Mr Wang an Asian?
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Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 — 14 years ago(September 22, 2011 05:32 AM)
In the vast majority of movies and TV shows, Charlie Chan has been played by a Caucasian actor doing a rather horrible accent and using broken English. However, it was Asian actors who played Chan's sons never referred to by name, it was always "Number One Son" or "Number Two Son". which explains the movie's "Number Three Son" bit.
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nycruise-1 — 13 years ago(September 23, 2012 07:45 PM)
Not to mention that the Peter Falk character describes Wang's son as "Japanese."
All of this was obviously meant ridicule the antiquated practice of actor's in "yellow-face."
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac' HONEY!" -
Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 — 13 years ago(September 23, 2012 08:33 PM)
In this movie, Wang's "Number 3 Son", Willie
is
Japanese and adopted. When Wang was explaining that he'd been adopted by Lionel Twain (and thrown out when Twain finally noticed that he was Oriental), he further mentioned that he'd adopted all of his children.
Most likely it was indeed meant as a jab at casting Caucasian actors to play Asian characters. The Sidney Wang character was a parody of "Charlie Chan"; someone who wasn't played by an Asian actor until well after this movie.
(Did anyone else catch the pun on Willie Wang driving a Woody?)
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebul, of entropy and genes. -
eholzapfel26 — 13 years ago(September 23, 2012 09:20 PM)
Just watched it on TCM. Wang also explains his son as being Japanese when he first meets Dick Charleston (David Niven) on the road in the beginning of the film. Charleston says, "Japanese? I thought you were"
Wang cuts Charleston off and explains that he and his wife, Mrs. Wang, were unable to have children so they adopted, and Number Three son was Japanese. -
warren_houghton — 13 years ago(September 28, 2012 11:02 PM)
(Did anyone else catch the pun on Willie Wang driving a Woody?)
Dang, all this time watching this movie and I never did! Thanks for pointing out another joke for me. A very sporting kind of vehicle, wouldn't you say? -
Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 — 13 years ago(September 29, 2012 12:33 AM)
"A very sporting kind of vehicle, wouldn't you say?"
It has been a "sporting" vehicle for a very long time. It's a wood-trimmed station wagon produced on and off by Pontiac (division of General Motors) since the 1940s. It had a really great comeback when surfing became popular in the late 1950s, early 60s. They have since been supplanted by the minivan and the SUV.
I'm old enough to remember when Cleopatra went to the Temple of Ra to lead a few cheers. -
eholzapfel26 — 13 years ago(October 06, 2012 10:42 PM)
Speaking of getting jokes it took me a minute until I got it when Wang reads the address "22 Twain" with his Chinese accent (not pronouncing it as "Twenty two Twain", but as "Two Two Twain"). I started cracking up (as I've seen this movie a couple times before). Then, after all these years I finally got the pun of Truman Capote's character; "Lionel Twain". Can't believe I never realized that in previous viewings!
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bok602 — 12 years ago(June 02, 2013 07:21 AM)
I'm surprised that no one has commented so far on the fact that while the name and persona of the character he's playing is supposed to be Charlie Chan, the physical appearance of the character (except in the opening scenes when he sports Charlie's familiar white panama suit) is that of Fu Manchu.
Every time I've seen this film something about Willie Wang kept subliminally reminding me of Christopher Lee as Fu Manchu and it wasn't until I Googled images of Charlie Chan that I made the connection.
And lets don't forget that Peter Sellers also starred later in that unfortunate
Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question." -
Jamesir_Bensonmum — 12 years ago(January 30, 2014 12:22 PM)
The commentary here is that Charlie Chan in the movies was played by non-Asian American actors Warner Oland and Sydney Toler.
Mr. Wang's son was played by a Japanese actor, which is also a commentary on the practice (a still ongoing practice) of "An Asian from any country can play an Asian from any other country". Although, in the film they specified that Wang's Japanese son was adopted. -
Mattfinbell — 11 years ago(April 16, 2014 06:49 PM)
well seeing it I thought it was a real chinese guy
nycruise-1
Not to mention that the Peter Falk character describes Wang's son as "Japanese."
All of this was obviously meant ridicule the antiquated practice of actor's in "yellow-face."
why is that wrong for Yellow face but when they mock the whites its okay?
you got the snobby english
the french who are loving and such
the american Sam Diamond
etc etc
but when you go to Sidney wang its wrong
Plus dont get me started on Airbender!