Two Stars Shining in a Cold War Sky

On July 6, 1956 Li Lihua arrived in the United States on board the S.S. President Wilson en route to Hollywood under contract to Cecil B. DeMille. She made quite a splash in the American press, appearing in newspapers across the country in photos like this one, where she poses with a parasol — just like a calendar girl from old Shanghai — in front of the flag of the exiled Republic of China. According to the caption of another photo, she was in fact immigrating, along with her 9-year-old daughter, under the Refugee Act. As the caption explains, "Miss Li ... fled to Hong Kong when Communist armies swept across the mainland of China in 1948." Five years earlier when Li Lihua was featured as the Chinese representative in LIFE's article "Film Queens of Asia" (Dec. 31, 1951), she was quoted as saying, "I'm a Catholic. Communism is no good for the soul." Take that, Chairman Mao!

Later in 1956 another Chinese actress graced the pages of American newspapers: Bai Ruitong 柏瑞桐 from the People's Republic of China. Is Miss Bai waiting for her screen test with Mr. DeMille? Nope, the "20-year-old actress waits to go before the movie cameras at the film factory in Changchun, where she works six days a week, from 8 to 5. She earns about $27 a month." Now that's what you call a film worker! By contrast, Li Lihua was cited in LIFE as making $5,100 a film in 1951. Only God knows how much she was making five years later during her Hollywood stint. But money isn't everything, right? Miss Bai elaborates: "I don't work for money, but to contribute to the state." Take that, Li Lihua!

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