To whom it may concern…
Integrating into an essentially alien society or culture is a process which demands that one should not only become familiar and comfortable with the prevailing mores and customs but, and this is arguably an even greater challenge, also reassess oneself. This complete awakening, a combination of introspection and extrospection acts as a powerful dramatic hook. It lies at the heart of The World of Suzie Wong (1960) and applies particularly to William Holden’s stranger in a strange land. However, the setting in colonial era Hong Kong and that curious Eurasian atmosphere it generates, coupled with its examination of the demimonde that flourished in the bars and dance clubs of the city by night, means that it has an application for Nancy Kwan’s title character too. All of this ties in with the quest for fulfillment, a theme that figures prominently in Strangers When We Meet, the other Richard Quine directed movie released that year.
It all starts in a lighthearted, playful way, with Robert Lomax (William Holden) sparring and flirting with the Chinese girl he encounters on the boat ride into Hong Kong. The mood alternates between coy and farcical and is buoyed along by the irrepressible optimism and positivity that films of the era seemed able to tap into without ever needing to break sweat. She is Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan), a veteran of the waterfront bars despite her youth, although Lomax is not initially aware of this, having seen no reason to doubt her claims of coming from a wealthy and decorous background. Both of these characters are at heart dreamers, one spinning a yarn for the sheer fun of it, just to indulge her fantasy harmlessly in the company of a stranger she is unlikely ever to meet again, while the other harbors hopes of transforming his desire into something real – I guess this contrasting perspective might, in a nutshell, be seen as defining the nature of dreams in youth and maturity. Lomax has come east to make a fresh start, and a radical one at that. He has grown weary of life as an architect and has decided to have one last shot at making it as an artist, giving himself in the region of a year, or until his money runs out, to either realize this ambition or face up to the fact it is not to be.
Suzie (Nancy Kwan), on the other hand, is motivated, superficially anyway, by the kind of ephemeral thrill-seeking, bordering on hedonism, that is the preserve of the young. Yet these flights of fancy really only exist on the surface, and as the movie progresses it becomes apparent that there is a depth of longing within her too, that need for emotional stability and security which is innate to every person. In her case it is perhaps even stronger due to her own particular personal circumstances. So, there are quite profound themes and issues being explored and, despite the occasional but well integrated foray into lighter areas, they gradually build and grow in intensity, revealing themselves in an almost kaleidoscopic manner with tones and shades of meaning and motivation forever shifting or altering the perspective of both the characters on the screen and that of the viewers of the drama.
If fulfillment is the bedrock of the story then rediscovery represents the path which should be taken. Suzie is Robert’s inspiration in every sense, the muse who forms the basis of his art and also the person who opens up that route back to a fulfilled life. While it’s not explicitly stated in the script, although I feel there are oblique hints, the journey undertaken by Robert Lomax to such an alien environment, tossing aside what one might assume would have been a successful career to try to make a fresh start as a painter, is suggestive of some trauma in his life. His initial rejection of any kind of commitment – his claim that it is basically the result of his straitened finances is only half-credible, I think – indicates a man who is in retreat from personal relationships.
If his art is inspired by Suzie, then I reckon it is fair to say his reconnecting with life through that art is similarly achieved. At one point she tells him that he will die inside without his art, that it both sustains and defines him. Then later Kay (Sylvia Syms), the well-to-do banker’s daughter who finds herself by turns jealous and besotted, suggests that if he never painted Suzie again he wouldn’t die. It is at this moment that he becomes completely aware of himself and his situation. He is now conscious of the fact that his whole existence has become bound up with Suzie – his art, his love, his life itself are essentially one and the same. If one aspect or ingredient is absent or denied, then he can never attain fulfillment. So, love, art and life are inextricably linked for Robert Lomax, with no one part functioning properly without the other. And it is the unlikely figure of Suzie who acts as the gravitational hub for all of these elements.
Richard Quine may have come on board as a replacement for Jean Negulesco, but this notion of fulfillment earned through an imperfect love underpinned Strangers When We Meet and thus I can’t help wondering whether the theme didn’t have some resonance for the director. The movie does appear to have been strongly influenced by producer Ray Stark and writer John Patrick as much as anyone yet the mere fact Quine occupied the director’s chair for two films released in the same year which were both so markedly informed by this theme is certainly intriguing. I would like to mention too that I was struck by the fact that both movies present emotional crescendos played out in the midst of intense rainstorms. Quine made only a handful of dramatic movies overall, which I think is a pity as he did display an affinity for this type of material, although that should by no means be taken as a criticism or dismissal of the highly entertaining comedies and satires he is more commonly associated with. As with Strangers When We Meet, George Duning contributes another lush and evocative score and Geoffrey Unsworth’s cinematography makes the most of the Hong Kong locations as well as the beautifully lit interiors.
Watching movies featuring William Holden never disappoints, the man could be tough or sardonic, flippant or intense, but whatever the part he consistently brought a sense of a real person to his roles. The part of Robert Lomax has a number of dimensions, jauntiness, adventurousness, humility, a hint of desperation and, crucially, a solid core of compassion. Holden had become such an accomplished performer by this stage that he could convey all of this smoothly and convincingly. Nancy Kwan was making her screen debut in the title role and took the place of France Nuyen, who had been originally cast and then fired by the producer. She brings a beguiling freshness to the role, frank and energetic throughout, and coping well with the powerful and dramatic moments. Michael Wilding comes across as something of a caricature of an Englishman abroad; it’s amusing enough in its way, but I’ve always thought there was a touch of the artificial to many of his performances. Both Laurence Naismith and the recently deceased Sylvia Syms offer good support.
The World of Suzie Wong ought to be easy enough to track down on DVD and it has also been released on Blu-ray by Imprint in Australia. Personally, I feel it has a lot going for it; it looks squarely and unflinchingly at such matters as prostitution and casual racism yet never patronizes nor loses sight of that alluring and elusive central theme, and of course Nancy Kwan is enchanting throughout. I think it is a really great movie.
Riding the High Country 
I remember really succumbing to the romantic charm of the film when I saw it several times as a teenager. I think I even read the original novel (in Italian). Glad to hear it stands up
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I wouldn’t mind trying the novel myself some time. The movie is one I find very appealing, the theme, Holden, the location, Nancy Kwan’s refreshing presence, the score – it all combines wonderfully for me. As I said, I think it’s shame Quine didn’t make more films of this kind as he his few forays work well.
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Holden’s casting recalls Love is a Many Splendored Thing but this is certainly the better movie for me. I think I used to have the LP of Duning’s score. But I agree about Quine – I’m a big fan of his. He did some nice episodes of Columbo in the 70s too
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Holden seemed to do a fair number of movies with an Asian backdrop. I watched The 7th Dawn again not long ago and quite enjoyed it, even thought of posting something on it and then never got round to it. I may come back to it at some point though.
I forgot about those Columbo episodes Quine made, they were indeed very good.
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Never seen 7th Dawn as far as I can recall…
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There was a UK DVD at one time, but I think it may have been open matte. I have a nice looking Italian widescreen DVD.
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I’d like to see this get a Blu-ray release here in the UK (importing these Imprint editions is a mite too expensive for blind-buys), I was intrigued by the trailer when I saw it several months ago, it seems a good pick for someone like Indicator or Arrow. But then again, there’s a lot of Jack Lemmon films I’d have thought would be released on Blu-ray over here and somehow they aren’t. Its getting so the release slates of boutique labels are getting unfathomable.
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Yes, I’d like to see it on Blu-ray in a more cost-effective edition too. I guess licensing costs/availability play a role, but there are some odd releases (from this viewer’s perspective anyway) that make some of the omissions really stand out.
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Colin, you have done it again, another beautiful review of an interesting and entertaining movie. Both the stars Holden and Nancy kept me glued to the screen. After so long, this is still as enjoyable as ever.
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Thank you, Chris. There is a strong core to the story, plenty of heart if you like. Movies tend to hold up well and stand the test of time when that is the case.
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All I can say is, I agree with you on all counts. A great movie. And a charming movie.
I think this was the first Hollywood movie since the pre-code era to be absolutely open and explicit that the heroine was a prostitute.
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You think it was actually the first? Perhaps, I don’t know for sure myself. In earlier years there were of course lots of coded references – hostesses, saloon girls, and so on.
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Hollywood was fascinated by the subject at that time but movies like Butterfield 8 and Breakfast at Tiffany’s were still resorting to coded references. Hollywood was treading cautiously. The World of Suzie Wong lays it right on the line.
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Butterfield 8? I have the novel here and recently reread it. The heroine is promiscuous, not a prostitute.
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Colin, I totally agree with the last sentence in your very good write-up on THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG(1960) in that, ” I think it is a really great movie.” I first viewed this entertaining and groundbreaking movie by way of television’s THE ABC SUNDAY NIGHT MOVIE in 1973. Too me it is a memorable movie and has a lot going for it and is well worth viewing.
What drew me to the movie in the beginning was William Holden, because he is one of my favorite actors. He was a top movie box office draw from 1954-1962 and was number one in 1956. He was a popular and very talented durable actor and star.
What knocked my socks off was the wonderfully compelling tour de force performance of Nancy Kwan. I so enjoy her fast talking delivery of dialogue, which suits her character to a T, “oh, for goodness’ sake.” This was her first movie, and she has always given high praise to William Holden and director Richard Quine for teaching and helping her so much. Nancy Kwan took the movie and fashion world by storm during the early 1960’s. She was on the cover of the magazines LIFE and ESQUIRE. Who can forget her wearing a cheongsam, which is a form-fitting dress with a high slit up the leg. This helped to popularize the style, and it was nicknamed the “Suzie Wong dress.”
I don’t want to give away too much, but this movie was groundbreaking, especially in its bold ending, which went against the Production Code of that day. Today this movie has been deemed problematic by the so-called “woke” crowd for its perceived racism. In 1992 Nancy Kwan was offered a role in THE JOY LUCK CLUB(filmed 1992-93, released 1993). She told the producers that she would accept the role if they would take out a line in the script. They refused, so she turned down the role. The line had one of the characters saying, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was like something out of that awful, racist movie, THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG.” Nancy Kwan said that wasn’t true and I’m on her side.
Here are two interviews of Nancy Kwan. The first is at the Turner Classic Movie Classic Film Festival in 2018 and the second in 2014.
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Nancy Kwan does extraordinarily well for someone making their screen debut. Holden is wonderfully warm and compassionate and that is highlighted or given more meaning by Nancy Kwan’s terrific playing opposite him.
I’m unsure how anyone could regard the film as racist, unless of course they had never actually seen it.
Thanks for those links too.
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Colin, I think William Holden’s character changed and grew the most in the movie and this was somewhat new for the time. I have a copy of Richard Mason’s THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG(1957) novel and I look forward to reading it this year.
The movie has been called racist, sexist, and imperialist. Although, if one actually views the movie, I don’t think it is any of those. I haven’t read Amy Tan’s THE JOY LUCK CLUB(1989), but I’m sure Nancy Kwan has, and she said that particular line calling the movie racist wasn’t in the book, but it was in the movie screenplay.
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Yes, Holden’s journey is a compelling one, credible and remarkably satisfying too.
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I’m unsure how anyone could regard the film as racist, unless of course they had never actually seen it.
I suspect that that is exactly what is happening these days. Old movies get condemned by people who are basing their views on what they’ve heard about the movie rather than on actually watching it.
Also, a lot of people these days are determined to find things in old movies that they can label as offensive and they end up entirely misunderstanding those movies, and missing the point of those movies.
Reading online film reviews today can be a very depressing experience. Even worse, it’s not uncommon for people doing audio commentaries on Blu-Rays to hopelessly misunderstand the movie they’re commenting on. The quality of audio commentaries has plummeted in the past few years.
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Passing judgement on movies based on second hand impressions arguably isn’t anything new though. Good films have earned poor reputations as a result of the opinions expressed by others for a long time.
I don’t listen to a lot of commentaries these days, mainly due to the fact I often find myself pressed for time. I pick and choose, either on the basis or the movie in question or previous experience of the person/people conducting the commentary.
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The difference is that today we have people not just deciding that a movie is a bad movie based on opinions expressed by others, but deciding that it’s an evil movie. And increasingly we’re headed towards a situation in which these people will exert pressure to have these movies withdrawn from circulation. Or censored. Which is already happening with books. It is now common practice for new editions of old books to be heavily censored.
It’s likely to end up being very similar to the days of the Production Code, when countless movies were either withdrawn from circulation or butchered by the studios to meet the demands of the Production Code.
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Thne Production Code was designed to preserve and protect the industry, the new Woke World is designed to control all of us.
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Yes, that’s true. What we’re heading for now (and heading for it very quickly) is going to be much much worse than the Production Code.
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Without wishing to delve too deep into this, I think it’s unwise too yield to panic and/or exaggeration. The principal criterion for making movies, as has always been the case, is what is marketable or what the cinema going public want to see. Tastes and attitudes alter and shift one way or the other all the time and always have done.
As for works from the past, those films are already out there and accessible so there is no real risk of their being altered and the only danger of suppression is again market related, in this instance a perceived lack of interest among general viewers by rights holders or broadcasters or media companies. Basically, nobody is going to withhold anything if there is a chance to earn a profit. Arguably, the worst that may occur is the kind of thing that now happens with some broadcasts/releases, where a disclaimer/advisory notice relating to content precedes the feature. In short, I don’t think we need to worry too much on this score.
That’s really all I have to say on the matter as the purpose of this place is to talk about old movies, as well as TV shows, books and other cultural or entertainment subjects – it takes in a fairly wide area in itself and I reckon it covers more than enough ground by doing so. There are plenty of locations online where we can chew the fat over current social trends that may or may not appeal to us.
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Colin, here is some good news that gives me hope. Hopefully the new reprints of the James Bond novels will be made available uncensored as well.
https://www.today.com/popculture/books/roald-dahl-childrens-books-editing-controversy-changes-explained-rcna72181
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Books as well. The James Bond series is being re-edited for purposes of conformity, and Roald Dahl’s work has managed to survive intact. More to come, no doubt.
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I don’t want to give away too much, but this movie was groundbreaking, especially in its bold ending, which went against the Production Code of that day.
It’s a movie that was deliberately pushing the limits of the Production Code, in fact deliberately breaking the rules. The makers of the film were absolutely right to do so. Adhering to the Code would have ruined the movie completely.
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Walter Mirisch has passed away. His work as a producer stretches right back to the late 1940s and covers a huge swath of movies including some terrific westerns and films noir, as well as war movies, comedies and pretty much ever genre one could think of. Quite a legacy.
RIP
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I had not realised that Walter Mirisch was still alive, until now, but it would appear he was still involved in movie production well into his nineties. Quite a man!
I will always remember the ‘Walter Mirisch presents’ appearing at the start of some favourite films such as “WICHITA” and many others.
RIP
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Nice review of this. I will have to check it out. I like Holden as an actor. I really like ‘Breezy’ he did with Kay Lenz. I think it is a really underrated Clint Eastwood directed film. Holden feels so real in it.
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I haven’t seen that one, I seem to remember somebody bringing it up in the course of commenting on some other movie though.
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I saw “BREEZY” on its release in 1973 and really liked it. Clint showing great early promise as a director.
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There’s not much of Eastwood’s work either side of the camera I haven’t seen, but this has eluded me for some reason. I’ll look into it when I get an opportunity.
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Yes its very much worth checking. Offbeat like his starring roles ‘The Beguiled’ and ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’ from that time in his career were. I think Kay Lenz should have been a star after ‘Breezy’ as she holds her own with Holden.
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Kay Lenz seems to have worked extensively in TV, just not in the type of long-running role that brings stardom.
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I guess I should step up and admit I have been somewhat remiss in my watching of Mister Holden’s films. Never seen THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG, nor any of the following, EXECUTIVE SUITE, SABRINA, THE COUNTRY GIRL, LOVE IS A MANY-SPENDORED THING and PICNIC. No tar and feathers please! I’ll try and make this over sight up as quick as possible.
Gordon
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Those are all good movies, Gord, and all quite different too. Holden was in his prime in those years and showed a great deal of versatility.
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I think one of my favorite performances of his is ‘Sunset Blvd’. His sarcastic demeanor and cynical nature is really wonderful. This should have been his Oscar!
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Chris Evans
SUNSET BLVD is a stunner of a film. Great work by the entire cast and crew. I have also seen the ROBERT MONTYGOMERY PRESENTS – Sunset Boulevard – 1956 live version. This one has Darren McGavin doing the Holden part while Mary Astor fills in for Miss Swanson. Worth a look if you can find it. I have a review up on IMDB if one is interested.
Gord
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Thanks for the info. I love ‘Sunset Blvd’. I like what somebody said about it being a film to watch past midnight so spooky.
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Been a massive display of The Northern Lights for the last week or so. We normally do not see them this far south. It was a regular occurrence back in the 60s when we lived in the Yukon.
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I don’t think that you can go wrong with any movie that has William Holden staring in it. One of my favorite movies of all time is THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI(filmed 1956-57, released 1957), which I first viewed on THE CBS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES in 1971. Holden was at his charismatic best in this movie saga.
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One of my cable channels has been showing the entire 1958-59 tv series STEVE CANYON. This one starred Dean Fredericks as an US Air Force officer who is given various missions to test out aircraft etc. Nice looking series that ran for 34 episodes. Guest types included, James Drury, Ted de Corsia, Nick Adams, George Macready and Julie Adams, Any of you lot recall the series?
Gordon
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That’s interesting, I don’t think I’d even heard of it before.
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New one on me too, Gord.
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Jerry
LOL I thought for sure you might have heard of it.
Steve Canyon was an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. Like Terry and The Pirates, it was a fave of mine on the weekend comic pages. Terry was turned into a movie serial as well as a short run tv series.
Gordon
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Gordon, TERRY AND THE PIRATES(1934-1973) and STEVE CANYON(1947-1988) were two of my favorite adventure comic strips of my youngsterhood, back in the day. I still like them and enjoy reading reprints. The stories and artwork were masterfully done by Milton Canniff. George Wunder continued TERRY AND THE PIRATES after Caniff left to do STEVE CANYON. I like the Wunder artwork as well and the stories,
I’ve never viewed TERRY AND THE PIRATES(1940) serial or the tv series, which ran during the 1952-53 season. Also, I’ve never viewed the STEVE CANYON(1958-59) tv series.
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Wonderful write-up, Colin! I found myself nodding in agreement with your every sentence. Love this movie and so glad that you’re a fan as well.
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To be honest, it’s the kind of movie that is a pleasure to both watch and write about. Sterling work from everybody involved really.
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