My mom, who had a crush on William Holden, game me a copy of this movie, a beautiful interracial romance set in Hong Kong. It was very interesting to see the city I grew up in, long before it became the modern financial centre it is today. William Holden was very good as the struggling American artist Robert who must overcome British prejudice and his own traditional concepts of morality to realize his love for Susie. Susie is a young woman, born in poverty, who has to earn a living doing a dirty job, but who nevertheless has maintained her pride in herself and her love for her baby. Nancy Kwan is wonderful in her role. She portrayed Susie with a charm and innocence that reminds me a bit of Audrey Hepburn. It was a rare early example of a Chinese actress in a sympathetic role in a major western film, and my mom said people were very excited at the time to see a "local girl" make it big.
Review of The World of Suzie Wong
