Gerald Tannebaum (simplified Chinese: è°å® 邦; traditional Chinese:
èšå¯§é‚¦; pinyin: Tán NÃngbÄ ng, 1917 â€" 9 March 2001) was an
American humanitarian and actor in China. He was born in Baltimore,
Maryland, and died in Santa Barbara, California, of Parkinson's
disease.After graduation from Northwestern University in 1939, Gerald
"Gerry" Tannebaum worked in advertising. In 1942, he was commissioned
in the US Army. In 1945, he was in charge of the US Armed Forces radio
station in Shanghai, China. In 1946, he left the Army and stayed to
work as executive director of the Chinese Welfare Institute (CWI,
ä¸å›½ç¦ 利会) under Soong Ching-ling (Madame Sun Yat-sen), with
whom he reportedly fell in love.This got him involved with various
theatrical projects of the institute. In 1947, he founded the first
Children's Theater in China (Shanghai). He played foreign roles in
Chinese films, usually negative English characters. Although very
popular with Chinese film audiences, his roles were limited by his
refusal to portray negative American characters. He held major roles
in seven Chinese films. His best-known film role was in 1964's
biographical account of the great Canadian internationalist Dr. Norman
Bethune, and his life in China. (Bethune was one of many Westerners
who came to China to resist the Japanese. The film, however, did not
tell of Bethune's giving up his comfortable life as a wealthy doctor
in Canada, and choosing to go to the front line.)In 1962, he married
Shanghai People's Art Theater actress Chen Yuanchi.
èšå¯§é‚¦; pinyin: Tán NÃngbÄ ng, 1917 â€" 9 March 2001) was an
American humanitarian and actor in China. He was born in Baltimore,
Maryland, and died in Santa Barbara, California, of Parkinson's
disease.After graduation from Northwestern University in 1939, Gerald
"Gerry" Tannebaum worked in advertising. In 1942, he was commissioned
in the US Army. In 1945, he was in charge of the US Armed Forces radio
station in Shanghai, China. In 1946, he left the Army and stayed to
work as executive director of the Chinese Welfare Institute (CWI,
ä¸å›½ç¦ 利会) under Soong Ching-ling (Madame Sun Yat-sen), with
whom he reportedly fell in love.This got him involved with various
theatrical projects of the institute. In 1947, he founded the first
Children's Theater in China (Shanghai). He played foreign roles in
Chinese films, usually negative English characters. Although very
popular with Chinese film audiences, his roles were limited by his
refusal to portray negative American characters. He held major roles
in seven Chinese films. His best-known film role was in 1964's
biographical account of the great Canadian internationalist Dr. Norman
Bethune, and his life in China. (Bethune was one of many Westerners
who came to China to resist the Japanese. The film, however, did not
tell of Bethune's giving up his comfortable life as a wealthy doctor
in Canada, and choosing to go to the front line.)In 1962, he married
Shanghai People's Art Theater actress Chen Yuanchi.
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