Watch this and Chill

An early edition of ‘The World ofSuzie Wong’. Published in 1957. this is a paperback tie-in with the film. Starring one of the first Asian actors in Hollywood, Nancy Kwan (1939-), it was filmed in 1961.Note the use of ‘Chop Suey’ font; the book was racy stuff, concerning bar girls and an interracial romance .

The book is really interesting to read from the perspective of contemporary Hong Kong. Richard Mason based the book on his experiences with many of the women who worked in the bars along Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong. A surprisingly candid book (for it’s time). The story is well-told, but readers may be frustrated by the lack of agency given to Suzie.