Nancy Kwan Movies
Actress Nancy Kwan was born in Hong Kong to a Chinese father and English mother. Raised in England, Kwan studied and performed with the Royal Ballet, then returned to Hong Kong to maintain her own dance school. She achieved film stardom when she replaced the ailing France Nuyen in The World of Susie Wong (1961); ironically, the makeup men were obliged to make her look "more Chinese." She followed this box-office success with Flower Drum Song (1961), where she sang (or perhaps lip-synched) the Rodgers and Hammerstein standard "I Enjoy Being a Girl." Roles tapered off in quality over the next few years, and by 1967 her career was dwindling. Nancy Kwan has since sustained her movie career in Hong Kong-produced cheapies, and has recently made a TV comeback of sorts promoting a line of cosmetics on a series of late-night infomercials. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1981
In a tale of drama and adventure, young journalist Andy Cameron (Robert Walker) has to get into Cambodia (it is assumed this is during the genocidal reign of Pol Pot). Cameron has to smuggle out his girlfriend Mieng (Nit Alisa) before she is killed (along with the other two million Cambodians), but he cannot manage this alone. He enlists the aid of an American Vietnam vet and the help of a few Khmer men. Eventually, Cameron makes his way into Cambodia where he encounters many dangers, some human and some inhuman (though the thousands of landmines that pose a continuing threat to a now peaceful Cambodia are not mentioned here). ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher George, Woody Strode, (more)
- 1990
Three close friends begin to obsess about infants, breast-feeding, disposable diapers and the like in the made-for-TV Babies. Lindsay Wagner plays a thirtysomething career woman who'd like the responsibilities of motherhood without the complication of a man in her life. Dinah Manoff is a married lady who can't conceive; she tries to convince husband Alan Arkin that adoption is the way to go. And Marcy Walker is carrying a baby who may require delicate prebirth kidney surgery. Babies was first telecast September 17, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Terry Lester stars as Joe Blade in this unclaimed TV pilot film. An American, Blade works in Hong Kong, the home of his adoptive father Keye Luke. When Luke is killed and a wealthy man is kidnapped, Blade springs into action (Maybe he's a switch-Blade. Forget we said that.) Ellen Regan, Leslie Nielsen, Anthony Newley and a pre-infomercial Nancy Kwan co-star in this location-filmed actioner. Blade in Hong Kong was foisted on the public on May 15, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Lester, Keye Luke, (more)
- 1989
- NR
In this black comedy starring Randy Quaid, a dead dog, a red-hot date, and a Zen-quoting cabbie with strange connections provide the ingredients for the most frustrating night in poor Michael Latchmer's heretofore dull life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Frank Whaley, (more)
The brief but eventful life of actor and martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee is portrayed in this drama, based on a biography written by his widow Linda Lee Caldwell. Lee is introduced to the study of martial arts as a child living in Hong Kong by his father (Ric Young); the father dreamed that a demonic armored dragon would take his son from him, and wanted young Bruce to be able to protect himself. Bruce continues his training as he grows to adulthood, and after the cocky teenaged Lee (Jason Scott Lee, no relation to Bruce) seriously injures a prominent British citizen while fighting a gang of troublemakers at a dance, he's sent to San Francisco. While working as a dishwasher, Bruce begins to study philosophy, and in time develops a personal martial arts discipline, Jeet Kune-Do, which blends Kung Fu fighting techniques with lessons gained from his philosophical research. Bruce decides to open a martial arts academy on the advice of his fiancée Linda (Lauren Holly); Linda and Bruce encounter resistance as a mixed-race couple, especially from Linda's mother Vivian (Michael Learned), and Bruce earns the enmity of traditional Chinese martial arts experts for his new style. But after a strong showing in several public tournaments, Bruce's fighting skill and charisma attracts the attention of TV producer Bill Krieger (Robert Wagner). Bruce is cast as Kato, the karate-trained sidekick on the series The Green Hornet, and while the show is short-lived in America, it's a huge success in Asia, leading to a series of films based around Bruce's remarkable fighting skills. Sadly, shortly before the release of the film that would make him a major screen star in the United States, Enter The Dragon, a mysterious brain disorder sends Lee into a coma that soon kills him. In a tragedy with eerie timing, Bruce Lee's real-life son Brandon Lee died shortly before this film was released, the result of an accidental shooting while completing the picture The Crow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, (more)
- 1966
This uneven black comedy went into production as My Last Duchess. It then went through three title changes, representing, in the words of historian Leslie Halliwell, "a descending order of wit": Arrividerci, Baby, Drop Dead, Darling, and You Just Kill Me! Tony Curtis plays a charming contemporary Bluebeard who murders a succession of wives in order to fatten his bank account. At the beginning of the film, the 42-year-old Curtis, decked out in Buster Browns, does in his own stepmother. The remaining murders alternate between moderately amusing and just plain silly; our favorite scene is the disposal of Zsa Zsa Gabor, but that's just on basic principles. Curtis finally meets his match in a much-married widow who plots his demise (a plot point which, incidentally, was planned and abandoned for Chaplin's far superior Monsieur Verdoux). Director Ken Hughes and Ronald Harwood based their screenplay upon the Richard Deming novel The Careful Man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, (more)
- 2000
Abby (Maura Tierney) and her bipolar mom, Maggie (Sally Field), have a tense confrontation just before Thanksgiving. In a less serious but similar vein, Chen (Ming-Na) uses a family Thanksgiving party as an opportunity to reveal her pregnancy to her mother (Nancy Kwan). Back at the ER, Abby barely survives an explosion in Exam Three; Carter (Noah Wyle) searches for a drug addict that has checked out of the hospital too soon; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) is informed of the severity of his current illness. "Rescue Me" is dedicated to the memory of guest star Anthony Lee (here seen in the role of Mr. Floryea), who was killed shortly before the episode aired. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Suspense builds around the investigation of a plane crash that caused 53 deaths in this dramatic adaption of Ernest K. Gann's novel. Authorities systematically eliminate probable causes, finally placing blame on the pilot, who was seen drinking before the flight. The airline's director of flight operations, Sam McBane (Glen Ford), knowing the pilot's excellent WW II record, refuses to accept the authorities' conclusions and begins his own investigation. With the help of the only survivor, a stewardess (Suzanne Pleshette), McBane re-creates the events leading to the crash in an attempt to discover the true cause. The character of the incriminated pilot, Captain Jack Savage (Rod Taylor), is revealed through a series of flashbacks, from a wartime army camp (with a cameo by Jane Russell) to the climactic moment of the thrilling crash. Milton Krasner's crisp cinematography earned him an Oscar nomination. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan, (more)
The only Rodgers and Hammerstein cinemadaptation to be produced by Universal Pictures, Flower Drum Song was, alas, also the only Rogers and Hammerstein film to lose money at the box office. It looks far better now than it did back in 1961, if only because of the paucity of musical films in the 1990s. Essentially a comedy about the culture clash between old-world Chinese and assimilated Chinese-Americans, the film begins when Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) and her grandfather (Kam Tong) smuggle themselves into San Francisco. It seems that Mei Li has arrived to honor an arranged marriage between herself and Runyonesque nightclub owner Sammy Fong (the incomparable Jack Soo). This might prove delicate, since Sammy is in love with flashy cabaret entertainer Linda Low (Nancy Kwan). Meanwhile, Linda is romancing Wang Ta (James Shigeta), the son of a wealthy Chinatown merchant (Benson Fong). Soon, however, Mei Li and Wang Ta have fallen in love.......It's a complex plot, to be sure, but comedy and music manage to predominate. The songs include "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (a tour de force for the special effects department, and for Nancy Kwan), "A Hundred Million Miracles," "The Other Generation," "Love Look Away," "I Am Going to Like It Here," "Don't Marry Me," "You Are Beautiful," "Grant Avenue" and "Chop Suey." Flower Drum Song is attractively produced and consummately acted; while no classic along the lines of King and I or Sound of Music, it deserves a second look. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, (more)
Late stuntman Bernhard Pock wrote, directed, and starred in this gritty modern-day fairy tale about a biker poet on a journey of self-discovery. Pock is Jeremy, a lone wolf who takes on a traveling companion when he happens on a young kidnapped girl (Amber Tamblyn). Together the duo crosses the country, meeting an oddball menagerie of characters along the way. Nancy Kwan also stars. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Filmmaker Arthur Dong's documentary Hollywood Chinese pays homage to the first century of the American film industry, as specifically colored and influenced by the Chinese immigrants to whom Hollywood owes an inestimable debt. Dong touches on everyone from actress Anna May Wong, of Limehouse Blues (1934) and Lady from Chungking (1943), to the late cameraman James Wong Howe, responsible for giving the Rock Hudson thriller Seconds (1966) such a creepy and inventive look. Dong also explores the newer generation of Chinese-American filmmakers, including such giants as Wayne Wang and Ang Lee, responsible for such contemporary classics as The Joy Luck Club, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain. At the same time, a haunting and telling undercurrent of racism and stereotypes weaves its way in, suggestive of the difficulties that Chinese men and women found working in Hollywood -- particularly in the early years. As a historical footnote, Dong also makes film history by rediscovering and editing in footage from what is alleged to be the first Asian-American film ever made: the 1916 Curse of Quon Gwan, directed by Marion Wong. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Turhan Bey, Joan Chen, (more)
- 1964
Intending to marry Cynthia (Anne Helm), Jay Menlow (Robert Morse) is stranded at the alter on the day of the blessed occasion. Left with a paid Honeymoon vacation in the Caribbean, Jay takes along best man Ross Kingsley (Robert Goulet) to the Boca Boca, a "honeymooners only" resort. Ross soon finds an attractive companion in the resort's social director, Lynn Hope (Nancy Kwan). Jay, on the other hand, shows signs of weakening to Cynthia's telephone apologies and Ross desperately attempts to prevent their reconciliation so he may continue to enjoy the arrangement. When Ross' employer Mr. Sampson (Keenan Wynn) arrives on the scene with his blank-headed mistress, Sherry (Jill St. John), things begin to get a bit crazy. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Sampson's wife (Elvia Allman) arrives looking for her philandering husband. Finally Cynthia appears on the frantic scene to ensure chaos in the proceedings. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Goulet, Nancy Kwan, (more)
- 1966
When he's given an ancient Chinese medallion, a photographer (Robert Stack) has no idea that it contains a map which leads to a former emperor's treasure horde. Unfortunately, several nefarious elements are aware of the fact. The film was originally titled Hell to Macao. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Stack, Elke Sommer, (more)
Dick Van Dyke stars as U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Robinson Crusoe in one of Disney's weakest comedies. Like in the Daniel Defoe story, Crusoe finds himself alone on a deserted island, but this time he arrives there after ejecting from his disabled plane on a mission in the South Pacific. He befriends a chimp who is part of the space program and long thought to be lost at sea. Soon he meets his girl Wednesday (Nancy Kwan), and the duo is chased by her tribal chieftain father (Akim Tamiroff) who wants his daughter to marry Crusoe. Only the popularity of Dick Van Dyke from his television show and his wonderful performance in Mary Poppins could attribute for the $8 million this misfire brought in at the box office. The highlights of the feature are the special effects. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Van Dyke, Nancy Kwan, (more)
- 1990
Miracle Landing is a quickly but carefully made TV movie dramatizing an actual near-disaster in the air. The tale begins with Aloha Airline's Flight 737 making a routine trip between Hilo and Honolulu. As the plane reaches an altitude of 24,000 feet, the top portion of the fuselage suddenly strips off, depressurizing the cabin and exposing the passengers to flying debris and deadly winds. The film then concentrates on the cool professionalism of the flight attendants and 3-person crew, as they calm down the 89 passengers and bring the severely damaged plane for a safe landing. Miracle Landing is cut-and-dried for the most part, but isolated moments are impossible to forget--notably a shot of an anguished passenger with a shard of metal grotesquely fused to his face! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
In this violent L.A.-set police drama, a hard-boiled cop and a parole officer work together to bring a vicious gang leader to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this jungle thriller, a vicious big-game-hunting adventure writer finds his inflated sense of machismo threatened by his fear of the man-eating black leopard who attacked him on his Southeast-Asian island paradise. He decides that the only way to end his fear is meet it head on and so goes in search of the deadly big cat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Pleasence, Nancy Kwan, (more)
- 1968
This military comedy finds chief petty officer Doc Willoughby (Doug McClure) on board the submarine U.S.S. Bustard. He spends the majority of his off-duty time chasing women, getting in fights and trying to stay one step ahead of the irascible commanding officer. He scatters cockroaches in the captain's quarters in an attempt to gain shore leave to make time with a pretty female. Nancy Kwan is the Japanese nurse who is his love interest, and James Whitmore is the infuriated commander who suspects but is unable to pin anything on the resourceful CPO. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bea Bradley, Steve Carlson, (more)
This low-budget action film stars Leslie Nielsen as Jonathan Trevor, a spy who defects and is chased by drugged-out hitmen in the Philippines. Trevor ends up hooked on drugs himself and suffers painful withdrawals while attended to by girlfriend Nancy Kwan. Gary Lockwood co-stars with Vic Diaz, who must have some sort of deal allowing him to appear in every crummy Filipino co-production ever made. For high-camp buffs curious to see Naked Gun star Nielsen go through D.T.'s and perform some unconvincing martial arts, this may be a good bet. Director William Girdler went on to make The Manitou. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
