I love the reserved, slightly defiant look of Mai Ling on this cover of Screenland. The pink dress and pink plastic flowers can't cover up the motorcycle-riding tomboy. There's a hint of unwillingness on Ah Ling's part to play the expected role of eager young starlet, whether innocent or sexy. Maybe that's why she remained a second string player for most of her career.
It takes more than just beauty and talent to become a superstar. Besides simple luck, it helps to have connections and the shrewdness to use them. Take for example "Little Darling" Kitty Ting Hao, whose relationship with MP&GI general manager Robert Chung enabled her to climb the studio ladder. Knowing that, it's a little hard to stomach her innocent country girl act in the following clip from Beauty Parade (1961). Call me biased, but I'd much rather see more of Mai Ling, one of the "mean girls" in the film.
* Thanks to Oldflames for the cover!
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