The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong
Encyclopedia
The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong was an American television series which aired on the now defunct DuMont Television Network
. It starred Chinese American
silent film
and talkie star Anna May Wong
, who played a detective
in a role written specifically for her. The Gallery of Madame Liu Tsong was the first U.S. television series starring an Asian-American.
whose career involved her in detective work and international intrigue. The ten half-hour episodes aired during prime time
, on Wednesdays at 9:00pm EST. Though there were plans for a second season, DuMont canceled the show in 1952. No copies of the show or its scripts are known to exist.
episodes of various DuMont series survive at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications
, New York's Paley Center for Media,and the UCLA Film and Television Archive
, there are no copies of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong in these archives. In 1996, early television actress Edie Adams
testified at a hearing in front of a panel of the Library of Congress
on the preservation of American television and video. Adams stated that by the 1970s little value was given to the DuMont film archive, and that all the remaining kinescopes of DuMont series were loaded into three trucks and dumped into Upper New York Bay
.
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. It starred Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and talkie star Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
, who played a detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
in a role written specifically for her. The Gallery of Madame Liu Tsong was the first U.S. television series starring an Asian-American.
Broadcast history
Wong's character was a dealer in Chinese artChinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
whose career involved her in detective work and international intrigue. The ten half-hour episodes aired during prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
, on Wednesdays at 9:00pm EST. Though there were plans for a second season, DuMont canceled the show in 1952. No copies of the show or its scripts are known to exist.
Episode status
Like most DuMont programs, no known episodes of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong exist today. Although a few kinescopeKinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
episodes of various DuMont series survive at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications
Museum of Broadcast Communications
The Museum of Broadcast Communications is an American museum that currently exists exclusively on the Internet and not in any physical capacity. Its stated mission is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain...
, New York's Paley Center for Media,and the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
, there are no copies of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong in these archives. In 1996, early television actress Edie Adams
Edie Adams
Edie Adams was an American singer, Broadway, television and film actress and comedienne. Adams, a Tony Award winner, "both embodied and winked at the stereotypes of fetching chanteuse and sexpot blonde." She was well-known for her impersonations of female stars on stage and television, most...
testified at a hearing in front of a panel of the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
on the preservation of American television and video. Adams stated that by the 1970s little value was given to the DuMont film archive, and that all the remaining kinescopes of DuMont series were loaded into three trucks and dumped into Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
.
Episode list
| # | Title | Aired |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | No title | August 27, 1951 |
| 2. | "The Golden Women" | September 3, 1951 |
| 3. | "The Spreading Oak" | September 10, 1951 |
| 4. | "The Man with a Thousand Eyes" | September 17, 1951 |
| 5. | "Burning Sands" | September 24, 1951 |
| 6. | "Shadow of the Sun God" | October 1, 1951 |
| 7. | "The Tinder Box" | October 31, 1951 |
| 8. | "The House of Quiet Dignity" | November 7, 1951 |
| 9. | "Boomerang" | November 14, 1951 |
| 10. | "The Face of Evil" | November 21, 1951 |
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts