Trivia / The World of Suzie Wong

• Actor-Inspired Element: Nancy Kwan opted to play Suzie as a more innocent and optimistic girl in spite of her profession - in contrast to the book's more cynical and world-weary heroine.
• California Doubling: While exteriors were shot on-location in Hong Kong, interiors were done in Britain.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Nancy Kwan originally had a small role as a bar girl but was bumped up to playing Suzie when France Nuyen was recast.
• Dear Negative Reader: Nancy Kwan is known for being outspoken when it comes to responding to the criticism of playing to the Asian Hooker Stereotype. One such example:
  "You mean to say if I had played a nun and it became a successful movie, then all Asian women would be seen as nuns?"
• Dueling Works: The play was dueling with the stage version of Flower Drum Song - another Asian-centered story. Hilariously Nancy Kwan would star in both film adaptations.
• Executive Meddling: Both the director and William Holden preferred Nancy Kwan for the part of Suzie, but the studio wanted France Nuyen because she was riding high from South Pacific. After she was fired, they let Nancy play the part.
• Fake Nationality: While Nancy Kwan and Jacqueline Chan were of Chinese descent (though Nancy was only half), Yvonne Shima (Minnie Ho) was Japanese-Canadian.
• Hostility on the Set:
  • Whatever the reason for France Nuyen's departure, she didn't get along with producer Ray Stark, who was also responsible for firing the original director Jean Negulesco.
  • Replacement director Richard Quine also clashed with replacement actress Nancy Kwan over one scene; where Robert tears Ben's dress off Suzie. Nancy was originally to wear a full slip underneath the dress, which the director found too unrealistically modest. Ray Stark confronted the sobbing actress in her dressing room, warning her that she could be fired if she was considered "difficult" too. Nancy aloofly walked onto the set wearing the bra and half-slip as if nothing had happened.
• I Am Not Spock: Even after doing about fifty other films, Nancy Kwan still got letters about Suzie Wong. People would frequently confuse her with Suzie, and even call her father "Mr. Wong", much to his displeasure. She did star in the remembered Flower Drum Song and The Wrecking Crew as well, but Suzie Wong is her most famous lead role.
• Orphaned Reference: Suzie's broken English in the film wasn't in the book, but came from France Nuyen (the actress who first portrayed her on stage and was set to play her on this film), who had limited English and learned her lines in the play phonetically. Nancy Kwan, however, was Eurasian and spoke perfect English.
• The Other Darrin: William Shatner played Robert on the stage, and was replaced with William Holden for the film.
• The Other Marty: France Nuyen, who had played the role of Suzie Wong on stage, was set to reprise her role in the film, before she was let go due to unspecific reasons (see Urban Legend of Zelda below). Nancy Kwan, who was her understudy and was set to originally have a small role in the film, got the part. Several scenes in Hong Kong that had already been shot with Nuyen as Suzie had to be redone with Kwan.
• Star-Making Role: Nancy Kwan was an unknown before this movie, and then became one of the leading Asian-American actresses in Hollywood.
• Stunt Casting: The reason France Nuyen was to play Suzie - as she was famous for the film version of South Pacific.
• Those Two Actors: Original Robert and Suzie - William Shatner and France Nuyen - later worked together on Star Trek: The Original Series and an episode of Kung Fu (1972).
• Urban Legend of Zelda: There are differing reasons for why France Nuyen was dropped from the lead role. Some say she was behaving too erratically after discovering that her then-lover Marlon Brando had an affair with another woman. Another source said she had gained weight from overreating and couldn't fit into her costumes - and the director didn't want to wait for her to lose it. Others say she became pregnant. And another source says she had a row with producer Ray Stark. As noted above, the lesser known Nancy Kwan was the favourite for the part, but the studio preferred France Nuyen - so they may have just been looking for any chance to get rid of her.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Richard Mason, who had written several screenplays himself, was hoping to write the film adaptation of his novel, but he ultimately wasn't asked.
  • Jean Negulesco was the original director, but got fired midway through filming and replaced by Richard Quine. Jack Clayton was also approached to direct.
• Write What You Know: Author Richard Mason took a holiday in Hong Kong and stayed at a hotel that turned out to be a brothel, which inspired him to write the story.