July 2009 - South American Sexy Girls

Helen Li Mei in the U.S.A.

Was Helen Li Mei deported from the United States in the wake of the Jantzen Swimsuit Affair? Did she immediately return to Hong Kong in defeat and shame? I don't think so... not our proud Helen!

Instead of being paraded around in a swimsuit, here's how Helen spent her four-month stay in the U.S.A.

Although she was dissed by Jantzen upon her arrival in the States, at least Helen got a little bit of aloha when she touched down in Hawaii on her way to New York.

In New York, Helen made personal appearances during screenings of A Girl Named Hong Hong (1956), a film that she financed and produced herself.

Here she is, signing photos for her young fans.

Hailed by Chinese Americans as the "most patriotic Chinese actress", Helen celebrated Double Ten Day in New York Chinatown.

She was even interviewed on WOR Radio. I'd love to hear this!

No visit to the Big Apple would be complete without meeting the mayor. Here she is with Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr.

Helen was given a tour of the United Nations Headquarters by Dr. T. F. Tsiang (on her right), the Republic of China's chief delegate to the U.N., and Dr. Victor Hu (on her left), the delegation secretary. Check out that cheongsam!

She also dined with Dr. George Yeh, the Republic of China's Ambassador to the U.S. Are you surprised? Well, Helen did major in political science before she became a movie star.

Here she is on the steps of the Capitol.

Helen visited with fellow Hong Kong actresses Siu Yin Fei (second from left, front row) and Pearl Au Kar-wai (second from left, back row), who were in New York at the time.

She also met Broadway's "Suzie Wong", France Nuyen. Was it cordial cattiness or sisterly love?

Anthony Quinn asked Helen to play the leading role in a film that he was planning on directing. Look at the camera, Tony!

Out on the West Coast, Helen visited the Twentieth Century-Fox studios. Is that Danny Kaye who is the object of her admiring gaze?

Finally, here she is in San Francisco, standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

This wasn't Helen's only trip to the United States. After she retired from show business in 1967, she married Chinese American Robert Ruan, a CIA officer she met in Taiwan, and moved to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she lived until her death in 1994.

Helen Li Mei: Hong Kong's Bikini Queen

I've been waiting for just the right moment to post this 1960 calendar pinup of Helen Li Mei that Oldflames kindly sent me earlier this month.

Eat your heart out, Jantzen!

Helen Li Mei and the Jantzen Swimsuit Affair

"Fetchingly attired in an oriental style dress, Chinese actress Helen Lee Mei uses the Chrysler building as a backdrop as she poses atop a building here Oct. 3rd. Miss Mei, who was supposed to represent the Far East in swim suit fashions in New York, said Oct. 4th that she will not pose in a bathing suit because she considers it immodest. She will be flown back to Hong Kong by the swim suit manufacturer." —UPI Photo, October 4, 1958

Helen Li Mei refusing to pose in a swimsuit because she thinks it immodest? Hmmm... that doesn't sound like the Li Mei I know.

While not quite an international incident, Helen Li's unexpected refusal to model for Jantzen, after being flown to the United States by the swimsuit manufacturer, was nonetheless noted by International Screen as one of the "Ten Biggest Events in 1958" (ranking third, right after Our Sister Hedy's Best Picture Award and Lin Dai's second Best Actress Award at the 5th Asian Film Festival). While it's impossible to know what really happened, the wildly different accounts in the American and Chinese press hint at — to put it nicely — a lack of cultural respect and understanding.

On October 1st, 1958, Helen arrived in New York to help publicize Jantzen's latest international collection of swimsuits and sportswear. Here's a news item showing her doing some preliminary publicity on the day of her arrival with the three other models participating in the promo tour.

INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS . . . The international model set was well represented by this quartet of lovelies who attended the premiere of the film "The Big Country" as Astor Theatre in New York Wednesday. From left, they are Helen Connor, England; Fay Vitucci, Rome; Mamo Howell, Hawaii; and Helen Lee Mei of Hong Kong. The first three are wearing variations of the chemise while Miss Lee Mei is wearing a traditional style Chinese dress.

—The Daily Review, October 6, 1958

However, it was soon being reported in the American press that Helen was refusing to wear a swimsuit for Jantzen.

No Swimsuit, No Publicity

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese model-actress from Hong Kong, flown here to help publicize a line of bathing suits, is being sent back home. She won't wear a bathing suit.

The wasted trip of beautiful Helen Lee Mei was described by a spokesman for the swimsuit manufacturer. He said Miss Mei agreed to come here and appear in the Jet Age International Show at Idlewild airport Tuesday, along with top-flight models from other countries.

Miss Mei arrived in New York Wednesday, and it soon became apparent there had been a misunderstanding.

"The other girls have created no difficulties," said the spokesman. "However, Miss Mei refuses to wear a swimsuit."

Miss Mei was not available for comment.

—Albuquerque Journal, October 5, 1958

So, what happened? Like I said earlier, Helen was no stranger to the swimsuit. In fact, she was one of Hong Kong's top pin-up girls, as this July 1958 calendar photo clearly attests.

According to Oldflames, International Screen had a quite different account of the Jantzen affair. Apparently, when the company had approached Helen's studio (MP&GI) and invited her to the United States to promote their new collection, they weren't very organized and never showed her the contract. However, since a press conference had already been held by MP&GI to announce the tour, she decided to just go ahead with it.

Evidently, when Helen finally arrived in New York, instead of welcoming her like the top star that she was, Jantzen only sent a low-ranking promotions assistant to get her signature on the contract. It is at this point, according to the American press, that Helen became "difficult" and refused to wear a swimsuit out of an alleged (and implied as inscrutable) modesty. But according to Helen, the real reason that she refused to cooperate with Jantzen was because their assistant was rude to her and the company had acted unprofessionally.

Rather than try and patch things up with her, Jantzen warned Helen that she might be deported if she did not change her mind. Upon hearing this, Helen became so angry that she decided to sever her relations for good. She even went so far as to make a public statement that she was not at all adverse to wearing a swimsuit but rather did not like the way that Jantzen treated her.

Again, it's hard to say what really happened, yet it is not so difficult to imagine a possible chain of events from Helen's perspective: a less than respectful welcome; continually, and incorrectly, being addressed as Miss Mei rather than Miss Li (see the news items above); and perhaps even being given the "China doll" treatment (this happened, after all, during the "Suzie Wong" era).

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Maybe Helen was a bit of a diva... I don't know. But looking at Helen, especially in the picture at the top of this post, I see a proud woman who was willing to stand up for the respect she deserved.

Further Reading
Helen Li Mei biography by Paul Fonoroff

You Can't Outsmart Pat!

To celebrate Patricia Lam Fung's birthday (which I found out about thanks to Enjoy Yourself Tonight), here's an amusing pictorial from Screenland No. 24 (September 1961) that perfectly captures Pat's capricious charm. A scan of the original is available here.

It was their day off and Patricia went with Cheung Ying Choy to visit a friend in his bungalow. But the friend was not in, so they sat down on the front porch to wait. Cheung nursed a monstrous idea while Pat was reading a copy of Screenland to pass the time.

When Pat seemed deeply absorbed he shook the ashes from his cigarette into her cup and stirred, very much amused. He called it an "added attraction".

But Patricia was not that dumb. Her eyes were on the magazine but she caught his every movement. He thought he was perfect but she was not fooled a bit.

She knew exactly what he was trying to do but she said nothing, for she had a counter-plan. Casually, she dropped the magazine on the floor, seemingly careless.

Cheung didn't know better. And to prove that he was a real gentleman, he stooped to retrieve the magazine. That was the moment Pat had been waiting for. Swiftly, she exchanged their cups.

Her movements were lightning fast and before Cheung straightened up, their cups had exchanged places. He never dreamed that she could be so cunning and so quick to act.

He handed her the magazine and she thanked him with a sweet smile. He thought he was a hero. "Now, Pat," he said, "you must be very contented to have a friend who is so considerate like me, eh?"

"Sure," Patricia replied, "otherwise I wouldn't have picked you to escort me." Cheung leaned back comfortably and thought it was about time to pull the string. So he raised his cup. "To our friendship," he said, smiling secretly.

He raised the cup to his lips, all the time watching how Pat would react, and drank deeply. He was thinking that the taste of the cigarette ashes would provide his amusement any minute.

But then his tongue told him that there was something wrong with his tea. And it tasted like it was mixed with some kind of ash. He scowled in puzzlement. Could it be that...

Patricia was already laughing hard and she seemed not affected in the least after downing her "added attraction". The truth was beginning to dawn on him when she asked, "How does it taste, your tea? Mine is very good."

It was apparent now the joke was on himself, and he couldn't even complain! And he had to admit it when Pat said, "You better stop trying, Cheung Ying Choy, for you will never see the day when you can outsmart me!"

Lin Dai: Still Shining Brightly

In memory of Linda Lin Dai (1934-1964), who passed away forty-five years ago today...

* Thanks to Oldflames for the 1962 calendar photo.

Lam Fung Lights Up My Life

Maybe it's just because her best films, the ones she made for Shaw Brothers between 1957 and 1961, are languishing in a dark vault somewhere, but Patricia Lam Fung has quickly become my number one cause and latest favorite star.

Here she is, the "Jewel of Shaw", in a 1963 advertisement for Philips. This stunning photo shows Patricia in full movie queen mode, rivaling Li Lihua, Lin Dai, and Loh Tih in elegance and sophistication, all the while retaining her characteristic warmth and openness.

I've said this before, and I will keep on saying it until the situation changes: the neglect shown towards Lam Fung's early films is, besides baffling, simply inexcusable.

To help you understand why I am so upset by this, imagine if Audrey Hepburn's films were locked away, never to be seen again. This is what I'm talking about. Patricia Lam Fung is that huge and that important to Hong Kong cinema.

Let me state it plain and clear: Lam Fung's Shaw films need to be restored and made available to the public. Besides all of her original fans who are dying to see these beloved classics once again, there are new fans like myself who have become enchanted with Patricia solely through old photos and movie magazines.

Lam Fung is ripe for a new audience. Don't keep her brilliance trapped inside a rusting film can. Unleash the "Jewel"! Let Patricia Lam light up our lives!

* A great big thanks to Oldflames for the scan, the title, the info, and the inspiration!

Dolly Soo Fung: Guns Are for Girls

Here's a pleasant little surprise from Screenland No. 24 (September 1961) featuring MP&GI's resident wallflower, Dolly Soo Fung. She may have been overshadowed by the studio's high-powered stars, but I've always been charmed by her gentle awkwardness and superb smile. A scan of the original article is available here.

Dolly Soo Fung Tries a Gun

The little cousin of Dolly Soo Fung had bought a toy pistol which shot plastic darts. Dolly wanted very much to try a few shots but cousin did not trust her at that. Dolly might ruin his pistol, and besides, Dolly was a girl and guns are not for girls. So Dolly had to try something to convince him.

"You say that guns are not for girls?" She said as she snatched the pistol, "Just let me show you how good I am with it." She snapped a shot and the dart stuck right on the nose of the doll on top of the refrigerator, which made little cousin's jaw drop in sheer admiration.

Her second shot found its mark on another doll.

"Gee, but you got to teach me that!" spluttered little cousin, real excited.

"Sure," Dolly agreed, "provided that you buy me some ice cream." So Dolly had ice cream and the pistol.

When I asked her where did she learn to shoot so good, she confessed, "I never learned. It was just luck."

America Looks at Li Ching

Here's an unexpected find: an article about Li Ching from the May 3, 1966 issue of Look magazine. Written as an Orientalist fairy tale with Cold War undertones, it nonetheless provides an interesting glimpse of Shaw Brothers' "Baby Queen". A scan of the original is available here.

Hong Kong's China Doll

High on a windswept hill in the mountains behind Hong Kong's crowded city of Kowloon rises a tatterdemalion castle — a rickety sentinel above the South China Sea. A visitor, approaching on the winding mountain road, can see the battlements, a temple, village streets and, on certain days, armies of Chinese, in colorful, flowing ancient costumes, jousting.

On this hilltop lives a young Princess. She is beautiful and adored; she can be very serious or very gay. She laughs easily and has never grown stuck-up. In fact, the people on the hilltop believe Li Ching, for that is her name, is as much pixie as Princess.

Li Ching reminds one of an earlier Hayley Mills, and she, too, is a gleaming movie star. Her hilltop realm is actually the Shaw Brothers' motion-picture studio, Hong Kong's largest, a few miles from Communist China. Not one in a million Americans has ever heard of her, but Li Ching has an endless following of fans among the movie-hungry people of Asia. Last year, at the Asian Film Festival in Kyoto, Japan, she was crowned the best actress of the year. She was 17.

Li Ching works every day in the cavernous studios on this hilltop and lives with her mother in a tiny apartment on the lee side of the hill. She has acquired none of the affectations or pretensions of stardom, and although her English is scrambled, she is learning to make herself understood in the language of womanhood. An extraordinary willingness to work hard, an abundance of green talent and a youthful verve has made Li Ching a star. She was born in Shanghai, youngest of eight; all her brothers and sisters are still there under Communist rule. Her father is a seaman on a British freighter.

Li Ching was five when she was brought to Hong Kong and entered in the Precious Blood Girls School. At 12, she became a Catholic. After her freshman year in high school, she was admitted to the Shaw Brothers' drama school. She wanted to be an actress simply because, "I thought it would be fun."

Li Ching's newest picture is titled Ching-Ching [also known as Moonlight Serenade] to capitalize on her box-office pull. She plays a peasant girl being sold to a matchmaker for marriage to a rich old man. Her rebellion is the heart of the story. Before Li Ching goes on Stage 3 under the eye of Director Yen Chuen, Producer Sam Waung calmly reminds her: "You are playing a teen-ager. You don't have to act. You are yourself."

Grace Chang: Sweet as Chocolate

Gosh... this 1950s Cadbury's ad featuring "Chocolate Girl" Grace Chang is absolutely adorable. With her sweet smile and eye-catching, milky brown cheongsam, Gracie is as irresistible as a piece of chocolate.

A great big thanks as always to Oldflames for sharing his Hong Kong movie treasures with us!

The Eyes Belong To...

OK, readers... here are the answers you've been waiting for. Thanks for all of your guesses and comments. And congratulations to Kathy for being the first to correctly identify all twelve pairs of eyes! As a prize, in the coming weeks I will grant her wish to see more of her favorite Shaw stars (Ling Po, Li Ching, Chin Ping, and Fang Ying) here at Soft Film.

The following calendar portraits appeared in Southern Screen No. 131 (January 1969). As always, you can click on the pictures for a larger version.

1. Ivy Ling Po