Ruan Lingyu

 

Ruan Lingyu, born in 1910, is one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s. [Photo by Xinhua]

Ruan Lingyu, born in 1910, is one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s. Her first screen appearance in 1927 was in the film "Husband and Wife in Name." In spite of her lack of formal education, she was diligent and scrupulous in every detail of her acting. Contrast to her success on the screen, her personal life was a tragedy. She fell in love with Zhang Damin, the young master of the house her mother worked, before starting her film career. But in a class-divided society they could not marry. Their relationship deteriorated when she became a successful actress. She later left Zhang and lived with a businessman, Tang Jishan. Zhang created a scandal when he sued Tang for damage in the 1930s, and Ruan was hounded by the tabloid press. Under severe pressure, Ruan poisoned herself with an overdose of barbiturates in Shanghai in 1935, at the age of 25.