Etta Lee (September 12, 1906 – October 27, 1956) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

actress, known for supporting roles.

Early life

Lee was born on September 12, 1906, in Kauai,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

. Her father was a Chinese medical doctor and her mother was of French ancestry. She grew up in California and went on to get her degree in education at Occidental College in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. Lee moved back to Hawaii to be a teacher, before returning to Los Angeles to begin her career as an actress.

Career

Lee's first film was '' A Tale of Two Worlds'' in 1921, where she played Ah Fah, a Chinese maid. She played another Chinese maid named Liu in the 1923 film '' The Remittance Woman'', a maid in ''

The Untameable ''The Untameable'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Herbert Blaché and starring Gladys Walton, Malcolm McGregor and John St. Polis.Munden p.850 It is based on the 1907 novel ''The White Cat'' by Gelett Burgess. Synopsis Chest ...

'' (1923), ''

A Thief in Paradise ''A Thief in Paradise'' is a 1925 American silent drama film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, directed by George Fitzmaurice, and adapted by Frances Marion from Leonard Merrick's 1900 novel ''The Worldlings''.

'' (1925), ''

The Trouble with Wives ''The Trouble with Wives'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin, and starring Florence Vidor, Tom Moore, Esther Ralston, Ford Sterling, Lucy Beaumont, and Edgar Kennedy. ...

'' (1925), and '' International House'' (1933). Other so-called exotic roles she was cast in included The Slave of the Sand Board in '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924). In 1923, she was called the only Eurasian girl in films. Lee directly commented on the lack of diversity in her roles in an article in 1924. She noted that "I am equipped…to show oriental impulse and emotional complexities. But in this field I have not yet had opportunity." She went on to discuss that even in terms of getting roles meant for Chinese women, she was often turned down because she was of mixed race and did not look Chinese enough. She made her first stage debut in the summer of 1927, with a production of ''The Scarlet Virgin'' in Los Angeles.

Personal life

In 1932, Lee married Frank Robinson Brown, a Welsh-born radio announcer and columnist, and retired from acting afterward. She became active in her community following retirement, becoming chairwoman of the Eureka Woman's Club. She was also an active member of the Episcopal Church. Lee died at age 50 on October 27, 1956, at her home in

Eureka, California Eureka (Wiyot: ''Jaroujiji'', Hupa: ''do'-wi-lotl-ding'', Karuk: ''uuth'') is the principal city and county seat of Humboldt County in the Redwood Empire region of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Ba ...

Filmography

Film

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Etta 1906 births 1956 deaths Occidental College alumni American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Hawaii Actresses from Los Angeles