Anna May Wong in Australia

This rare footage from 1939 shows the Chinese-American Hollywood star Anna May Wong arriving in Australia to embark on a three-month tour of the Tivoli vaudeville circuit.  

NOTE: The beginning of this footage is silent.  

The LA-born Wong carved herself out a place in Tinsel Town, despite being subjected to a constant barrage of racism (including losing the plum role of O-Lan in The Good Earth to a white actor who played her in yellowface and won an Oscar for it). She spoke out against the stereotyping and caricatures in the parts she was given, and eventually went to Europe in search of more nuanced roles. 

Wong, whose inimitable style was based on a mash-up of traditional Chinese and 1920s flapper culture, looks every inch the movie star as she descends the aeroplane steps smothered in furs and wearing a turban. With the assurance of a diplomat, she extends thanks for her welcome and addresses her Chinese audience before breaking into a warm smile and wave.