Butterfly Wu

Acting

Butterfly Wu

Born March 22, 1908 · Shanghai, China

Died April 23, 1989 · aged 81

Hu Die (Chinese: 胡蝶; Wade–Giles: Hu Tieh; 1907–08 – 23 April 1989), also known by her English name Butterfly Wu, was a popular Chinese actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She was voted China's first "Movie Queen" in 1933, and won the Best Actress Award at the 1960 Asian Film Festival for her performance in Rear Door.

Known For

Such ParadiseSuch Paradise · 1931
Such Paradise
1931
Movie
Twin SistersTwin Sisters · 1934
Twin Sisters
7.01934
MovieDrama
Twin girls separated at birth are reunited when the one raised in poverty becomes a servant in the household of her sister, now the pampered wife of a warlord general.
TorrentTorrent · 1933
Torrent
10.01933
MovieDrama
A primary school teacher rallies the citizens of a small town to resist the corruption of the local government and unite to build reinforcements against an oncoming flood.
Nobody's ChildNobody's Child · 1960
Nobody's Child
7.01960
MovieFamilyDrama
Melodramatic film about a child prodigy.
Down-trodden Peach BlossomDown-trodden Peach Blossom · 1935
Down-trodden Peach Blossom
1935
Movie
Fate in Tears and LaughterFate in Tears and Laughter · 1932
Fate in Tears and Laughter
1932
MovieDrama
In 1920s Beijing, a young student named Fan Jiashu falls in love with Shen Fengxi, a talented but poor street singer. Their romance is tested by class differences and the unwanted attention of a powerful warlord. Torn between three women from vastly different backgrounds, Fan becomes trapped in a tragic web of love, fate, and social pressure.
Sing-Song Red PeonySing-Song Red Peony · 1931
Sing-Song Red Peony
10.01931
MovieMusicDrama
The first Chinese sound film. It tells the story of Hong Pion (Red Peony), a singer-songwriter who, after her marriage to the depraved Faxiang Chen, not only tormented and suffered, but also endured the decline of her artistic career.
The Cosmetics MarketThe Cosmetics Market · 1933
The Cosmetics Market
10.01933
MovieDrama
A young woman finds employment in a department store, only to attract the unwanted advances of the manager and his son.

Filmography

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Rouge TearsRouge Tears · 1938
Rouge Tears
1938
MovieDrama
This sound film remake of The Goddess (1934) was headlined by Hu Die, who found stardom at the same time as Ruan Lingyu. Henry Lai Hang and Zhang Zhizhi reprised their roles from the earlier film. The first half of the story follows The Goddness but the second half references Bu Wanchang’s Love and Duty (1931) and King Vidor’s American film Stella Dallas (1937) with additional plots of the heroine’s post-prison story. After years of separation, she hesitates whether to reunite with her son. This new version poses a bigger challenge to a mother’s love and pushes towards the completion of her fate. The characters use dialogue to express their pain and connection, which strengthens the dramatic dilemma and makes the film more straightforward than its predecessor. Hu Die possesses a sort of allure that shows the sadness, shame, and will of a common woman from middle age to old age.