Long Tack Sam, a captivating documentary produced by the National Film Board (NFB), delves into the extraordinary life of a mysterious individual hailing from a bygone era in early 20th-century China. Transporting audiences back to a time when vaudeville reigned supreme, Long Tack Sam emerged as a luminary, enchanting spectators with his mesmerizing array of magical wonders imported from his native land.
In an era dominated by vaudeville, a precursor to the cinematic age where luminaries like Charlie Chaplin cut their teeth, Long Tack Sam stood out as a unique figure. Despite the acclaim he garnered, he ultimately succumbed to the pervasive Oriental stereotypes of the time, fading into obscurity in the annals of entertainment history.
Recently, Ann Marie Fleming, an accomplished and award-winning independent filmmaker, undertook the remarkable task of resurrecting Long Tack Sam’s forgotten legacy. Through her lens, his tale is reborn on the silver screen and immortalized in the form of an illustrated memoir. Fleming’s dedication to reviving Sam’s story not only sheds light on an overlooked chapter in cultural history but also serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of stereotypes on the trajectory of remarkable lives.” Read more>>
Who was Long Tack Sam?
He was born in 1885. He ran away from Shangdung Province to join the circus. He was an acrobat. A magician. A comic. An impresario. A restaurateur. A theater owner. A world traveler. An East-West ambassador. A mentor to Orson Welles. He was considered the greatest act in the history of vaudeville.
In this gorgeous graphic memoir, his great-granddaughter, the artist and filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, resurrects his fascinating life for the rest of the world. It’s an exhilarating testament to a forgotten man. And every picture is true.
The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, Ann Marie Fleming, provided by the National Film Board of Canada