racechange: The Shanghai Gesture

The movie

Mother Gin Sling (Ona Munson) is a dragon-lady who worked herself up from poverty to buy a casino in Shanghai. She is a tough and astute business woman, but she has a deep grudge against Sir Guy Charteris who is not only threatening her with eviction but is her ex-husband. She plots to take her revenge at a Chinese New Year dinner party but things do not go to plan.

Ona Munson was a slim, pale blonde whose best known role was as Belle Watling in Gone With The Wind. So she was clearly a natural choice for a chinese role.

The makeup

Robert Stephanoff was the makeup artist; Hazel Rogers made Ona Munson’s wigs.