Zhou Xuan

Zhou Xuan (周璇 1918-1957)

Zhou Xuan 周璇

Career

Zhou Xuan was once the most popular actress and singer in China's entertainment industry.

Zhou was born Su Pu in August 1918. She displayed exceptional singing talent at an early age. In 1931, she joined Li Jinhui's Ming Yue Society, a Shanghai musical company. In her first performance, the 13-year-old sang a song "The Glory of a Nation," some words of which were "To contend with the enemy on the battlefield." Her performance of this song was so well received by audiences that the troupe director changed her stage name to Zhou Xuan, which means "contend with."

In 1934, Zhou Xuan took second place in a singing competition in Shanghai and was hailed by the press and public as a "golden voice." Zhou rapidly became the most famous and marketable popular singer in the gramophone era. Her sweet and eminently beautiful voice captured the hearts of millions of Chinese of her time.

Zhou started her film acting career in 1935, and she achieved stardom in 1937 in "Street Angel" when director Yuan Muzhi cast her as one of the leads - a singing girl named Xiao Hong. She then joined the Guohua Film Company in 1938 and starred in nearly 20 films for the company.

In 1943, Zhou Xuan joined the China Film Company, starring in movies such as "Daughter of a Fishing Family" and "A Dream of Red Mansions." After 1945 she moved to Hong Kong where she starred in such popular films as "Memories of the South," "We Each Have Our Strong Points" and "Secrets of the Forbidden City." She also acted as one of the leads in the Wenhua Film Company classic "Night Inn," a Chinese version of Gorky's "The Lower Depths."

Zhou was working on the film "Peace Dove" in 1950 when she suffered a sudden onset of mental illness. She was sent to the Shanghai Hongqiao Convalescent Hospital, where she died in 1957.

Of her 43 movie credits, Zhou's favorite film was always "Street Angel." The film featured two theme songs -- "Four Seasons Song" and "The Wandering Songstress" -- which have enjoyed long-lasting popularity.

Zhou had enormous success in her lifetime. By the time she died, she was one of China's highest paid actresses. Her movie "Street Angel" was named one of the 10 classic Chinese films of the 20th Century. Zhou Xuan was also selected one of most outstanding Chinese actresses by viewers.

Life

Zhou Xuan's personal life was not so happy. Zhou was born Su Pu in a poor family in Changzhou, a city in eastern China's Jiangsu Province, in August 1918. When she was two or three, a Shanghai couple surnamed Zhou saw her and were so charmed by her that they adopted her, giving her the name Zhou Xiaohong. At the age of 13, she took Zhou Xuan as her stage name.

Zhou married twice. Her first husband was composer Yan Hua, who wrote many of her songs. They divorced after eight years of marriage. Zhou later lived with Hong Kong businessman Zhu Huaide, who deserted her when she became pregnant.

In 1950, Zhou returned to Shanghai and began a relationship with artist Tang Di, but again she was left pregnant and abandoned. This sent her over the edge, and she had a nervous breakdown which ended her film acting career. She spent the rest of her life in and out of mental hospitals and institutions. She died of encephalitis in Shanghai on Sept. 22, 1957.

Zhou Xuan had two sons, Zhou Min and Zhou Wei, born of different fathers. According to Zhou Wei's biography, the younger son Zhou Wei was the son of Tang Di, while the father of Zhou Min is unknown.

Film works

Carnival Nigh (狂欢之夜, 1935)

A Beauty's Kindness (美人恩,1935)

Children of the Time (风云儿女, 1935)

100 Precious Pictures (百宝图, 1936 )

A Girl Incarnate (化身姑娘, 1936 )

Happiness comes (喜临门, 1936)

Candle Night (花烛之夜, 1936 )

Street Angel (马路天使, 1937)

Spring is Everywhere (满园春色, 1937)

Goddess of Wealth (女财神, 1937)

Three Stars Beside the Moon (三星伴月, 1938)

Meng Jiangnü (孟姜女, 1939)

Li Sanniang (李三娘, 1939)

A New Hell (新地狱, 1939)

Seven Important Days (七重天, 1939)

Dong Xiaowan (董小宛, 1939)

The Story of Studio(影城记, 1939)

Three Smiles (三笑, 1940)

Meng Lijun (孟丽君, 1940)

The Amorous History of Su San (苏三艳史, 1940)

Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记, 1940)

Dark Heaven (黑天堂, 1940)

Songstress at the End of the Earth (天涯歌女, 1940)

Broken Dreams on Mount Guan (梦断关山, 1941)

Concubine Mei (梅妃, 1941 )

Darkest Night (夜深沉, 1941)

The Communicators (解语花, 1941 )

Annoying Spring Scenery (恼人春色, 1941)

Daughter of a Fishing Family (渔家女, 1943)

Cry of the Birds (凤凰于飞, 1944)

Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, 1944)

Happy Marriage (鸾凤和鸣, 1945)

We Each Have Our Strong Points (各有千秋, 1946)

Don't Rely on Youth (莫负青春, 1947)

Memories of the South (望江南1947)

Night Inn (夜店, 1947)

Yearning for Each Other (长相思, 1947)

Secrets of the Forbidden City (清宫秘史, 1948)

Orioles Banished from the Flowers (花外流莺, 1948)

Song Of A Songstress (歌女之歌, 1948)

The Song of Rainbow (彩虹曲, 1949)

Flower Street (花街, 1950)

Peace Dove (和平鸽, 1950)