Cinefamily Presents Anna May Wong
The Silent Film Theater – Los Angeles, CA
8/19/09
***
With this sensitive adaptation of “Madame Butterfly”, Anna May Wong became known to the world as an actress of subtle skill and loveliness. This film belongs completely to Wong, who shattered convention and prejudice in a heartbreaking turn as opera’s classic jilted lover. Up until this film, Asian roles were typically played by Caucasian actors–but with Toll of the Sea, Wong became the first American-born Asian performer to star in a major Hollywood movie. The film is also visually groundbreaking, as it’s the first feature film shot entirely in two-strip Technicolor. Wong would spend much of her career crudely cast in “Dragon Lady” roles, but the film that made her a star remains a testament to her breathtaking range and iconic beauty. The evening’s presentation comes from a gorgeous new restored 35mm print, courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive!

Dir. Chester M. Franklin, 1922, 35mm, 53 min.
(Restored 35mm print courtesty of UCLA Film and Television Archive)

Buy tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71325