Starlight Enchantment: Autobiographies of Film Stars in the First Half of the 20th Century: Autobiographies of Film Stars in the First Half of the 20th Century

Author: Writing Group of "Starlight Enchantment"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: How was their life back then? How did the journalists who interviewed them face-to-face record their stories? To give readers a vivid understanding, the editors selected interviews, self-narratives, film reviews, and some brief biographies from the film magazines of that era, preserving their lives in their original form. The purpose of this book is to directly reflect their true life state, allowing readers to have a face-to-face encounter with these stars. Stars are both a profession and a charm. In the spring of 2004, at the Shanghai Library, the editors crossed the sands of time for a face-to-face encounter with them. Though time has flown swiftly, their brilliance has long been buried in history, yet their smiles remain as radiant on the yellowed pages, starlit and captivating, drawing one into a trance, forgetting the present world. Hu Die, Ruan Lingyu, Zhou Xuan, Shangguan Yunzhu, Chen Yanyan, Li Lili, Yuan Meiyun, Li Minghui, Xu Lai, and Wang Renmei—truly a dazzling array of flowers, a blooming spring garden. They were the stars of last night, the red-hot film stars of China in the 1930s and 1940s, once women at the forefront of fashion. They were skilled in singing and dancing; Zhou Xuan, Li Lili, Li Minghui, Xu Lai, and Wang Renmei were all members of the Bright Moon Society, figures of the first generation of popular music in China. They loved sports, standing in stark contrast to the traditional delicate women of the inner chambers, playing tennis, horseback riding, and golf, maintaining athletic figures. They were "women who stepped out of the inner chambers," driving cars, crossing oceans, and showcasing a new image of Chinese women to the world.