Beyond the Silver Screen: Chan Bo Yee’s Feminist and National Revolutionary Writings (1934–1944)

As a celebrity from the 1930s and 40s who lit the silver stage and screen on fire, actress Chan Bo Yee was also a gifted and prolific writer who penned a wealth of writings outside of her acting endeavors. Amidst her writings from 1934–1944, Chan Bo Yee the “feminist” and “national revolutionary” coexisted peacefully with Chan Bo Yee the “actress” and “warrioress,” who espoused two cultural belief systems, both inextricably linked with her personal life practices and republican China’s appeals for “modernity.” The inception of Chan Bo Yee’s writing practices and the interrelation and motivation for her exploration of writing and her life practices, acting, and social activities are highly effective ways to investigate the social beliefs of this celebrated and mercurial cinematic revolutionary.

Keywords: Chan Bo Yee ; Cultural Belief Systems ; Feminism ; Modernity ; National Revolution