Lurking in the Shadows: Toshia Mori and Lotus Long, Exploring Their Enigmatic Careers (Part I)

Toshia Mori and Lotus Long barely register with today’s cinéphiles, unless they happen to be aficionados of some the more obscure films of the 1930s. These two Asian-American actors worked mainly in low-budget productions, often consigned to sundry China doll and native-girl parts. Given the ideological milieu and casting constraints of a predominately Euro-American system, hopes for better parts and the possibility of achieving stardom were repeatedly frustrated and denied. Their experiences in Hollywood reflected the paradox between representing Asian sexual stereotypes on the screen and economic survival in a competitive industry notorious for its chronic unemployment. Despite their appearances in a couple of milestone classics, film historians have unfairly neglected the achievements of these two early Asian players. This two-installment discussion on Toshia Mori and Lotus Long will separately chronicle and critique their respective careers in the Hollywood studio system. In addition to examining their films and roles, a perusal of their neglected peers/male co-stars, B-filmmaking culture, and the system’s representational-casting practices will attempt to reconstruct and contextualize some of the fragments of their careers.