Marion Wong

Marion E. Wong was a multitalented Chinese American figure, excelling as a company director, costume designer, director, actress, producer, music performer, and screenwriter.

Born in San Francisco, Marion Evelyn Wong was raised in Oakland, California. In 1911, she journeyed to China to meet her prospective husband, accompanied by her two brothers seeking their own spouses. Tragically, one brother succumbed to smallpox during the trip, with the other, Albert Wong, marrying Violet, Marion's sister-in-law. Marion refused to marry and returned home without a husband, opting instead to study at the University of California.

In 1916, at the age of 21, Wong established the Mandarin Film Company with financial backing from her uncle, Ben Lim. Inspired by her experiences in China, she created her first film, "The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West," which is recognized as the first Chinese-American feature film.Wong not only wrote, produced, and directed the film but also undertook costume design and scenic arrangements. She even took on a role as one of the characters. Looking at one 1917 issue of The Moving Picture World’s description of how the film "deals with the curse of a Chinese god that follows his people because of the influence of western civilization,” it should not be a surprise that the film delves into the influence of western civilization on China and explores the theme of Chinese assimilation into American society.

Despite being groundbreaking, "The Curse of Quon Gwon" faced commercial challenges. It had only two screenings in 1916 and 1917, after which it was not further distributed, rendering it a financial setback. Wong, being seen as a failure, requested her family to refrain from discussing the film, while her uncle Lim declared bankruptcy after concluding he would see no return on his investment. The Mandarin Film Company ceased production following the film's perceived failure.

In 1917, Wong married Kim Seung Hong, a notable figure who was the first Chinese graduate in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Post-marriage, Wong ventured into the culinary domain by establishing the Singapor Hut restaurant in Richmond, California, in 1919. The eatery gained popularity for its musical cabarets, where Wong showcased her versatile talents, performing everything from traditional Chinese operas to popular music. It was at this time that she embarked on vaudeville tours as a singer and musician. Marion E. Wong passed away in 1969.

Despite its initial obscurity, "The Curse of Quon Gwon" garnered attention when two reels were discovered in an Oakland basement. Surviving only in part, these reels lack explanations of characters and plot details. Since its last screening in 1917, the film resurfaced twice in the following ninety years – once in 1948 at a public screening in Berkeley, California, and again in 1974 for a gathering of over seventy family members.

In 2006, recognizing its cultural significance, "The Curse of Quon Gwon" achieved inclusion in the National Film Registry and became part of the Library of Congress's catalog.