James Wang (c. 1863 – 1935) was a Chinese actor and casting agent who worked in Hollywood from the 1910s to the 1930s. He is known for discovering the actress Anna May Wong.
James Wang | |
|---|---|
 James Wang, from a 1919 publication | |
| Born | 1863 |
| Died | 1935 (aged 71–72) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1910 - 1930 |
Biography
editWang arrived in San Francisco around 1878 at the age of 18.[1]
He told reporters he had been raised by missionaries in China, and that when he came to the United States, he began working as a minister at churches in Boston and New York City.[2][3][4][5]
He was accused of being a member of the Hip Sing Association — a Chinese-American street gang — in the early 1900s, although he was also an advocate for reform in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood, and offered up evidence that led to a number of police raids.[6][7]
Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career as an actor and a casting agent. He was often called on to procure Chinese talent by the major studios,[8] and it was in this capacity that he discovered a young Anna May Wong in Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood.[5]
Selected filmography
edit- The Last Man (1932)
- China Seas (1935)
- The Painted Veil (1934)
- Men of the Night (1934)
- The Cat's-Paw (1934)
- Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)
- The Hell Cat (1934)
- Ever Since Eve (1934)
- The Secrets of Wu Sin (1932)
- Roar of the Dragon (1932)
- Charlie Chan's Chance (1932)
- Are These Our Children (1931)
- The Black Camel (1931)
- Welcome Danger (1929)
- Old San Francisco (1927)
- The Yankee Clipper (1927)
- The Non-Stop Flight (1926)
- Never the Twain Shall Meet (1925)
- The Eagle's Feather (1923)
- Desert Driven (1923)
- Tipped Off (1923)
- East Is West (1922)
- Hills of Missing Men (1922)
- Lotus Blossom (1921)
- The City of Dim Faces (1918)
References
edit- ^ "Inside Stories on Hollywood". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. April 17, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Feature New Girl in Each of 20 Movies". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. April 5, 1933. p. 18. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Keavy, Hubbard (April 3, 1933). "Hollywood Screen Life". The Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, New York. p. 6. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oldest Actor Plays Again". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. March 14, 1933. p. 7. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Chan 2007, p. 30.
- ^ "Chinatown Raided". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. April 27, 1905. p. 12. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Says Jim Wang's a Grafter". The Sun. New York, New York. June 23, 1905. p. 12. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chinese Play Is Offered at Empire". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. April 23, 1922. p. 30. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
edit- Chan, A.B. (2007). Perpetually Cool: The Many Lives of Anna May Wong (1905-1961). The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1-4616-7041-4. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
 | This article about a Chinese actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |