anna may wong

anna was born in l.a. and began her career at age four. between the years of 1919-1961 she made a total of 55 movies. though popular and extremely special, she never was given a starring role. even worse, her characters always perished. she stated that her tombstone ought to read: 'she died a thousand times.'

much had changed in hollywood since her hey day which was at a time when california law forbid a chinese person to marry a caucasian. 'i've come to the conclusion that everybody should marry, including me.' alas, anna never did. one of the most beautiful love songs ever written was written for her.

'these foolish things' written by strachey/marvell/link

A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you

A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumblin' words that told you what my heart meant
A fairground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you

You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be

The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you

How strange, how sweet, to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me

The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside, dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you

recorded by: Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frankie Laine, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Aaron Neville, Ronnie Milsap, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat "King" Cole, Joni James, Bryan Ferry, and Rod Stewart. Instrumental jazz arrangements of the song have been recorded by Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Count Basie, Lester Young, Michael Bublé.