Discover the unlikely story of pioneering Guangzhou-born, American artist Tyrus Wong, who overcame a life of poverty and racism to become a celebrated painter who once exhibited with Picasso and Matisse, a Hollywood sketch artist, and ‘Disney Legend’ for his groundbreaking work on the classic animated film Bambi. Previously unseen art and interviews with Wong, movie clips and archival footage illustrate how his unique style—melding Chinese calligraphic and landscape influences with contemporary Western art—is found in everything from Disney animation (Bambi) and live-action Hollywood studio films (Rebel Without a Cause, The Wild Bunch, Sands of Iwo Jima, April in Paris) to Hallmark Christmas cards, kites and hand-painted California dinnerware to fine art and Depression-era WPA paintings. Filmmaker Pamela Tom (Two Lies) corrects a historical wrong by spotlighting this seminal, but heretofore under-credited figure that passed away in 2016 at the age of 106. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Bambi (August 1942). 90 minutes.
BROADCAST PREMIERE: September 8, 2017 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings)
Streaming on pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS OTT beginning September 9
