In the early 20th century, there was a Vietnamese woman who made the European press and audience admire her noble Asian beauty, elegant demeanor and promising cinematic talent.
She is Hoang Thi The, daughter of national hero Hoang Hoa Tham - leader of Yen The uprising army.
Hoang Thi The was born in 1901 in Yen The, Bac Giang . She was the first daughter of Hoang Hoa Tham and Mrs. Dang Thi Nho (also known as Mrs. Ba Can) - the third wife of the leader of the insurgent army. During her early years, Hoang Thi The grew up amidst the flames of war, inside her father's anti-French base.
In 1909, after the last major sweep campaign by the French colonialists in Yen The base, Hoang Thi The and her mother were arrested. Her mother was sentenced to exile to the island of Guyane (South America) and died of tuberculosis on the way, at the Alger quarantine camp, on November 25, 1910. The 8-year-old girl Hoang Thi The became an orphan, was taken to Hai Phong by the colonial government and given to several families to care for.
In 1911, the Governor General of Indochina at that time, Albert Sarraut, adopted Hoang Thi The, changed her name to Marie Beatrice Desthan, and sent her to France to study in 1917. Living in the city of lights, Paris,educated in French culture, Hoang Thi The quickly integrated and revealed outstanding qualities in language, art and society.
Not only outstanding for her education, Hoang Thi The also captivated the French upper class at that time with her gentle Asian beauty, deep sad eyes and rare noble and elegant demeanor. Her beauty appeared in many major magazines in France, likened to a "strange flower" in the heart of Paris.
In 1930, the turning point came when director Louis Mercanton – a famous name in French cinema – invited her to play the role of Princess Li-Ti in the film La Lettre (The Letter), produced by the famous Paramount Company. This was the first time a Vietnamese woman was invited to take on the leading role in an international film.
The role was a resounding success, European audiences were captivated by an Oriental princess with a unique beauty, profound acting, and delicate expressions. European newspapers at that time praised her as a mysterious “Chinese princess”. However, Hoang Thi The always affirmed her Vietnamese origin by introducing herself: “I am Princess Hoang Thi The”.
Following her success, she participated in the films La donna bianca (1931) directed by Jack Salvatori and Le secret de l'émeraude (1935) by Maurice de Canonge. Although she did not participate in many works, each time she appeared, Hoang Thi The left a strong impression with her elegant, discreet acting style and pure oriental beauty.
In 1931, she married Mr. Robert Bourges, a Frenchman of Belgian origin. The witness was Albert Sarraut – then Senator Plenipotentiary of the Colonies and Ambassador of France. Life seemed perfect until a major incident occurred. On May 6, 1932, French President Paul Doumer – her godfather – was assassinated. Hoang Thi The was the first person to run to the scene to give him first aid, but he did not survive.
In 1935, she gave birth to a son, named Jean Marie Albert Arthur Bourges. However, her marriage did not last long. In 1940, she divorced and began a new journey in life - learning fortune-telling and fortune-telling. This was also the period when she gradually withdrew from the spotlight, living quietly in ordinary life.
In 1961, Hoang Thi The returned to Vietnam. She lived in Hanoi, then returned to Bac Giang – the land associated with her childhood and parents. In 1963, she wrote the memoir Childhood Memories to record her memories of Yen The, her parents and the years living between two worlds.
In her final years, she lived in a small apartment in Van Chuong area, Hanoi. On December 9, 1988, Hoang Thi The passed away at the age of 87, ending a life full of tragedy, glory and twists that few people knew about.
She was buried in her hometown Phồn Xương, Yên Thế – where her father once raised the flag of uprising. Her only son currently lives with his family in Bordeaux, France.
TB (according to VTC)Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/bi-mat-cuoc-doi-con-gai-hum-thieng-yen-the-minh-tinh-dau-tien-cua-viet-nam-412932.html
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