Free Screenings: Golden Age of Hollywood
1 Apr – 30 May
SCREENING
Free Screenings: Golden Age of Hollywood
Notice:
Please note that the installation is unavailable on 12 Jan due to a booking for private event.
Catch rare screenings of Anna May Wong, the first female Chinese American movie star, and animated shorts of lost interviews with Hollywood luminaries Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich and Grace Kelly.
This April to May, immerse in the Golden Age of Hollywood at ArtScience Cinema as we spotlight the first Chinese American international film star Anna May Wong, whose legacy is one of resilience and trailblazing. Born above her father’s laundry in Los Angeles’ Chinatown in 1905, Anna May Wong dazzled audiences with her poise, striking beauty and emotive performances on screen.
Wong continually rebelled against racial discrimination and refused to exaggerate stereotypical gestures or accents throughout her career. Frustrated to being relegated and typecast as the ‘Dragon Lady’ or exotic other, Wong moved to France to seek better opportunities, where she became fluent in both French and German. In 1929, she landed the lead role in the English silent film Piccadilly, which has been lauded as her best work.
In 1936, Wong left for China to document her travels – My China Film was a trip of personal and cultural significance, and Wong herself directed and produced the short film. The film was later aired in an American television program Bold Journey, “Native Land” two decades later in 1957.
We are proud to present these two significant works in Anna May Wong’s oeuvre, Piccadilly and My China Film, as an homage to her legacy and who paved the way for greater diversity in Hollywood.
Accompanying these screenings are short animated interviews with fellow leading ladies Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich and Grace Kelly, produced by Quoted Studios in their series, Blank on Blank. Brief but revealing, these interviews provide an insight to how they strived to be more than just a screen siren.
This programme is in conjunction with the exhibition Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful.
For more information on related cinema programmes, click here.
Free admission
Screenings are on a first-come-first-served basis, subject to venue capacity.
Piccadilly (1929), E.A. Dupont
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109 minutes
Showtimes
Apr & May
Mon – Fri: 2pm and 4pm
May Weekends
5, 11, 12, 18 & 19 May: 2pm
No screenings on
19 Apr
2, 4 May
Dubbed as ‘one of the truly great films of the silent era’ by Martin Scorsese, Piccadilly stars Anna May Wong as Shosho, a young woman working in the kitchen of a London nightclub. Her sensuous tabletop dance catches the eye of suave club owner Valentine Wilmot, who gives her the chance to become the club’s main act.
She rises to become the toast of London and the object of his erotic obsession - to the bitter jealousy of Mabel, his former lover and star dancer.
Acknowledgements
Source of footage: BFI National Archive, British Film Institute
Special thanks to Espen Bale and John Carino -
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My China Film / Bold Journey: Native Land (1936)
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30 minutes
Showtimes
Apr
Mon – Fri: 10am – 2pm and 5.35pm – 6.45pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 11.15am
May
Mon – Fri: 10.30am – 1.45pm and 6pm – 6.30pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 1.45pm
Screened on loop with Blank on Blank animated shorts
No screenings on
19 Apr
2 and 4 May
A documentary-like film, Anna May Wong directed and produced her one and only trip to China in 1936. My China Film depicts Wong exploring her native land through everyday activities –walking through the streets of Shanghai, enjoying the view of their ancestral village with her father, and being fitted for cheongsams.
First filmed in 1936, My China Film was presented two decades later in 1957, in a television programme called Bold Journey: Native Land. The programme interspersed footage from My China Film with an interview of an older Anna May Wong, who reminisces on the trip and reconciles with her diasporic identity with humour and wisdom.
Acknowledgements
Source of footage: UCLA Film & Television Archive
Special thanks to Kara Molitor -
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Blank on Blank Animated Interviews
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Blank on Blank by Quoted Studios: Bette Davis on the Sexes
6 minutes
"I think men have got to change an awful lot. They still prefer the little woman."
- Bette Davis in 1963
Interview by Shirley Eder
Known for her fearless portrayals of complex, multi-faceted women, Bette Davis’ iconic performances in classics like All About Eve and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress for both roles. A cinematic legend, the American Film Institute named Bette Davis as one of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema in 1999.
Showtimes
Apr
Mon – Fri: 10am – 2pm and 5.35pm – 6.45pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 11.15am
May
Mon – Fri: 10.30am – 1.45pm and 6pm – 6.30pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 1.45pm
Screened on loop with Anna May Wong’s My Bold Journey and Blank on Blank episodes.
No screenings on
19 Apr
2, 4 May
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to David Gerlach -
Blank on Blank by Quoted Studios: Marlene Dietrich on Sex Symbols
6 minutes
"I have never used my body. I have played roles where the legs were used and the body was used but in life, I have never done that"
- Marlene Dietrich in 1969
Interview by Jay Kent Hackleman
Showtimes
Apr
Mon – Fri: 10am – 2pm and 5.45pm – 6.45pm
A pioneering influence of liberation, allure, and sexuality, the German-born Marlene Dietrich redefined femininity on screen with her androgynous style and trailblazing spirit. A prolific actress, her daring wartime activism solidified her as a symbol of resistance. In 1932, she starred with Anna May Wong in Shanghai Express and the two became friends.
Screened on loop with Anna May Wong’s My Bold Journey and Blank on Blank episodes.
No screenings on
19 Apr
2, 4 May
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to David Gerlach -
Blank on Blank by Quoted Studios: Grace Kelly on JFK
5 minutes
"He turned to me suddenly and asked: 'Is that a Givenchy you're wearing?' And I said, 'why how clever of you, Mr. President. However did you know?'"
- Grace Kelly
Interview by Paul Gallico / JFK Archives
June 19, 1965
Palace of the Principality, Monaco
Showtimes
Apr
Mon – Fri: 10am – 2pm and 5.45pm – 6.45pm
Embodying sophistication, style and elegance both on and off screen, Grace Kelly captivated audiences with her poise and timeless glamour. Before becoming Princess of Monaco, she starred in numerous films, though her work with Alfred Hitchcock (Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief) remains well known.
Screened on loop with Anna May Wong’s My Bold Journey and Blank on Blank episodes.
No screenings on
19 Apr
2, 4 May
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to David Gerlach
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