeches many times at the banquet in the film industry, calling on the American people to support China's war of resistance.
However, she is not accepted by the Chinese.
In 1943, Soong Mei-ling visited the United States to seek support from the United States for China's anti-Japanese war. Hollywood held a welcome party of 1,500 people for this purpose. As the only Chinese superstar, Huang Liushuang was not among them.
Because the delegation specifically explained that Huang Liushuang should not invite "insulting the Chinese".
After Huang Liushuang learned about it, she felt sad and finally died of depression in 1961.
A year ago, in 1960, at the inauguration ceremony of Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Huang Liushuang became the first Chinese star to stay. Later generations followed her footsteps and left behind the names of Bruce Lee , Jackie Chan , and Liu Yuling.
They shine together, witnessing the legendary changes in Chinese film history later.
Source
【1】"The stunning star banned by Soong Mei-ling Huang Liushuang is a patriotic and home-loving little woman. People's Daily
[2] "Huang Liushuang: Chinese porn star rising in the silent film era". China Overseas Chinese Network
[3] "Biography: Huang Liushuang". Hao Jisi
