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Queens and kings of the silver screen
By Fang Zhuojun |
January 5, 2009, Monday
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STARS of Shanghai's silver screen have always had adoring fans, and their star-struck followers loved contests for movie queen and king, writes Fang Zhuojun.
Movie stars in Shanghai, China's Hollywood, captured the public's imagination as early as the mid-1920s. Both stars and starlets had passionate, adoring fans and in 1933, the tabloid Star Daily (Mingxing Daily) sponsored the first grand and sensational Oscar-style contest for "movie queen."
To capitalize on film fever and star-struck fans, the tabloid launched by Chen Dieyi decided to sponsor China's biggest movie queen contest. And it was fabulously successful, tumultuous and controversial.
A smaller but still exciting tabloid contest had been held the year before, 1932, for the top 10 actors and actresses. And one was held even earlier by an amusement park in 1926.
But the one in 1933 was the most sensational. For years female stars had been admired, but they still had very low social status in China's conservative society. Many fans wouldn't consider socializing with their lady idols.
This competition was not, of course, a modern beauty pageant with a swimsuit parade of film beauties, or show of talent. Their pictures were published in a tabloid.
It was the most sensational and influential election of the kind. Readers bought newspapers for votes to support their favorites.
Polling lasted 59 days starting January 1, 1933, the first day of publication of the Star Daily. A coronation and grand party was scheduled.
The election didn't catch on at first in the early days without TV, Internet and SMS voting. Then the paper came up with the idea that each voter's name would be listed beside their candidate star's photo. That was the ticket - the paper was filled with names, circulation soared.
Votes came not only from Shanghai but also from other cities, even from Kobe, Japan. Individuals, groups and cultural organizations voted.
The movie queen contest was inspired by similar print competitions sponsored by American and European newspapers - it later became the Miss America contest.
The voting closed at 10pm on February 28, 1933. The queen was announced at a ceremony attended by 40 Shanghai celebrities.
The queen was Hu Die (Butterfly Hu) from Mingxing (Stars) Studio, the first runner-up was Chen Yumei from Tianyi Studio and second runner-up was probably the most famous of all, Ruan Lingyu from Lianhua Studio.
The results were highly controversial.
Ruan was, and still is, considered by many to be the greatest tragic heroine of Chinese cinema of all time. She committed suicide in March 1935 - thousands attended her funeral. She arguably should have won the poll, her fans claimed.
There was much talk that the Mingxing Daily vote was fixed, under pressure from Mingxing Studio, the biggest film studio at that time, so that Butterfly Hu would take first place.
Records show that Hu received 21,334 votes, twice as much as Chen, while Ruan received only 7,290 votes.
Fans of Ruan cried foul, but it was a done deal.
Tactfully, Queen Butterfly Hu declined the extravagant coronation and party as being inappropriate at a time when the country was in danger from Japanese aggression.
To comfort the disappointed fans, a small, non-profit party was held a month later.
Fans flooded the venue and screamed for the graceful actress in qipao. Butterfly Hu accepted her certificate and sang a touching, inspirational song written for the occasion.
A less-sensational movie queen selection was held one year before, also by a tabloid.
Diansheng Daily launched a poll for the top 10 Chinese movie stars - including both actor and actress - shortly after it started publishing on May 1, 1932.
The results:
1. Actress Hu Die (Butterfly Hu), 13,582 votes
2. Actress Ruan Lingyu, 13,490
3. Actor Jin Yan, 13,157
4. Actress Chen Yanyan, 12,547
5. Actress Wang Renmei, 12,050
6. Actor Gao Zhanfei, 11,946
7. Actress Li Zhuozhuo, 11,875
8. Actress Chen Yumei, 11,427
9. Actor Zheng Junli, 10,963
10. Actress Li Lili, 9,960
Including actors was a bright idea. Though ranked No. 3, Jin was the most popular actor of the period and crowned "movie king."
The two big elections for cinema royalty were not the first cinema polls in China. As early as 1926, The New World amusement park in Shanghai held a vote for favorite movies and stars.
"Lonely Orchid" (1925), directed by Zhang Shichuan, was the box-office hit winner. Leading actress Zhang Zhiyun was crowned "movie queen."
Movie stars in Shanghai, China's Hollywood, captured the public's imagination as early as the mid-1920s. Both stars and starlets had passionate, adoring fans and in 1933, the tabloid Star Daily (Mingxing Daily) sponsored the first grand and sensational Oscar-style contest for "movie queen."
To capitalize on film fever and star-struck fans, the tabloid launched by Chen Dieyi decided to sponsor China's biggest movie queen contest. And it was fabulously successful, tumultuous and controversial.
A smaller but still exciting tabloid contest had been held the year before, 1932, for the top 10 actors and actresses. And one was held even earlier by an amusement park in 1926.
But the one in 1933 was the most sensational. For years female stars had been admired, but they still had very low social status in China's conservative society. Many fans wouldn't consider socializing with their lady idols.
This competition was not, of course, a modern beauty pageant with a swimsuit parade of film beauties, or show of talent. Their pictures were published in a tabloid.
It was the most sensational and influential election of the kind. Readers bought newspapers for votes to support their favorites.
Polling lasted 59 days starting January 1, 1933, the first day of publication of the Star Daily. A coronation and grand party was scheduled.
The election didn't catch on at first in the early days without TV, Internet and SMS voting. Then the paper came up with the idea that each voter's name would be listed beside their candidate star's photo. That was the ticket - the paper was filled with names, circulation soared.
Votes came not only from Shanghai but also from other cities, even from Kobe, Japan. Individuals, groups and cultural organizations voted.
The movie queen contest was inspired by similar print competitions sponsored by American and European newspapers - it later became the Miss America contest.
The voting closed at 10pm on February 28, 1933. The queen was announced at a ceremony attended by 40 Shanghai celebrities.
The queen was Hu Die (Butterfly Hu) from Mingxing (Stars) Studio, the first runner-up was Chen Yumei from Tianyi Studio and second runner-up was probably the most famous of all, Ruan Lingyu from Lianhua Studio.
The results were highly controversial.
Ruan was, and still is, considered by many to be the greatest tragic heroine of Chinese cinema of all time. She committed suicide in March 1935 - thousands attended her funeral. She arguably should have won the poll, her fans claimed.
There was much talk that the Mingxing Daily vote was fixed, under pressure from Mingxing Studio, the biggest film studio at that time, so that Butterfly Hu would take first place.
Records show that Hu received 21,334 votes, twice as much as Chen, while Ruan received only 7,290 votes.
Fans of Ruan cried foul, but it was a done deal.
Tactfully, Queen Butterfly Hu declined the extravagant coronation and party as being inappropriate at a time when the country was in danger from Japanese aggression.
To comfort the disappointed fans, a small, non-profit party was held a month later.
Fans flooded the venue and screamed for the graceful actress in qipao. Butterfly Hu accepted her certificate and sang a touching, inspirational song written for the occasion.
A less-sensational movie queen selection was held one year before, also by a tabloid.
Diansheng Daily launched a poll for the top 10 Chinese movie stars - including both actor and actress - shortly after it started publishing on May 1, 1932.
The results:
1. Actress Hu Die (Butterfly Hu), 13,582 votes
2. Actress Ruan Lingyu, 13,490
3. Actor Jin Yan, 13,157
4. Actress Chen Yanyan, 12,547
5. Actress Wang Renmei, 12,050
6. Actor Gao Zhanfei, 11,946
7. Actress Li Zhuozhuo, 11,875
8. Actress Chen Yumei, 11,427
9. Actor Zheng Junli, 10,963
10. Actress Li Lili, 9,960
Including actors was a bright idea. Though ranked No. 3, Jin was the most popular actor of the period and crowned "movie king."
The two big elections for cinema royalty were not the first cinema polls in China. As early as 1926, The New World amusement park in Shanghai held a vote for favorite movies and stars.
"Lonely Orchid" (1925), directed by Zhang Shichuan, was the box-office hit winner. Leading actress Zhang Zhiyun was crowned "movie queen."
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