The Longbow Papers

Yep, there's Bosco acting out again. It was a short but significant role in a movie called China, 1949, you can read all about the film in the article linked to here and below. My contribution was done in one quick weekend when the producer and director were kind enough to fly me down to Nanjing and back so that my schedule here at Beiwai was not affected.

Oddly enough, I played the French ambassador during the final days of the Chinese Revolution when the western powers were deciding what they were going to do with the impending defeat of the Guomindang forces under Chiang Kai-shek by the People's Liberation Army under Mao Zedong. Over a few fateful hours, the future of what came to be the 'Cold War' was very much up in the air.

(I wish I could identify the pretty lady next to me who played my assistant, but I am just too absent-minded; she is an American student in Nanjing University.)

I will not give away exactly what transpired during those crucial few days so that you might better enjoy the movie. Suffice it to say that one cabled message from America forever changed history--but there were days and hours when it easily could have gone the other way. Frankly, I believe it would have been a much better world if that cable had contained another message.

My scenes were all about the French, English and American ambassadors huddled together--palatially--jawboning and waiting for instructions from each of their respective governments in Washington, London and Paris. We shot these scenes in the actual Presidential Palace in Nanjing, which is a beautifully restored museum of almost living history--I certainly felt the presence of the ghosts whose portraits were on the walls of the very rooms where they played out one of the most important events of the 20th Century.

Strange as it seems, of the four movies and one TV series I made over the last 12 months, this one China, 1949, the one that wrapped last, will probably be released first. Just the other day, I spent a few hours in a recording studio dubbing in some dialogue to sync with my mouth as I watched it on a large television monitor. We had to shoot those scenes without sound because the Presidential Palace remained open to tourists as we shot; so there was too much ambient sound to mic it normally.

To my amazement--and pleasure--I discovered that the film is all but finished and might even be released before August. The pleasure was realizing that the film looks great!

Read all about it: A fresh look at history in Beijing Today.

By the way, the photograph was taken by my dear friend Les Collings, who did truly excellent work as the American ambassador--and he's from the U.K.! Ah, the magic of making movies in China.

Update: Dummy me had the name of the movie wrong, it is China, 1949.

 

1:57 PM / Editor / permalink    4 comments

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4 Comments:

Perhaps the Emmy will come before the Pulitzer? I would keep checking the incoming post, in either event I hope it was fun.
Shame about not getting the yound lady's number. I always try to help young foreigners in America. Especially females. And expecially those who wear red dresses. Joking.

By  Anonymous, at 3:59 PM  

I can absolutely assure you I wrote down her name and phone number and that it is somewhere on, in or around this desk. The question is WHERE?

She was indeed a very nice young lady; the dress I believe came from wardrobe and was not her own. It had a late 40s sexiness about it.

All the best,

Joseph

By  Joseph, at 4:21 PM  

Joseph, could I ask a small favour of you - that you not put parts of your posts up in bold all the time? It makes it very difficult to read your posts sometimes. It would be far more pleasant if you just left it in standard font.

Cheers

By  Raj, at 2:25 AM  

Dear Raj,

Thank you, consider it done. I really don't know why I got into that habit. I get into ruts sometimes and kind people have to come along and boot me out of them. I really appreciate you taking the time to boot me out of this one.

All the best

Joseph

By  Joseph, at 10:45 AM  

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