Heading: (Chinese-American - Bruce Lee association)
Author: Kwan, Moon
Title: A Chinese Mirror / Poems and Plays
Place Published: Los Angeles
Publisher:Phoenix Press
Date Published: 1932
Description:

68pp. Introduction by Manly Hall. Original binding of boards and cloth spine. First Edition.

With inscription on front flyleaf: For Dr. and Mrs. Sabieski / With compliments and best wishes/ From Moon Kwan (Signature also in Chinese). Tipped in is a 1933 invitation to a Mandarin Dinner for Kwan by his friends in Los Angeles Chinatown; and 3 1930s news clippings about Kwan's movie career.

In 1940, after working on films in Hollywood and Shanghai, Kwan returned to California from China to write, edit and act in the movie GOLDEN GATE GIRL, filmed in San Francisco and directed by pioneering Chinese woman film-maker Esther Eng. In the story, Kwan played the father of a new born infant; the baby in the film, the real-life son of a Chinatown opera star, grew up to be the legendary Bruce Lee - his first appearance in movies.

Kwan first came to America as a teenager, while still in high school, started working as a technical advisor in Hollywood "Oriental" productions (including one by D.W.Griffith), produced Chinese plays in San Francisco in the 1920s, wrote this and one other book, returned to China in the 30s to write scenarios for Chinese movies, married a famous Chinese actress, then came to the US again in 1939 to produce Chinese movies in Hollywood. His movie-making long forgotten, he died in San Francisco in the 1960s at the age of 99.

Binding somewhat worn; inscription page irregularly darkened; internally very good.