Anna Mae Wong as Tu Tuan in 'Limehouse Blues' Designed by Travis Banton

Off-white silk Chinese lounging consisting of long sleeve to, stand up collar, beaded at collar, neckline arm seams, hem, cuffs with small silver bugle beads, at chest ornamented with a circular Chinese pattern in silver bugle beads, snap and hook and eye closure that runs from the neckline to the left arm seam and down the left side of the garment. (Bias label reads "Wong" and "1014 AU2, inscribed at neckline "MPCC" and Paramount cleaning tag); pants have a hook and eye back closure, front vent at bottom hem, ornamented above vent with oriental symbols with small silver bugle beads. (Bias label reads "Wong," Inscribed on waistband "MPCC" and with a Paramount cleaning tag).

Garment was worn in the Limehouse Blue dance number. Anna Mae Wong was the first Chinese American to become an international celebrity, appearing in over fifty films and spanning the time period from the silent to talkies. She did this through an extremely racist time when Asians were cast in mainly servants, prostitutes and secondary roles. Due to the codes of the time, an Asian woman was forbidden the kiss a Caucasian man and so any storyline would prohibit that relationship, especially one that ended out well. But, due to her talent and determination, she was able to achieve international recognition and in 1934 (at 5'4" tall) was named as one of the best dressed women of the time. Most Asian women's parts in a leading role were played by white actors and this was evident in 1937 when she was rejected for the female in "The Good Earth" because she did not fit into the Caucasian image of what Asian women looked like. This continued through the 1940's.