AFI FEST (American Film Institute Festival).
The AFI Fest of November 10 to 17th, 2016, will highlight the talents of three very special women in film. Ida Lupino was not only a talented movie star, but one of Hollywood's early female film directors and producers. Anna May Wong was the first Chinese-American movie star, and Dorothy Dandridge was the first black woman to ever be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar (for Carmen Jones).
I wrote my young adult bio of Dorothy Dandridge, Heartbreaker, some years ago, and it recounted the sad story of the actress trying to establish herself as a major player in major films despite her being African-American -- and this after nearly winning an Academy Award -- and her romantic heartbreak and other personal problems. One of her earliest film appearances was in the Republic musical Change of Heart.As for the other ladies, Wong gave a memorable performance, among many, in Daughter of Shanghai and Lupino boith directed and starred in the notable drama The Bigamist, with Joan Fontaine and Edmund O'Brien. For other films and biographies of these actresses, simply type their names in the search bar above.
Lupino is one of my personal favorites...as I think we have discussed before, she is stunning in one of my favorite little-known films, The Big Knife, opposite Jack Palance. And she directed one of my all time favorite comedies, the warmhearted Trouble with Angels starring Roz Russell and Hayley Mills.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Miss Wong and Miss Dandridge were very talented as well, and I look forward to exploring more of their work.
- Chris
I am a big Lupino fan as well. She just had that certain air about her, dramatic flair, you might say. I think all of the greats had that.
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