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May 24, 2016

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Home » District » Minhang

‘Three hairs’ and an enduring legacy

By Lu Feiran | May 24, 2016, Tuesday | Print Edition

THE name Wang Longji might not ring a bell for most people today, but mention the legendary cartoon character Sanmao and eyes light up in recognition.

Sanmao, a name that literally means “three hairs,” is known to everyone in China. Wang was the actor who brought the character to the silver screen 68 years ago.

Now living in Minhang District, the 76-year-old left the film industry long ago and retired from work as an electronics engineer. His own life story is almost as colorful as the fiction of film.

“Looking back to my life, I think it was no less amazing than a movie plot,” said Wang. “Although playing Sanmao was just a very short period of my life, when I was a child, it did guide me through the rest of my life.”

Wang was eight years old when Sanmao, the creation of cartoonist Zhang Leping (1910-92), was turned into cinema in 1949. The character, with a snub nose and three distinctive hairs on an otherwise bald head, was raised in an orphanage and survived by his wits through troubled times in China in the 1930s and 40s.

The first movie adapted from the comic strip was called “The Winter of Three Hairs.”

Many people might think that Wang got the part because of his father Wang Yunjie, who was a well-known musician of the era. But actually, the casting came quite by accident.

Wang recalled the day that movie director Yan Gong visited his home, when he was engaged in a skirmish with several older boys.

“At that time I looked a little bit like Sanmao, with a big head on a lanky body,” he said. “And just like Sanmao, I was very stubborn. I looked up and stared at those boys, getting ready for a real fight. And Yan, suddenly seeing that side of me, decided I was perfect for the role.”

Through clever make-up, Wang took on the appearance of the comic strip character. He sported a snub nose made with gum and glued to his face. The iconic three hairs were made of copper wires covered with hair and glued to his head.

According to Wang, Sanmao was a complicated character to bring to life. On the one hand, he had no family and was forced to eke out a living by doing all sorts of jobs at an early age. On the other side, his diverse relationships with all sorts of people taught him all the unspoken rules and gestures of pretense needed to survive. All the bright and dark sides of the character were shaded in acid humor.

“It was natural that the movie would be so popular,” said Wang. “In society at that time, many people identified with Sanmao and his travails.”

Playing Sanmao, launched Wang as a child star briefly. He had roles in several movies and attended drama school in Shanghai. He became a scriptwriter after graduation.

But his life took a sharp turn in the tide of politics. In the 1960s, the government exhorted young people to go work on farms and in factories. Literary and artistic pursuits were frowned upon. Wang was assigned to work in a radio factory.

“My father advised me to learn before working,” he said.

Wang started as a printed circuit-board polisher. He learned the technique from scratch, and, not satisfied with manual polishing, tried to design a machine to do the work better.

His dedication paid off. After more than a decade, he created the first semi-automatic production line in the electronics industry. In 1981, Wang was sent to Japan as an intern in National Co Ltd for two months, which was a big deal back then.

Back home, Wang’s efforts turned a small factory into a giant enterprise. In 1990, he became the secretary-general of the China Printed Circuit Association.

At that time, there appeared to be no trace of Sanmao remaining in him, but Wang said the cartoon character was always part of his soul. In Wang’s home, a wax statue of Sanmao still stands in the living room

After Zhang Leping’s death, Wang decided to promote the Sanmao culture. A website called Sanmao Comics (www.sanmao.com.cn) was established to introduce Zhang and the Sanmao series anew to a public. This year, the former residence of Zhang in Shanghai was opened to the public.

“Every sketch of Sanmao reflects Zhang’s affection for his character, and I believe it is worth passing on,” said Wang. “Sanmao always stayed with me, and I hope he stays with many other children as well.”

Minhang


 

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