News
ENLARGE
The Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS), in its Asian Film Festival debut, features a documentary on the Chinese-American Hollywood movie star, Anna May Wong in Frosted Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times and Legend. Anna May Wong graced the silver screen from the silent era in the 1920s to the 1960s. She was the first Asian American movie star to achieve national and international acclaim.
Her career included movies with Hollywood greats such as Douglas Fairbanks (“The Thief of Bagdad,” 1924) and Marlene Dietrich (“Shanghai Express,” 1932). “Piccadilly,” in 1929, is considered her best work. In addition to films, Anna May was a star on stage, radio, and television.
Her natural acting ability, with its fluidity, charm, and exoticism, often “upstaged” the main star. Her career often took her to Europe, where her reputation continued to flourish. She was one of the few Hollywood actresses who successfully transitioned from silent films to talking films.
In Frosted Yellow Willows, viewers will experience the heartfelt confines of her culture and her uphill climb to stardom in the midst racism and discrimination. She was a Chinese-American woman ahead of her time, whose dreams were restricted by the laws of the United States against the Chinese, and whose aspirations were also hindered by the practices of old Hollywood.
Her talent and achievements, nevertheless, were recognized even back then –– and have, in recent years, gained in momentum –– some 100 years after her birth. She became an inspiration to anyone facing challenges in the midst of pursing their dreams. Her life had become a benchmark for Asian Americans in the arts. She was a true trailblazer.
“Frosted Yellow Willows” has screened all over the United States since 2007, including on Turner Classic Movies. Abroad, it has screened in London, Italy, and in late August, in Melbourne, Australia. If you are a fan of old Hollywood classics, this documentary is a must-see. Meet the producer and director, Elaine Mae Woo. The film is narrated by Nancy Kwan. See www.anna-may-wong.com.
For more information on CATS, see www.catsweb.org or call Jeannie Wood, Executive Director, at (530) 265-2990 or contact her at info@catsweb.org.
Nancy Kwan, Narrator
Nancy Kwan made her acting debut in The World of Suzie Wong (1960) for which she was nominated Best Actress by the Hollywood Foreign Press. It was followed by a memorable performance in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (1961), the first major western film with an all-Asian cast. Since then, Miss Kwan has appeared on stage, screen, and television all around the world. She has also expanded her credits to include writer, producer, and ambassador for Hong Kong's film community.
Elaine Mae Woo, Writer, Director, and Producer
Elaine's background is in domestic and international marketing and sales for various American corporations and companies. She studied at U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State University in the mid-1960s and has been taking film and new media courses at UCLA Extension since 1994. She considers herself a documentarian of Asians in Hollywood from circa 1900 to 1940.
The second day of CATS' Asian Film Festival takes place on Sunday, Sept. 20, at St. Joseph's Cultural Center, with the screening of Pride's Deadly Fury, a kung fu martial arts film, starring Master Li Jun Feng, who is a present-day qigong master, who has a local following in Nevada County.
Her career included movies with Hollywood greats such as Douglas Fairbanks (“The Thief of Bagdad,” 1924) and Marlene Dietrich (“Shanghai Express,” 1932). “Piccadilly,” in 1929, is considered her best work. In addition to films, Anna May was a star on stage, radio, and television.
Her natural acting ability, with its fluidity, charm, and exoticism, often “upstaged” the main star. Her career often took her to Europe, where her reputation continued to flourish. She was one of the few Hollywood actresses who successfully transitioned from silent films to talking films.
In Frosted Yellow Willows, viewers will experience the heartfelt confines of her culture and her uphill climb to stardom in the midst racism and discrimination. She was a Chinese-American woman ahead of her time, whose dreams were restricted by the laws of the United States against the Chinese, and whose aspirations were also hindered by the practices of old Hollywood.
Her talent and achievements, nevertheless, were recognized even back then –– and have, in recent years, gained in momentum –– some 100 years after her birth. She became an inspiration to anyone facing challenges in the midst of pursing their dreams. Her life had become a benchmark for Asian Americans in the arts. She was a true trailblazer.
“Frosted Yellow Willows” has screened all over the United States since 2007, including on Turner Classic Movies. Abroad, it has screened in London, Italy, and in late August, in Melbourne, Australia. If you are a fan of old Hollywood classics, this documentary is a must-see. Meet the producer and director, Elaine Mae Woo. The film is narrated by Nancy Kwan. See www.anna-may-wong.com.
For more information on CATS, see www.catsweb.org or call Jeannie Wood, Executive Director, at (530) 265-2990 or contact her at info@catsweb.org.
Nancy Kwan, Narrator
Nancy Kwan made her acting debut in The World of Suzie Wong (1960) for which she was nominated Best Actress by the Hollywood Foreign Press. It was followed by a memorable performance in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (1961), the first major western film with an all-Asian cast. Since then, Miss Kwan has appeared on stage, screen, and television all around the world. She has also expanded her credits to include writer, producer, and ambassador for Hong Kong's film community.
Elaine Mae Woo, Writer, Director, and Producer
Elaine's background is in domestic and international marketing and sales for various American corporations and companies. She studied at U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State University in the mid-1960s and has been taking film and new media courses at UCLA Extension since 1994. She considers herself a documentarian of Asians in Hollywood from circa 1900 to 1940.
The second day of CATS' Asian Film Festival takes place on Sunday, Sept. 20, at St. Joseph's Cultural Center, with the screening of Pride's Deadly Fury, a kung fu martial arts film, starring Master Li Jun Feng, who is a present-day qigong master, who has a local following in Nevada County.
Know and Go
What: Frosted Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times and Legend
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13 Where: The Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley Admission: $10 advance; $15 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Book Seller, BriarPatch Market, Gold Mountain, Nevada City Postal Company, and online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Call (530) 265-2990 for group rate of 10 or more. |
