Merle Oberon worked as an actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood and realized a historic first when she received the Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 1936. Her nomination for The Dark Angel (1935) was the first time that the Academy recognized a performer of color for the Academy Award.
Mayukh Sen’s Love Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star tells Oberon’s story through this first biography about her life and career. Her rags-to-riches rise to fame is well-documented in this book but also delves into her new identity in Hollywood and experience “passing” for white. Sen’s work not only explores Oberon’s most notable film roles–in addition to many others–but also addresses complications of race, gender, and power in Golden Age Hollywood.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Oberon’s life and career and to those who would like to learn more about her life, career, and legacy.
Hometowns to Hollywood 