Singapore Sue
SINGAPORE SUE. 1932
Director: Casey Robinson

Reviewed by Paghat the Ratgirl



Singapore Sue Singapore Sue (1932) is a one-reeler set in a gorgeous, highly exotic, almost frightening Chinese cellar cafe.

A group of five sailors enters, finds a table, orders beer. Cary Grant is among the sailors, in his first film appearance. It's unfortunate that this film generally only gets attention because of Cary's momentary presence, rather than for the star, Anna Chang.

Singapore SueAnna sells dolls table to table. The ignorantly offensive sailors try to be funny when they get the beautiful woman's attention by calling out, "How do you say 'give me a little kiss' in Chinese?"

"Scram!" she replies, being a Brooklyn gal, & right away anyone who stumbles upon this short film has got to wonder why they never heard of this wonderful actress.

Singapore SueAnna Chang's film career never totally took off thanks to Hollywood's aversion to anyone not white.

She had a small role in the crime film The Hatchet Man (1932) in which the "best" roles for Chinese characters go to Edward G. Robinson & Loretta Young.

As Singapore Sue is a musical short, we first hear Joe Wong sing the love song "Open Up Those Eyes." Joe was a Phillipino American who was stuck playing small uncredited character roles on rare occasion, so that as for Anna, Singapore Sue was to remain his closest thing to a starring role.

Anna herself sings a more up-tempo tune, "How Could a Girl Say No," a flapper's style of jazz. She's wearing a sexy revealing costume & a small group of chorus girl dancers joins the fun. Lastly she & Joe reprise the earlier tune together.

copyright © by Paghat the Ratgirl



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