The World of Suzie Wong

Released Nov 10, 1960

2h 9m

Drama

List

33%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

68%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

When American artist Robert Lomax (William Holden) first meets beautiful Chinese native Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) aboard a ferry, she claims to be the virginal daughter of a prominent man. But when Robert spots her again in a Hong Kong brothel, she admits she is actually a prostitute. As Suzie models for Robert's paintings, their friendship deepens into love, to the disapproval of Robert's crusty British friend O'Neill (Laurence Naismith) and his daughter, Kay (Sylvia Syms), who fancies Robert.

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Variety Staff

Variety

On the decidedly negative side are three passages in which realism is virtually abandoned for theatrical effect.

May 27, 2008

Full Review

Time Out

Denied the chance of being honest about its subject, it soon degenerates into euphemistic soap opera, with vague gestures towards bohemianism and lukewarm titillation.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

[A] wildly romantic, vividly imagined color film.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 21, 2005

Full Review

Allan Morrison

Jet Magazine

[The screenplay] has adhered most faithfully to the original story, but fails to reproduce the charm and tenderness that made Mason's book such endearing reading.

Jan 16, 2024

Full Review

Isabel Quigly

The Spectator

It is sad to see Richard Quine, once a fair hope for 'mad' comedy, but growing progressively more sentimental and soft, slithering into a fifth-rate weepie like The World of Suzie Wang.

Jul 18, 2018

Full Review

TV Guide

The World of Suzie Wong is rife with problems.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 17, 2012

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Meredith S

The original Lomax character is supposed to be British, and its hard to believe that in the 60s a professional man would fall for a hooker, no matter how nice she is....sorta like a precursor to Pretty Woman. Anyway, Nancy Kwan is amazing, as she is in all her roles. William Holden is kinda blah, but its an OK movie that superficially touches on class, privilege, poverty and what a woman will do to survive.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/23

Full Review

TM S

Quite dated, of course, 1960. Amazing shots of Hong Kong, the working class areas, not the touristy shots one might expect. One of Hollywood's very first inter-ethnic romances, and with a major leading man of the time, William Holden no less. Of course "Suzie Wong", Nancy Kwan already came from a Chinese-European relationship. Most grating is lack of any middle class or on up Chinese, or working men at all, all are women, and all are prostitutes. No wonder the 1949 revolution was needed! A revealing film of its time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

D W

Cute, good location photography, some sweet characters, requires an ability to deal with dated content.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/16/22

Full Review

steve d

There is not a whole lot to any of it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A rather strange premise about exploring alternate moralities between cultures. Good cinematography, editing, acting, set decorations, costumes (va-voom), but yet this film will make those with traditional moralities feel uncomfortable - in spite of the Hollywood ending.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Though stereotypical, this interracial romantic melodrama was one of William Holden's most popular films,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

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Richard Quine

Director

William Holden

Robert Lomax

Nancy Kwan

Suzie Wong

Sylvia Syms

Kay O'Neill

Michael Wilding

Ben Marlowe

Laurence Naismith

O'Neill

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Synopsis

When American artist Robert Lomax (William Holden) first meets beautiful Chinese native Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) aboard a ferry, she claims to be the virginal daughter of a prominent man. But when Robert spots her again in a Hong Kong brothel, she admits she is actually a prostitute. As Suzie models for Robert's paintings, their friendship deepens into love, to the disapproval of Robert's crusty British friend O'Neill (Laurence Naismith) and his daughter, Kay (Sylvia Syms), who fancies Robert.

Director: Richard Quine
Producer: Ray Stark
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: World Enterprises
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 1960, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Runtime: 2h 9m

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