THE GALLERY OF MADAME LIU-TSONG aka MADAME LIU-TSONG (1951) – The great Anna May Wong starred in this Dumont Network program, which was THE FIRST U.S. TELEVISION SERIES WITH AN ASIAN-AMERICAN STAR. Wong had worked in Silent Films like Peter Pan and The Thief of Bagdad, then as Fu Manchu’s daughter in a few talkies.
After decades of dramatic roles on the big screen, Anna May Wong was offered this vehicle in which even her character’s name was rooted in her real past – Wong Liu-Tsong was Anna May’s birth name.
Madame Liu-Tsong ran her title gallery as well as a string of others. She also did her own detective work regarding thefts, fakes, murders and other crimes involving the world of international art and relics. Think of the female pawn shop detective Miss Hagar Stanley from 1898.
If this show had been done in the 1970s it likely would have been produced in the format of programs like Murder, She Wrote, Banacek, The Snoop Sisters and others. In 1951 it was a half-hour detective series which lasted just 13 episodes. (Some sources mistakenly claim 10 or fewer.)
THE EPISODES:
THE EGYPTIAN IDOLS (Aug 27th) – Madame Liu-Tsong looks into the theft of Isis and Osiris statuettes (at left) from their display. The case leads her to international black marketeers, French & Belgian Underground veterans and Nazi War Criminals involved with plundered art. Natalie Priest and Cliff Carpenter guest starred. William Marceau directed.
The Chicago Daily Tribune review noted “With all the other chiller-dillers in the hands of males, there should be room for one mystery show with a woman heroine.” As opposed to a male heroine, I guess.
THE GOLDEN WOMEN (Sep 3rd) – This episode guest-starred DEFOREST KELLEY!
THE SPREADING OAK (Sep 10th)
THE MAN WITH A THOUSAND EYES (Sep 17th)
BURNING SANDS (Sep 24th)
SHADOW OF THE SUN GOD (Oct 1st)
THE GOLDEN CARAVAN (Oct 10th) – Title shortened to just Madame Liu-Tsong. Show now aired on Wednesdays instead of Mondays.
MESSAGE FROM BEYOND (Oct 17th) – Per John Lester in the Long Island Journal, this episode involved Wong’s detective work leading her to anti-communist agents using the Roman catacombs where early Christians secretly assembled.
THE PRODIGAL STEPSON (Oct 24th)
THE TINDER BOX (Oct 31st) – With Marilyn Clark.
THE HOUSE OF QUIET DIGNITY (Nov 7th)
BOOMERANG (Nov 14th) – Guest starring Midge Ware, known for Psychotronic films like Untamed Women, Door to Door Maniac and Bedtime for Bonzo.
THE FACE OF EVIL (Nov 21st) – This was the last episode.
*** Because this was a Dumont Network program, very little can be found about the show. No episodes or scripts survive and per congressional testimony, with a few exceptions all Dumont’s filmed television shows either got melted down to recycle the silver stock or were dumped in Upper New York Bay after the network went out of business.
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