The World of Suzie Wong (1960)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Paul Osborn (adaptation)
Richard Mason (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

1961 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

You are the first man I ever loved... and the world has only just begun...

Plot:

Robert Lomax tired of working in an office, wants to be an artist. So he moves to Hong Kong to try his hand at painting...

Plot Keywords:

Hong Kong | Artist | Tragedy | Negative Asian Stereotype | Prostitution

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

William Holden	...	Robert Lomax
Nancy Kwan	...	Suzie Wong a.k.a. Mee Ling Wong
Sylvia Syms	...	Kay O'Neill
Michael Wilding	...	Ben Marlowe
Jacqui Chan	...	Gwennie Lee
Laurence Naismith	...	O'Neill
Yvonne Shima	...	Minnie Ho
Andy Ho	...	Ah Tong
Lier Hwang	...	Wednesday Lu
Bernard Cribbins	...	Otis, Gwennie's boy friend
Edwina Carroll	...	Mrs. Marlowe
Dervis Ward	...	British Sailor
Marian Spencer	...	Dinner Guest
Lionel Blair	...	Dancing Sailor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronald Eng	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Calvin Hsia	...	Suzie's Baby (uncredited)
David Langton	...	Police Inspector (uncredited)
Shan Lawrence	...	Girl (uncredited)
Robert Lee	...	Barman (uncredited)
Toke Townley	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Quine

Writing credits
Paul Osborn		(adaptation)
Richard Mason		(novel)
John Patrick		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hugh Perceval	....	producer
Ray Stark	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Unsworth		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bert Bates

Art Direction by
John Box

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Bill Griffiths	....	hairdressing
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
R.L.M. Davidson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti	....	assistant director

Art Department
Syd Cain	....	assistant art director (as Sydney Cain)
Liz Moore	....	paintings (as Elizabeth Moore)
Roy Rossotti	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Roy Baker	....	sound editor
Gerry Turner	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Cecil R. Cooney	....	camera operator (as Ces Cooney)

Casting Department
Joe Powell	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Valerie Leslie	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Reg Owen	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	continuity
Joshua Logan	....	original stage director
David Merrick	....	original stage producer

Production Companies

• World Enterprises (as A World Enterprises Inc. - Worldfilm Limited co-production)

Distributors

• Paramount British Pictures (1960) (UK) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Release)
• Paramount Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Release)
• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Mansfield Productions  original stage production company
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios  production facilities
• Seven Arts Productions  original stage production company

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #19621) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

World Enterprises

Trivia:

As an former student of the Royal Ballet School in London, a 20-year-old Nancy Kwan was discovered by producer Ray Stark after the coveted role of Suzie Wong was up for grabs after French-Vietnamese actress France Nuyen suffered a bout of chronic laryngitis.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Castle of Fu-Manchu (#4.23)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

The World of Suzie Wong

This is a "guy" romance, and it is oh, so romantic!

Today there are many "chick flicks." The World of Suzie Wong is the quintessential "romance for guys."

There are two parallel themes in this film: 1) the "Pygmalion" theme, which was old when George Bernard Shaw's play first appeared in 1913. Pygmalion, in classical legend, was the king of Cyprus who fell in love with his own sculpture. Hence the theme of beginning with a raw material (in this case a woman of no great position or education) and to some degree transforming her into she whom you might adore.

Some may object to this theme carrying racist overtones, but in my view the reverse is true. The very fact that in this type of romantic union the protagonists are of unequal social position means that the man is attracted to the woman because of her human qualities, not because of any advantage she can provide to him in terms of social status or wealth. In fact, a man who loves such a woman is often looked down upon socially, which is present in this story. The object of Robert Lomax's love is Susie Wong for who she is as a woman and how she makes him feel, and he gladly, even cynically disregards the disparagements of those who do not approve.

2) Theme number two is the enchantment of the East. This is magic stuff for those so smitten, and once smitten, these is no cure. In this way, this wonderful story (novel and film) is understated. It is barely believable that Lomax's attraction to Suzie would start from nothing and grow so slowly to compelling strength. This mixture of desire and fascination is more likely to stormily seize a man's heart, but "Robert meets Suzie-falls crazy in love-marries Suzie" would make for a ten-minute film, and that just wouldn't do, would it?

It's also an interesting commentary on the film makers of the fifties that when they wanted to tell the story of interracial romance they had to attenuate the effect. Both Nancy Kwan and France Nguyen (in South Pacific) were of mixed parentage.

When a guy with Quixotic romantic notions (which Lomax clearly has, or he would not be in Hong Kong trying to paint professionally) beholds the lovlieness of a Nancy Kwan in those subtle, but oh, so sexy silk dresses (cheongsam in Cantonese, Qipao [shee pow] in Mandarin), he sees a vision of feminine loveliness he thought could only exist in the Platonic realm of the form. He sees perfection. He is enchanted. There is no cure save to have this woman for his own or death. This enchantment your humble correspondent knows first-hand, and therefore connects deeply with Robert and Suzie.

The World of Suzie Wong is so very romantic, and the themes explored here are enduring. I love the novel -- I love the film. I can't imagine anyone but William Holden playing Lomax. This role belongs to he.