| Wang Naidong | |
| Native Name: | 王乃東 |
| Birth Date: | June 15, 1900 |
| Birth Place: | Hankow, China |
| Death Date: | October 3, 1995 |
| Death Place: | Hong Kong |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1922-1957 |
| Employer: | China Lillium Picture, National Resistance Film |
| Party: | Imperial Rule Association, Kuomintang, Hong Kong Peoples Party, Chinese Communist Party |
Wang Naidong (王乃東, Lyton Wong, June 15, 1900 – October 3, 1995) was a renowned Chinese actor who is famous for acting in the 1934 film "The Goddess" and the 1929 film "Don't Change Your Husband". He also gained prominence during the 1920s and 1930s, contributing significantly to the flourishing Chinese film industry of that era. Wang Naidong became one of the most distinguished figures in Chinese cinema during his time.
Wang Naidong was born in a decently wealthy Hankowian Family. His father was general Wang Siming, of the Han Green Standard Army. His name, Nai-Dong, meaning resistant to winter, was due to the harsh Peking Winter during the Imperial Mobilization of Shandong, Zhilli and Jehol. His ancestors came from Henan Province, but lived in Hubei, where along with Army work, they had a tea export business. He had 5 siblings, 3 of which were older then him. He was educated at Wuhan No. 7 Western School. He was trained in traditional Chinese theatre by his Madame, Chu Shen-Wei. Due to the drastic fall of fortunes after the Wuchang Uprising, he was forced to move into a smaller 2 bedroom house, from a decently big manor siheyuan. From the ages of 16, he had started performing in the local cabarets and theatres of the city. However, after a while, he had started going into Silent Films. His first movie, "A Night in the Great City" (大都会之夜), was his big breakthrough. He quickly became a “first-pick” actor in the Hubei Silent Film Industry. Wanting to increase the amount of films he would act in, he moved to Shanghai. He acted in many movies, despite the turmoil that was occurring in Shanghai with the arrival of the KMT and defeat of local warlord armies. His famed 1929 movie, "Don't Change Your Husband" became one of the most popular films in Concession-area Shanghai, and he was praised greatly for his act. The movie was able to beat even foreign movies in terms of box office collection, and it was, for a few years in Shanghai, used as a common euphemism for scenarios such as the ones occurring in the movie. Later on, during the 1940s, upon the Shanghai population boom, it was said that old Shanghaimen could be identified by asking about characters from that movie. Wang Naidong had adapted the European name “Lyton”, from his father’s British friend, Officer Lyton Heatherington, who came to China in 1901.[1] [2] [3]
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Wang Naidong starred in a diverse array of films across various genres, including romance, drama, and action.
One of Wang Naidong's most memorable roles was in the 1934 film "The Goddess" (神女), directed by Wu Yonggang. In this groundbreaking silent film, he portrayed a compelling character opposite Ruan Lingyu, one of China's most iconic actresses. The film delved into themes of poverty, sacrifice, and societal injustice, with Wang Naidong delivering a nuanced performance that resonated deeply with audiences.[4]
As the Chinese film industry transitioned to sound films, Wang Naidong successfully adapted to the new medium, continuing to deliver captivating performances in films such as "Spring Silkworms" (春蚕) and "Song of the Fishermen" (渔光曲).During the 1930s, Wang Naidong's personal life was commonly shared across tabloids and was published, especially his personal marital life and the parties he went to, meeting with the top echelons of Shanghai's high society. He also appeared in the famous jazz song "Jian Yi", which was a Mandopop hit during 1935. Wang also sponsored the famous 1935 case of Shi Jianqiao, murderer of famed Chinese Warlord, Sun Chuanfang.
Shanghai, Lyton's residential area, was invaded by Imperial Japan in the middle of 1937, a month after the Marco Polo Bridge incident. Lyton then escaped to his local Hubei, and then to Canton, due to the Japanese advance.
In October of 1938, the Canton Operation was launched by the Japanese Imperial Army. Lyton launched a legendary escape from Canton, using aliases and sneaking through train lines, under threat of immediate execution due to his rich actor background. Upon sneaking into the Hong Kong Border, he was shot at three times, but managed to go to Hong Kong. However, his efforts were to only grant 3 more years of freedom, as Hong Kong was occupied in December of 1941. He then collaborated with Japanese forces, making movies such as "Signal Fires of Shanghai", a masterpiece of the Wang Jingwei Propaganda department, which, if not for the deteriorating condition in China, would have caused some form of legitimacy.
Due to his collaboration with the Japanese, the Kuomintang signed a death warrant: if he ever came back to China, he was to be shot on sight. He was forced to stay in Hong Kong for the rest of his life, as after the Communist revolution, his movies were denounced as bourgeois propaganda and burnt. It was only after the reform and opening-up period of China that he was allowed to visit his ancestral house in Henan, and his old siheyuan in Hankou. https://search.worldcat.org/title/953081297 https://www.perlentaucher.de/buch/cao-wenxuan/bronze-und-sonnenblume.html
Lyton Wong started working on Cantonese films during and after the Second Sino-Japanese War. His last known film is Sar Kua Chew Ai from 1957.[5] He had also met Ip Man, mentor of Bruce Lee in Hong Kong.
| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | The Widow Wants to Remarry | 古井重波記 | ||
| 1925 | Catkin Sorrow | 楊花恨 | ||
| 1926 | Debt Circles | 連環債 | ||
| Mother's Happiness | 兒孫福 | Second son | ||
| Family's Heirloom | 傳家寶 | Wu Mutian | ||
| Ma Jiefu | 馬介甫 | Ma Jiefu | ||
| Visiting the In-Laws | 探親家 | Wang Zhiyi | ||
| 1927 | Sex Trap | 美人計 | ||
| Four Heroes of the Wangs | 王氏四俠 | |||
| Redress a Grievance | 烏盆記 | Liu Shichang's soul | ||
| The Miserable Life of Qiu Xiang | 可憐的秋香 | Qiu Sheng | ||
| 1928 | A Shanghai Dancing-Girl | 上海一舞女 | ||
| That Is Me | 就是我 | |||
| The Ridiculous Swordsman | 荒唐劍客 | |||
| 1929 | Don't Change Your Husband | 情海重吻 | Qiping | |
| 1934 | Floating Flowers | 飛花村 | ||
| Women | 女人 | Ji Juesheng | ||
| 1935 | New Women | 新女性 | Dr. Wang | |
| Lady Pear Blossom | 梨花夫人 | |||
| Man at Birth | 人之初 | Huang Zijing | ||
| Burden of Living | 生之哀歌 | |||
| Hero of the Times | 時事英雄 | |||
| Tempest | 暴風雨 | |||
| 1936 | Bloodshed on a Wedding | 新婚大血案 | ||
| Song of Regret | 長恨歌 | Yu Peilan | ||
| Tomboy | 化身姑娘 | Yuan Baojun | ||
| Tomboy 2 | 化身姑娘續集 | |||
| 1937 | A Mystical Flower | 神秘之花 | ||
| All Loves | 滿園春色 | |||
| Lovers | 海天情侶 | |||
| The Big Robbery No.303 | 三零三大劫案 | |||
| Night Rains at Xiaoxiang | 瀟湘夜雨 | |||
| 1938 | Women | 女人 | ||
| A Pair in Love | 鳳求凰 | |||
| 1939 | The Love of a Woman | 潘巧雲 | Yang Xiong | |
| Groans and Struggles | 碧玉雄心 | Wang Zhiqun | ||
| Mysterious Lady | 神秘夫人 | |||
| A Fair Actress | 影城記 | Guan Peng | ||
| Xiang Yu the Conqueror | 楚霸王 | Zhang Liang | ||
| Ape in Disguise | 化身人猿 | |||
| Tomboy 3 | 化身姑娘第三集 | |||
| Tomboy 4 | 化身姑娘第四集 | |||
| Hong Kong Song Girl | 香江歌女 | |||
| 1940 | The Adventures of Chinese Tarzan | 中國泰山歷險記 | ||
| The Perfect Beauty | 絕代佳人 | Li Zicheng | also producer | |
| Revolt of the Fishing Folks | 打漁殺家 | |||
| The Gardener and a Lady | 薛仁貴與柳迎春 | |||
| 1941 | The Marriage Trap | 美人計 | Liu Bei | |
| A Prostitute and a General | 賽金花 | Alfred von Waldersee | ||
| The Sparrow Flies East and South | 孔雀東南飛 | |||
| Ancient Kingdom of Human Freaks | 古國人妖 | |||
| Song Girl Red Peony | 歌女紅牡丹 | |||
| 1943 | Under the Roofs of Shanghai | 上海屋簷下 | ||
| Peach Blossom Pond | 桃花潭水 | |||
| Torrent | 激流 | |||
| The Story of Qiu Haitang | 秋海棠 | Yuan Shaowen | 2-part film | |
| 1944 | The Hero and the Beauty | 英雄美人 | ||
| Love of Fermented Rice | 麴海情濤 | |||
| Return of the Phoenix | 鳳還巢 |