Kwan Man-ching (30 September 1896 17 June 1995), better known in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as Moon Kwan, was a Chinese film director. Born in

Kaiping County Kaiping (), alternately romanized in Cantonese as Hoiping, in local dialect as Hoihen, is a county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. It is located in the western section of the Pearl River Delta and administered as part of the prefectur ...

, Guangdong, Kwan travelled to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

after studying English in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Unable to finish his studies, he moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

in the mid-1910s. Through the newspaper editor Harry Carr, he was introduced to the director

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

and hired as a technical consultant for ''

Broken Blossoms ''Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl'', often referred to simply as ''Broken Blossoms'', is a 1919 American silent melodrama film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It ...

'' (1919). Through 1920, Kwan provided consulting on Chinese subjects for Hollywood filmmakers, simultaneously publishing original and translated poetry. Kwan returned to China in 1921, moving to Hong Kong after finding little success in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. Working first for

Minxin Minxin Film Company (), also known as China Sun Motion Picture Company Ltd. (1923–1930), was one of the earliest movie studios in the history of Chinese cinema and Hong Kong cinema. History Minxin was founded in 1922 by Lai Manwai. Because ...

and later for the

United Photoplay Service The United Photoplay Service Company () was one of the three dominant production company, production companies based in Shanghai, China during the 1930s, the other two being the Mingxing Film Company and the Tianyi Film Company, the forerunner of ...

, he held a variety of roles and frequently travelled to the United States. During one 1933 trip, he met Joseph Sunn, with whom he established the Grandview Film Company and made ''Blossom Time'' (1933) one of the first Cantonese-language

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

s. As the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

was escalating, Kwan directed several films with nationalist themes, beginning with ''Life Lines'' in 1935. Spending the

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. His surrender occurred after Batt ...

as a teacher, he returned to filmmaking in 1947, making his final film in 1969. Kwan, having directed more than fifty films in his lifetime, has been described by the film critic Paul Fonoroff as one of early Hong Kong cinema's most influential directors.

Biography

Early life

Kwan was born in Dawu Village, part of

, Guangdong, on 30 September 1896. The son of a teacher, Kwan enrolled at a private school at the age of seven. He was subsequently sent to

1910 to study English. In 1911, he was selected by Ida K. Greenlee as one of seventy-five youths chosen to study in the United States. Travelling by ship, he arrived in

and took residence with an older brother and continued his schooling. Kwan's studies, however, were abbreviated with his brother's death in 1914. Unable to fund his education, he decided to join the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre- ...

. He later cited several reasons, including a desire to improve the

cinema of China The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the hom ...

, an intent to extend film to education, and his desire to meet his celebrity crush

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

. Kwan thus left for

Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

Early Hollywood career

Kwan found boarding at the Guang Ju Lung grocery store, owned by another Kaiping native, and received support from the

Chinese diaspora Overseas Chinese people are people of Chinese origin who reside outside Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. As of 2023, there were 10.5 million people livin ...

community. He was working as a dishwasher when, while walking in

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

, he met the artist Howard Willard. They became fast friends, and Kwan moved into Willard's loft at Baker Block. Through another artist living there, Kwan found work as an

extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

on the set of a film directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

. Over time, Kwan learned about filmmaking through practical experience and book learning. This included an assistant director position on the short film ''The Foolish Detective'', for which he also helped with development and processing. For this film, Kwan had agreed to a first-dollar gross contract, and thus he received no payment when the film was never distributed. Through the late 1910s, he lived a bohemian lifestyle, frequently associating with musicians, artists, and actors, and sitting for a series of portraits with Margrethe Mather in 1918. As Kwan continued his studies, he wrote extensively. He had several poems published in newspapers, and through a friend at Baker Block he met the newspaper editor Harry Carr. Interested in presenting

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the Cradle of civilization#Ancient China, world's earliest cultures, said to originate five thousand years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia called the Sinosphere as a whole ...

to his readers, Carr asked Kwan to produce articles retelling his childhood experiences. Over the next several years, Kwan published two novels and a series of articles with Carr's office. He also produced a poetry collection, ''A Pagoda of Jewels'', in 1920. It is also through Carr that Kwan met the director

, who was in the process of making ''

'' (1919) a film based on a Thomas Burke story that depicts a Chinese man living in London. Kwan agreed to become a technical consultant, helping

Richard Barthelmess Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's '' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) and ''Way Down East'' (1920) and ...

depict the Chinese lead Cheng Huan while also providing feedback on the props and sets. He coordinated with Cantonese-speaking extras, and urged that Griffith forgo giving characters anachronistic queues. Following the film's release, Kwan provided technical assistance with several other films, including

George Melford George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...

's ''

The City of Dim Faces ''The City of Dim Faces'' is a lost 1918 silent film directed by George Melford and starring Sessue Hayakawa. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Cast * Sessue Hayakawa – Jang Lung * Doris Pawn � ...

'' (1918), on which he also served as translator and assistant director.

Transnational cinema

Frustrated with the anti-Chinese discrimination in the United States and feeling that he had learned all he could in Hollywood, Kwan returned to China in 1921. Landing in

, he attempted to enter the film industry but found little success; one attempt to establish a film production company with Wang Changtai failed after the climate proved too hot for darkroom work, while another with the Zhongguo Film Company failed when that company collapsed. Kwan thus worked as a cashier for a book company, spending six months in that position. Kwan left for Hong Kong, where he joined

. In 1925, he worked as a

make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...

on ''Rouge'' the first full-length feature film to be produced in Hong Kong. As the

Canton–Hong Kong strike The Canton–Hong Kong strike was a strike and boycott that took place in British Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton), Republic of China, from June 1925 to October 1926.Jens Bangsbo, Thomas Reilly, Mike Hughes. 995(1995). Science and Football III: ...

resulted in the downturn of the colony's film industry, Kwan returned to Guangdong and established the Nanyue Film Company in

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

. The company produced one film, ''Newfound Wealth from a Newborn'', in 1926; this was Kwan's debut as a director. The company also provided support for Isaac Upham when he produced a travel film based in China, which resulted in Kwan returning to the United States. Although Upham's film was unsuccessful, Kwan through

Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese American actress to gain internat ...

, whom he had met on the set of ''The City of Dim Faces'' became a technical consultant with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

for '' Mr. Wu'' (1927). He returned to China later that year, again heading to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

In 1931, Kwan helped establish the Hong Kong branch of the

(UPS). Kwan worked as a writer and a director for the company, with his first production being ''Flame of Love'' (1931). Shot on a

hand-held camera Hand-held camera or hand-held shooting is a filmmaking and video production technique in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a Tripod (photography), tripod or other base. Hand-held cameras are used ...

, the film advocated for marriages based on love rather than transactional intents. As the studio experienced financial difficulties, Kwan was dispatched to the United States to seek international distribution of its productions including ''The 19th Route Army's Glorious Battle Against the Japanese Enemy'' and ''Humanity'' (both 1932) and find investors. While in the United States, Kwan met Joseph Sunn. Seeking to improve his understanding of

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

s, Kwan asked Sunn to work with him on making a movie. They co-founded the Grandview Film Company, named after Kwan's hotel, in San Francisco in 1933. With Kwan's assistance, Zhao directed ''Blossom Time'' (1933), one of the first Cantonese-language

s. Starring

Kwan Tak-hing Kwan Tak-hing (27 June 1905 – 28 June 1996) was a Hong Kong martial artist and actor best known for his portrayal of martial artist folk hero Wong Fei-hung in at least 77 films, between the 1940s and the 1980s. No one else in cinema history h ...

and , it followed two

Cantonese opera Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Guangdong Province. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Like all versions of ...

singers who fall in love while touring in the United States. The film was well received, and Kwan convinced Sunn and

Lo Ming-yau Lo Ming-yau (1900–1967) or Luo Mingyou was a Hong Kong entrepreneur and filmmaker, and a pioneer of Chinese cinema. His uncle Lo Wen-kan (羅文榦, Luo Wengan) was a major politician during the early Republican period. Lo Ming-yau founded the ...

of UPS to collaborate on future productions. Kwan returned to Hong Kong with Sunn, showing him the city. In the mid-1930s, he toured Europe and the United States with Lo to obtain a better understanding of film production abroad. During this tour, the men also cultivated support from the Chinese diaspora for film production. When Lo decided to focus on developing UPS' Shanghai location, Kwan was unwilling to move. He did, however, agree to complete one final film for UPS: ''Singing Lovers'' (also ''Song of the Past'', 1935). Kwan and Sunn thereafter focused on Grandview. In the mid-1930s, as the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

was moving southward through China, Kwan directed the nationalist film ''Life Lines'', a documentary starring Lee Yi-nin and Ng Cho-fan about Chinese resistance against Japanese forces.; Due to the British government's efforts to avoid angering the Japanese, it was initially banned in Hong Kong until Kwan had this injunction overturned; the film was also shown in

s throughout North America. He subsequently directed a series of films with nationalist themes, including ''Resistant'' (1936), ''They'll Have Their Day'' (1936), ''Girl From West Lake'' (1937), ''For Duty's Sake'' (1937), and ''Enemy of Humanity'' (1938). Such films became commonplace through the late 1930s, with other examples coming from Zhao Shushen and the Tianyi Company. In 1937, Kwan established the Hillmoon Film Company together with the opera actor Kwong Shan-siu. He also worked with a group of filmmakers, including Sunn, So Yee, and Chin Tai-soak, to advocate against the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

government's decision to ban the distribution of Cantonese-language films in the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

; this policy had previously required the recutting of ''Life Lines'' prior to distribution in the mainland.

Later years and death

Kwan made another trip to the United States in 1939, travelling with to sell Hillmoon films. There, he worked with Esther Eng who had been inspired to make her first film, ''Heartaches'' (1935), by ''Life Lines'' to make '' Golden Gate Girl'' (1941). Kwan wrote the script for the film, which followed the everyday lives of San Francisco's Chinese community, served as co-director, and appeared in the film as a cameo. When Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese in 1941, Kwan was still in the United States. He returned to China via a circuitous route, spending the occupation as a teacher. After the Second World War, Kwan continued his filmmaking, with works including the Hong Kong–made ''The War Ended'' (1947), ''Spring's Flight'' (1954), and ''Kwan-Ti, God of War'' (1956). His ''Is Parents' Love Ever Rewarded?'' (1955), identified by the film scholar Lisa Odham Stokes as one of his best-known films, starred Pak Suet-sin and

Cheung Ying Cheung Ying (; January 25, 1919 – December 14, 1984) was a Cantonese actor, writer and director from Hong Kong. He was born to a Fujian family. His father brought him to Hong Kong when he was young. His father was a founder of Fok Hing Chu C ...

as a retired

sing-song girl Sing-song girls, also known as flower girls, is an English-language term for the high-class prostitutes in China during the 19th century. Origin In ancient China, concubinage was legal. In Chinese custom, men carry the family name and the family' ...

and businessman who quarrel over their family life. He directed his final film, ''Charlie Catches the Cat'', in 1969, having reduced his output through much of the 1960s. Kwan published a memoir, titled ''An Unofficial History of the Chinese Silver Screen'', in 1976. In the late 1980s, Kwan emigrated to the United States to reunite with his family. He died on 17 June 1995.

Legacy

In the ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Film'', the film critic Paul Fonoroff describes Kwan as one of early Hong Kong cinema's most influential directors. Kwan identified and nurtured potential talent, with protégés including Lee Tit and Wong Toi later becoming major figures in Hong Kong cinema. Most of his films, however, are lost. Kwan published translations of works by such poets as

Li Bai Li Bai (, 701–762), Literary and colloquial readings, also pronounced Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet acclaimed as one of the greatest and most important poets of the Tang dynasty and in Chinese history as a whole. He and hi ...

and Wang Wei in the magazine ''

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

'' in the 1910s. He also wrote an English-language poem, dedicated to

Witter Bynner Harold Witter Bynner (August 10, 1881 – June 1, 1968), also known by the pen name Emanuel Morgan, was an American poet and translator. He was known for his long residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and association with other literary figures ther ...

, that was included in the book ''W.B. in California''. At the time, much of the poetry written by ethnic Chinese authors in the United States was written in Cantonese; Kwan and

Jiang Kanghu Jiang Kanghu (; Hepburn: ''Kō Kōko''), who preferred to be known in English as Kiang Kang-hu, (July 18, 1883 – December 7, 1954), was a politician and activist in the Republic of China. His former name was "Shaoquan" () and he also wrot ...

were among the few to write in English. Jason Lester of the University of Oregon describes ''The Jade Pagoda'' as the first English-language poetry collection penned by a person of Chinese descent. This work was edited and republished as ''A Chinese Mirror: Poems and Plays'' in 1932, with reprintings continuing as late as 1971. In 2024, Kwan was portrayed by Ron Song in ''Unbroken Blossoms'', a play written by Philip W. Chung for the

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give ...

. This work of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

dramaticizes the experiences of Kwan and James B. Leong (played by Gavin K. Lee) as technical consultants for Griffith's ''Broken Blossoms''.

Filmography

From 1926 through 1969, Kwan directed more than fifty films, the majority of which were in Cantonese. The following list is derived from ''The Ultimate Guide to Hong Kong Film Directors, 1914–1978''. * ''Newfound Wealth from a Newborn'' (, 1926) * ''Iron Bone and Orchid Heart'' (, 1931) * ''Gunshot at Midnight'' (, 1932) * ''The Shining Pearl'' (, 1933) * ''Breaking Waves'' (, 1934) * ''The Modern Bride'' (, 1935) * ''The Modern Bride, Part Two'' (, 1935) * ''Life Lines'' (, 1935) * ''Third Madame Educates Her Son'' (, 1935) * ''The Bandits of Shandong'' (, 1936) * ''Killing Gossip'' (, 1936) * ''Resist!'' (, 1936) * ''Bloodstained Money'' (, 1936) * ''The Lady from West Lake'' (, 1937) * ''The Modern Wu Dalang'' (, 1937) * ''The Mad Director'' (, 1937) * ''Blood and Tears at the Border'' (, 1937) * ''Among the Dispossessed'' (, 1937) * ''Public Enemy'' (, 1938) * ''The Golden-Leaf Chrysanthemum'' (, 1938) * ''Woe to the Debauched!'' (, 1938) * ''At the Parting of the Ways'' (, 1938) * ''The Golden-Leaf Chrysanthemum, Part Two'' (, 1939) * ''The Beautiful General'' (, 1939) * ''For Love or Money'' (, 1939) * ''Grave of the Sisters-in-Law'' (, 1939), with Wong Tit-yee * '' Golden Gate Girl'' (, 1941), with Esther Eng * ''Tears of the Returned One'' (, 1947) * ''New Lifeline'' (, 1948) * ''The Groom and His Double'' (, 1948) * ''The Lusty Thief Girl'' (, 1948) * ''Mr Kwangtung Exposes the Corrupt Temple'' (, 1948) * ''The Second Attempt'' (, 1948), with Tam Pak-yip * ''Third Madame Educates Her Son'' (, 1949) * ''The Rude Monk's Intrusion into Mount Wutai'' (, 1950) * ''Born Again'' (, 1950), with Kam King-yu * ''Sorrows of a Neglected Wife'' (, 1950) * ''An Orphan's Sad Tale'' (, 1951) * ''Poor Mother'' (, 1951) * ''Between Her Own and the Concubine's Children'' (, 1952) * ''Wealth Gone Like a Dream'' (, 1952) * ''Daughter of a Humble House'' (, 1952) * ''The Flight of the Swallows'' (, 1953) * ''Her Last Request'' (, 1953) * ''Tragedy of Divorce'' (, 1954) * ''Spring's Flight'' (, 1954) * ''Orchid of the Valley'' (, 1954) * ''The Kid and the Vagabond Dog'' (, 1954) * ''Li Sanniang: Remake'' (, 1955) * ''Romance in the Western Chamber'' (, 1955) * ''The Mystery of the Human Head'' (, 1955) * ''Is Parents' Love Ever Rewarded?'' (, 1955) * ''Love and Hate between Man and a Faithful Dog'' (, 1955) * ''The Burning of Biyun Palace'' (, 1955) * ''Filial Piety'' (, 1956) * ''Kwan-ti, God of War'' (, 1956), with Joseph Sunn * ''General Kwan Escorts His Sister-in-Law on a Thousand-Mile Journey'' (, 1957), with Joseph Sunn * ''An Immortal Refuses Love'' (, 1958) * ''Poor Mother'' (, 1961) * ''Girl in Danger'' (, 1962) * ''Charlie Catches the Cat'' (, 1969)

Explanatory notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kwan, Man-ching 1896 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Chinese poets People from Kaiping Film directors from Guangdong Hong Kong film directors Chinese–English translators 20th-century Chinese translators Poets from Guangdong