Wang Renmei: The Wildcat of Shanghai

Illustrations

Illustrations Photo 1.1 Mao Zedong was a student of Wang Renmei’s father and stayed at her home one summer. Photo 1.2 Wang Renmei (taken in 1929 in Shenyang). Photo 1.3 Wang Renmei in the center in Three ButterÁies (1930). She played a Áower in the Bright Moon Troupe’s tour of southeast Asia. Photo 1.4 Wang Renmei, on the right, in her performance in Peach Plum Strive in the Spring for the Bright Moon Troupe. Photo 1.5 American-trained Sun Yu discovered Wang Renmei when she appeared with the Bright Moon Troupe. He was known as the “poet director.” Photo 1.6 Wang Renmei as she was discovered by director Sun Yu. Photo 1.7 Wang Renmei, as a member of the Bright Moon Troupe, participated in the Àlm Poetry on Palm Leaves. It was a failure and had an unsuccessful soundtrack. Photo 1.8 Li Jinhui, founder and director of the Bright Moon Troupe; director of the Meimei School; father of Chinese popular music. Photo 1.9 Director Cai Chusheng worked with Wang Renmei on The Spring Tide, which was a box ofÀce Áop. He vowed to make a better Àlm with her and did with the successful The Morning of a Metropolis. Photo 1.10 Wang Renmei was the first Chinese actress to show bare legs in the Àlm Wild Rose. Photo 1.11 Wild Rose made Wang Renmei famous. She played Xiao Feng, with Lianhua favorite Zhang Zhizhi as her father. Photo 1.12 Wang Renmei got the nickname “Wildcat” for her active enthusiasm in Àlms. Photo 1.13 Jin Yan, Wang Renmei’s first husband, taught her to ride horses in the suburbs of Shanghai. This skill helped her to mount the animal in later Àlms. Photo 1.14 Wang Renmei, in the film The Morning of a Metropolis, plays Xu Lan’er, who visits her brother Qiling in jail. Photo 1.15 Wang Renmei as Lan’er and Gao Zhanfei as Qiling in The Morning of a Metropolis, directed by Cai Chusheng. Photo 1.16 The production team of The Morning of a Metropolis. Front row from the right: Meng Junmou, Cai Chusheng, Zhou Ke, Han Langen. Photo 1.17 Wang Renmei in Song of the Fishermen as Little Cat with her brother Little Monkey, played by Han Langen. viii Illustrations The title song, written by Nie Er, increased Wang’s popularity with her recording of the lyrics. Photo 1.18 Wang Renmei sings “Song of the Fishermen” while her brother helps with the net. He dies at the end of the Àlm and asks his sister to sing it one more time. Photo 1.19 Wang Renmei with the cast on location in the tiny village of Shipu where they filmed Song of the Fishermen. The director could only Ànd a small Àshing boat for the shoot which caused many actors to become seasick. Photo 1.20 Nie Er, famous Chinese composer who wrote the music for Song of the Fishermen and other films; his song “March of the Volunteers” became China’s national anthem. Photo 1.21 Song of the Fishermen with Wang Renmei as Little Cat, Han Langen as Little Monkey, and Pei Yiwei as the uncle. Photo 1.22 Wang Renmei as Yan Yuying in the play, The Song for Returning Spring. Music was written by Nie Er, with script by Tian Han. Photo 1.23 Wang Renmei as Ma Nina and Mei Xi as Zhu Dongxin in The Song of Perpetual Regret. This was her Àrst Àlm for the newly created Xinhua Enterprises, established by Zhang Shankun. Photo 1.24 Wu Yonggang became famous when his Àrst Àlm The Goddess was considered a masterpiece. He directed Wang Renmei in three films for Xinhua Enterprises, including Soaring Aspirations, Pirates of the Yellow Sea, and Parting from Heaven with Sorrow. llustrations ix Photo 1.25 Wang Renmei in Soaring Aspirations is reunited with her husband Jin Yan in a story about villagers who rise up and Àght back many times against countless attacks by bandits. The villains represent the Japanese. Photo 1.26 Wang Renmei plays Black Clown, who is killed at the end of Soaring Aspirations. Her death inspires the villagers to Àght to the bitter end. Photo 1.27 Wang Renmei with Jin Yan, who plays Shun’er in Soaring Aspirations. He shouts, “If we retreat, where would we go...