Wu Yin (actress)

Wu Yin (Chinese: 吴茵; 2 August 1909 – 10 April 1991)[2] was a Chinese film and drama actress active from the 1930s to 1990. She appeared in 45 films and 48 plays,[3] most notably in the classics The Spring River Flows East (1947), Myriad of Lights (1948), and Crows and Sparrows (1949).[4] Famous for playing roles of older women, she was dubbed the "First Old Lady" of Chinese cinema.[5] In 2005 she was chosen as one of the 100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema.[6]

Wu Yin
吴茵
Born2 August 1909
Tianjin, China
Died10 April 1991(1991-04-10) (aged 81)
Shanghai
Other namesYang Ying
OccupationActress
Notable workThe Spring River Flows East
Myriad of Lights
Crows and Sparrows
SpouseMeng Junmou
Children2 sons and 1 daughter[1]
In this Chinese name, the family name is Wu.

Early life and career

Wu Yin was born in Tianjin in 1909, to a family from Wu County, Jiangsu province. She was adopted as a little child by her father's blood brother, and her name was changed to Yang Ying (杨瑛).[4]

Wu returned to live with her biological parents at age 13. She studied painting at the Chengdong Girls' School in Shanghai, where she was influenced by the surge of modern drama.[5] In 1929 she made her theatre debut in Tian Han's play Night Talk in Suzhou, directed by Ying Yunwei.[4] At that time she was already married, but her family was adamantly opposed to her acting. Determined to pursue her acting career, she divorced her husband.[5]

Film career

In 1935 Wu Yin made her film debut in Cai Chusheng's classic New Women starring Ruan Lingyu. Introduced by Ying Yunwei, in 1936 she joined the Mingxing Film Company, and appeared in more than ten films including Crossroads.[4][5]

When the Japanese invaded China in 1937, Wu Yin fled Shanghai for the wartime capital Chungking, where she acted in many plays and at least three films. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, she returned to Shanghai and joined the Kunlun Film Company. She appeared in many films including Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon (dir. Shi Dongshan) and Far Away Love (dir. Chen Liting), but her most famous roles were those of the old mothers in The Spring River Flows East (dirs. Zheng Junli and Cai Chusheng) and Myriad of Lights (dir. Shen Fu), and Mrs. Xiao in Crows and Sparrows (dir. Zheng Junli).[4]

After 1949

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Wu Yin acted in several films including The Life of Wu Xun, Song Jingshi and It's My Day Off, before being denounced as a "rightist" in 1957 during the Anti-Rightist Campaign.[4] During the Cultural Revolution she was tortured and lost the ability to walk,[3] and her husband, filmmaker Meng Junmou (孟君谋), was persecuted to death.[1]

After the end of the Cultural Revolution, Wu Yin was politically rehabilitated on 11 December 1978, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1985. She appeared in a few more films, and died in 1991.[4]

Awards

In 1957 Wu Yin was awarded the First Class Prize by the Ministry of Culture for her role of Mrs Xiao in the film Crows and Sparrows.[4][5] In November 2005 she was chosen as one of the 100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema.[3]

Selected filmography

References
  1. 吴茵的五好家庭 [The family of Wu Yin] (in Chinese). China Family. 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  2. 吴茵:我创造角色的过程 (in Chinese). Guangming Daily. 2006-02-09. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  3. Meng Shufan (2009-08-23). 吴茵，是艺术家更是我的好妈妈 [Wu Yin, an artist and a good mother] (in Chinese). Xinmin Evening News. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  4. 吴茵 [Wu Yin] (in Chinese). Eastday. 2005-09-28. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  5. 中国影坛“第一老太婆”吴茵 [Wu Yin, the "First Old Lady" of Chinese cinema] (in Chinese). China Central Television. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  6. 中国电影百年百位优秀演员 [100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema]. Sina (in Chinese). 2005-11-13. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
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