Toshia Mori(トシア・モリ) (January 1, 1912–November 26, 1995) was a Japanese-born American actress who had a brief Hollywood film career during the late 1920s and 1930s. Born asToshiye Ichioka( thị cương tuấn huệ )[1]inKyoto,Mori moved to the United States when she was 10.
Toshia Mori | |
|---|---|
| トシア・モリ | |
 | |
| Born | Toshiye Ichioka January 1, 1912[citation needed] Kyoto,Empire of Japan |
| Died | November 26, 1995(aged 83) New York City,U.S. |
| Other names | Toshia Ichioka, Toshi Ichioka, Toshi Mori, Tashia Mori, Shia Jung |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1927–1937 |
| Spouse | Allen Jung(m. 1934) |
Early life and career
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Mori began her film career insilent filmsin the late 1920s. InMr. Wu(1927) she was credited asToshia Ichioka.InStreets of Shanghai(1927), she was credited asToshiye Ichioka.InThe Man Without a Face,she was also credited as Toshiye Ichioka, her birth name. (The film is presumed lost.)[2]Finally, she entered the sound era asToshia Mori.
Mori played Miss Ling inThe Hatchet Man(1932).[3]In the same year, she played another Chinese character, "Butterfly", inRoar of the Dragon,an action-melodrama produced byDavid O. Selznick.The storyline consisted of a group of Occidentals turning to an alcoholic riverboat captain Chauncey Carson (Richard Dix) for help when they are trapped at a hotel in a Mandarin town under siege.[4]
In 1932, Toshia became the only actress of Asian descent and person of color to be selected as aWAMPAS Baby Star,an annual list of young and promising film actresses.[5]WAMPAS may have led to the most significant film role of her career, for shortly afterward, she appeared inFrank Capra's filmThe Bitter Tea of General Yen(1933), a role that was originally scheduled forAnna May Wong.The story involved the erotically charged relationship between a missionary (Barbara Stanwyck) and a Chinese warlord (Nils Asther). The script also featured a vital character, Mah-Li, a concubine whose scheming throws aspannerinto the plots of those around her. Capra andColumbia Pictures,both extremely happy with Mori's work, awarded her third billing.Time's favorable review read:"Stanwyck is satisfactory but the most noteworthy female member of the cast is Toshia Mori, a sloe-eyed Japanese girl…"[6]
Mori returned to minor characters in her subsequent films. InThe Painted Veil(1934), starringGreta Garbo,she materializes as the centerpiece of "The Moon Festival" sequence. InChinatown Squad(1935) she played "Wanda".[7]She appeared inCharlie Chan at the Circusin 1936, and inCharlie Chan on Broadway(1937), Lee (Keye Luke) becomes involved with Ling Tse (Toshia Mori), an employee of the Hottentot Club.
Post-cinema life
editIn 1930, Mori marriedAllen Jung,aChinese-Americanactor fromSan Francisco.[8]After her film career ended, Mori worked as a researcher forRobert Ripleyon his short films,Ripley's Believe It or Not!.She died inThe BronxinNew York City,aged 83.
Filmography
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1926 | The Non-Stop Flight |
| |
| 1926 | The House Without a Key |
| |
| 1927 | Mr. Wu |
| |
| 1927 | Streets of Shanghai |
| |
| 1928 | The Man Without a Face |
| |
| 1932 | The Secrets of Wu Sin | ||
| 1932 | The Hatchet Man | Miss Ling, Secretary | |
| 1932 | Tiger Shark | Oriental Lady Barber (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Roar of the Dragon | Butterfly | |
| 1933 | The Bitter Tea of General Yen | Mah-Li, Concubine | |
| 1933 | Blondie Johnson | Lulu | |
| 1933 | Fury of the Jungle | Chita | |
| 1934 | The Painted Veil | Centrepiece |
|
| 1935 | Chinatown Squad | Wanda | |
| 1936 | Charlie Chan at the Circus | Su Toy, contortionist |
credited as Shia Jung |
| 1937 | Charlie Chan on Broadway | Ling Tse, receptionist | |
References
edit- ^"Ancestry Library Edition".Ancestrylibrary.com.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
- ^"Man Without a Face".Archived from the original on June 9, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 17,2008.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link),silentera.com; accessdate December 6, 2017. - ^Hall, Mordaunt. (1932-02-04)Review of "The Hatchet Man".Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved on 2013-09-30.
- ^Review ofRoar of the Dragon,Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^The WAMPAS Baby Stars,b-westerns.com; retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^Cinema: The New Pictures: Jan. 23, 1933.(Review ofThe Bitter Tea of General Yen) Time.com (1933-01-23); retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^At the Mayfair.New York Times (1935-05-30). Retrieved on 2013-09-30.
- ^A conference of Japanese America Actors, Artists, Activists and Interested Critics.resisters.com.
Further reading
edit- The Wampas Baby Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1922–1934(ISBN0-7864-0756-5) includes biographies of every actress selected, including lists of films in which she appeared.
External links
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Media related toToshia Moriat Wikimedia Commons- The WAMPAS Baby Stars
- Toshia MoriatIMDb
- The Bitter Tea of General YenA page on the 1933 Toshia Mori movie
- Toshia Mori
- 1933 "Stars Of Tomorrow"onYouTube.Young stars of 1933 featured in this newsreel withJohnny Mack BrownandWilly Pogany
