All things old China - books, anecdotes, stories, podcasts, factoids & ramblings from the author Paul French

Magic in the Moonlight – now on DVD and with a lovely Chinoiserie opening

Posted: May 3rd, 2015 | No Comments »

Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight has a fun Chinoiserie opening featuring a European dressed as a Celestial Chinese performing magic tricks (Colin Firth). Of course this character Wei Ling Soo is based upon Chung Ling Soo, actually William Ellsworth Robinson, an American magician who worked mostly in Britain before the First World War impersonating a Chinese magician in full mandarin regalia until a catching a bullet trick went wrong and he ended up dead at the Wood Green Empire. I’ve blogged about him repeatedly (just stick Chung Ling Soo in the search box).

Anyway, it’s pleasant Chinois entertainment and interestingly the production designer for the film Anne Seibel has put up some of her designs and sketches for the Chinoiserie portions of the film on line here.

 

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