National Library Bibliotheque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and D~rectlondes acqu~sitionset Bibliographic Services Branch des services biblrographiques 395 Weilington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa, Qntarto Ottawa (Ontario) K1A ON4 KIA ON4 The quality of this microform i- t6 de cette micro heavily dependent upon the depend grandement de la qualit6 quality of the original thesis de la tkke soumise au submitted for microfilming. microfilmage. Nous avons tout Every effort has been made to fait pour assurer une qualit6 ensure the highest quality of superieure de reproduction. reyoduction possible. If pages are missing, contact the S'il manque des pages, veuillez university which granted the comrnuniquer avec I'universite degree. qui a confbrh le grade. Some pages may have indistinct La qualit6 d'impression de print especialiy if the original certaines pages peut laisser a pages were typed with a poor dkirer, surtout si les pages typewriter ribbon or if the originales ont ete university sent us an inferior dactylographiees a I'aide d'un photocopy. ruban us6 ou si I'universitb nous a fait parvenir une photocopie de qualit@infbrieure. Reproduction in fult or in part of La reproduction, meme partielle, this microforrr! is governed h.1-I de cette micrcfcxme est soumise the Canadian Copyright Act, a la hsi cawadienne sur le droit W.S.6. 1970, c. C-30, and d'auteur, SRC 1970, c. C-30, et subsequent amendments. ses amendements subsequents. aMERICAN FILMS IN CEINA'S LARGEST METROP3LIS 1920-1950 Marie Cambon B.A. University of Victoria, 1986 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREIENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of COMMUNICATION Marie Cambon SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY November, 1993 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. National Library SibliotMque nationale 1+m ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Biblibgraphic %vices Branch des sewices bb!iographiques 395 Weilington Street 385,rue Wellington Ottawa, Ontario Ortawa (Ontario) KIA ON4 KIA ON4 THE AUTHOR HAS GRANTED AN L'AUTEUR A ACCOPDE UNE LICENCE EREVOCABLE NON-EXCLUSf VE IRREVOCABLE ET NON EXCSU 5IVE LICENCE ALLOWING THE NATIONAL PERMEITANT A LA BIBLIOTl-IEQUE LIBRARY OF CANADA TO NATIONALE DU CANADA DE REPRODUCE, LOAN, DISTRIBViT OR REPRODUIRE, PRETER, DISTRTBUER - SELL COPES OF HISMER THESIS BY OU VENDRE DES COPES DE SA ANY MEANS AND IN ANY FORM OR THESE DE QUELQUE MANTERE ET FOWT, MlEJUNG THIS THESIS SOUS QC'ELQUE FOWQLE CE SOfT AVAILABLE TO IN CERESTED POUR METTRE DES EXEMPLAIRES DE PERSONS. CETTE THESE A LA DISPOSITION DES PERSONNE INTERESSEES. THE AUTHOR RETAINS OWNERSHIP L'AUTEUR CONSERVE LA PROPRIETE OF THE COPYRIGHT IN HS/NER DU DROIT D'AUTEUR QUI PROTEGE THESIS. NEITHER TEE TKESHS NOR SA THESE. NI LA THESE NI DES SUBSTANTIAL EXTRACTS FROM IT EXTRAITS SUBSTANTIELS DE CELLE- MAY BE PRINTED OR OTHERWISE CI NE DOIVENT ETRE IMPRIMES OU REPRODUCED WITHOUT HIShER AUTREMENT REPRODUITS SANS SON PERMISSION. AUTORIS ATION. ISBN 0-612-00976-9 APPROVAL NAME: Marie Francine Cambon DEGREE: Master of Arts (Communication) TITLE OF THESIS: The Dream Palaces of Shanghai: American . Films in China's Largest Metropolis, 1920 - 1950 - EXAMlNlNG COMMITTEE: CHAl R: Dr. Roger Howard, Research Associate r)i - - I 1- -C\ Dr. Patricia Howard, Assistant Professor Senior Supervisor - Dr. Robert S. Andersdn, Professor Supervisor - fl -,-. - I v --- n W. Walls, Professor --.-- > - Y. - -- ~r.'~al~h'C%r&er, ~rofess# Department of History, Univ. of Victoria n AT vn I E APPROVED: November 8, I993 PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the titfe of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. i further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of ThesisIDissertation: The Dream Palaces of Shariahai: American Films in China's Laraest Metropolis. 1920 - 1950 Author: __ -- L- signature Marie F. Cambon name date ABSTRACT This paper will discuss the impact of Hollywood films on Shanghai culture and the Chinese film industry. h~erican films dominated the market until shortly after the revolution in 1949. In the 1930's film production in Shanghai was influenced by the leftist movement and American films were both a target for criticism and emulation. In competition for the audience Chinese film companies faced the monopoly of Hollywood distributors as well as the popularity of American films among the audience and censorship of local films. In 1949, the Communist government took steps to replace America2 films with Soviet and Chinese productions but were faced with the problem of supplying the market sufficiently. As American and Chinese relations deteriorated further with the onset of the Korean War, the era of Hollywood domination in the Shanghai market finally ended. After an absence of three decades American films were re-introduced to China in the period of economic reform. This thesis argues that the history of the Hollywood presence in Shanghai influenced the audience and the film industry in a variety of ways, often complex and contradictory. A number of issues are raised that elucidate the political, economic and cultural impact of American films in Shanghai from a historical perspective. Furthermore, it also suggests that the approach to American and other Western media in the contemporary era is reflected in the historical experience. iii This paper could not have been written without the help of numerous individuals in Canada and China. On this side of the Pacific, I would like to extend my gratitude to my supervisor Pat Howard for her painstaking efforcs to correct my various meanderings, grammatic and otherwise, and her patience. I would also like to thank my classmate in the Department of Comunication, Gao Hongzhi, for his help with some translation problems I encountered, and Cao Xiaodong for her additional assistance in translation. Thank-you as well to Tao Yunsheng for his calligraphy and map drawing. In addition, my parents, Ken and Eileen Cambon, my sister Noreen, and my aunt, Noreen Cambon, all took the time to offer their considerable support, as well as their expertise as editors. Thank-you. I am also grateful to financial assistance from my parents, the Department of Communication at Simon Fraser University, and the Canada-China Scholar's Exchange Program. During the course of this research in China I was fortunate to meet a host of people who offered their wonderful support and enthusiasm. I would like to thank the teachers, students, and staff at the Shanghai Drama Academy, and, in particular, Jiang Miaoling, of the school's library. Also in Shanghai, I would like to thank Zheng Xianghong, Zhu Manhua, Lu Xiaoming and Millian Chan, among others, for their help - Pmfessor Huang Shixian at the Beijing Film Academy was extremely generous in providing a wealth of material to read and references to other sources, as well as facilitating access to the film archives. My thanks is also extended to other teachers at the film school whose classes I attended and who gave me a number of insights, not only about Chinese film history, but the art of cinema itself. In this respect, I must also incl~dethe valuable insights on cinematic expression from my classmate in Beijing, Mirhela Guberti. In addition, my thanks to Lisa Atkinson, An ~ingfu,and Ruth Hayhoe for their encouragement. Finally, I want to thank my companion in China and life, Yukio Okuda, for his support and patience. TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................... iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .................... x PREFACE: NOTES ON THE FORMAT ................xii INTRODUCTION ........................ 1 ENDNOTES: Introduction ................. 10 CHAPTER 1 .......................... 12 SHANGHAI: PARADISE FOR ADVENTURERS ............. 12 A Chinese Modernism .................. 13 Tradition and Change .................. 17 AShanghaiAesthetic .............27 ENDNOTES: Chapter1 ..................... 31 CHAPTER 2 .......................... 37 THEWESTERNSHADOWPLAY ................... 37 The Rise of the Chinese Film Industry ......... 40 TheShanghaiAudience ................. 46 Market Struggles .............59 Early Film Aesthetics ............. 66 ENDNOTES: Chapter2 ..................... 73 CHAPTER 3 .......................... 86 THE POLITICS OF ENTERTAINMENT ................ 86 The Anti-Japanese Movement ............... 99 Resistance. Compromise and Control ...........104 Theatre Ownership and Distribution ...........119 The Audience ...................... 126 Production and Aesthetics ...............138 ENDNOTES: Chapter 3 .....................153 CHAPTER 4 ......................178 WAR. VICTORY AND REVOLUTION .................178 Shanghai During the War Years ............. 184 Victory and Civil War .................186 The Liberation From Hollywood ........200 The Last Picture Show ................217 ENDNOTES: Chapter 4 ...................222 CHAPTER EPILOGUE: THE NEW CHIhTk MARKET ............... 237 The Re-encounter With Hollywood