# Too Wong Fu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393 "2001-09-08T14:27:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![excitableboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@excitableboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excitableboy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/1 "2001-09-08T14:27:38Z")
Could the teeming millions please explain the title “Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar”? (May not be correct) No, I haven’t seen the movie but know it’s about drag queens out of their element. Does it refer to the same Julie Newmar that played Catwoman on the old Batman T.V. series? What’s the scoop? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/2 "2001-09-08T14:52:21Z")
The title refers to an autographed picture of Julie Newmar hanging on the wall of a Chinese restaurant. One of the characters (Patrick Swayze’s if I remember correctly) idolizes her. The scene (filmed at a restaurant in my hometown of Jersey City, NJ) takes place early in the movie, before the “out of their element” trek begins. Oh, and it’s “ **To** Wong Foo . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/3 "2001-09-08T14:57:10Z")
It’s: ```auto "To Wong Fu, Thanks for everything. Julie Newmar ``` and it appears on a photograph found by one of the three protagonists. According to the story Julie Newmar is the quintessential lady, from the point of view of a drag queen. ## Tris “Swat my hind with a melon rind, That’s my penguin state of mind.” ~ Opus ~ ---
**Author:** ![excitableboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@excitableboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excitableboy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/4 "2001-09-08T15:03:05Z")
Thanks- The Teeming Millions can always be relied upon. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/5 "2001-09-08T15:26:54Z")
An absolutely dreadful movie, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/6 "2001-09-08T16:37:37Z")
Now nineiron, why you gotta try to turn a GQ into a GD? The screenwriter for TWF saw a photo of Julie Newmar with that inscription several years prior to writing the script. He always liked the phrase and decided to write a movie around it. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/7 "2001-09-08T17:48:39Z")
Whoops. Didn’t mean to do that. I will just say that I was answering the question, “Was that a dreadful movie?” Uh, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/8 "2001-09-10T05:08:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by excitableboy \* > \*\*Does it refer to the same Julie Newmar that played Catwoman on the old Batman T.V. series? What’s the scoop? \*\* There can only be one _Catwoman_– The incomparable [Eartha Kitt.](http://www.crosswinds.net/~thebachelor/eartha.htm) ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/9 "2001-09-10T13:26:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\* There can only be one _Catwoman_– The incomparable Eartha Kitt. \*\* Julie Newmar played Catwoman 13 times; Eartha Kitt only 3 times. I think that makes Newmar the penultimate Catwoman. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/10 "2001-09-10T13:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > \*\*I think that makes Newmar the penultimate Catwoman. \*\* Only if she played her the second to the last time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/11 "2001-09-10T14:00:59Z")
I saw it a few years back and it wasn’t that bad. Better acting than writing, IMO. Incidentally, Julie Newmar appears (as herself) at the end of the movie. One thing the movie didn’t clear up, though: who’s Wong Foo? –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/12 "2001-09-10T16:35:11Z")
As I noted, IRL Wong Foo was the recipient of the original photo thus inscribed. Presumably in the context of the movie Wong Foo was the owner/operator of the China Bowl, the restaurant in which the Julie Newmar picture is discovered. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/13 "2001-09-10T17:59:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > > \*\* There can only be one _Catwoman_– The incomparable Eartha Kitt. \*\* > > Julie Newmar played Catwoman 13 times; Eartha Kitt only 3 times. I think that makes Newmar the penultimate Catwoman. \*\* Actually, I _thought_ that I was “quoting” Adam West from his cameo on the Simpsons, where he creeped the kids out so well, but it turns out he actually said “Michelle Pfeiffer? Ha! The only true Catwoman is Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, or Eartha Kitt.” I agree though, Julie Newmar is the penultimate-- Second only to the _incomparible Eartha Kitt_. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/14 "2001-09-10T19:37:37Z")
Well, it appears that Eartha Kitt was the last person to play Catwoman on the Batman TV show, so, if you count Michelle Pfeiffer, then Kitt was the penultimate Catwoman. 🙂 –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/15 "2001-09-10T22:28:26Z")
But if you count the Batman animated series which post-date Batman Returns, then Michelle Pfeiffer becomes the penultimate Catwoman. At least until Ashley Judd suits up. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/16 "2001-09-11T03:55:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nineiron \* > \*\*An absolutely dreadful movie, by the way. \*\* Okay, it’s not Citizen Kane, but it’s **good fun**. The performances by the three male stars are amazing, especially John Leg…whatever. He’s basically an action movie star, but you’d never know it - his latina diva-wannabe is so convincing. A nice touch is checking out Patrick Swayze (most unconvincing as a woman I’m afraid - those massive shoulders!) as he wears costumes that pay sly tributes to famous costumes in drag movies of the past. I’m sure there’s a Some Like It Hot costume and a Tootsie costume. Rent it, enjoy, have fun… Redboss ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/17 "2001-09-11T05:31:54Z")
> [@](#): > > He’s basically an action movie star, but you’d never know it - his latina diva-wannabe is so convincing. Our local film critic wrote that John Leguizamo was the only one of the three who got in touch with his “inner slut.” But [Leguizamo](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Leguizamo,+John) isn’t primarily an action star. He’s been in a wide variety of projects from pretty much every genre, including a Tony-nominated one-man Broadway show. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/18 "2001-09-11T10:10:06Z")
Yeah, Leguizamo played so many prominent gay/effeminate roles that when he “went badass” in _The Rock_, my friends and I laughed for days before we could take him seriously. Not that he did a bad job or anything, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/19 "2001-09-11T11:55:02Z")
The whole movie was basically Hollywood trying to jump on a bandwagon (how original) Hollywood Producer:“You want me to produce a movie about drag queens out of their element. No, I don’t think so. It’ll tank.” Idea Pitcher:“Oh, come on! This’ll work. trust me.” Secretary:“Uh, HP? Take a look at this. An Australian movie called ‘Pricilla: Queen of the Desert’ is a huge hit all over the place. It’s relatively low budget, but making SERIOUS cash.” Hollywood Producer:“What’s it about?” Secretary:“Drag queens out of their element.” … Hollywood Producer:“Huh. Okay we’ll one-up them. We’ll make ours bigger budget…” Idea Pitcher:“How?” Hollywood Producer:“Get me the biggest action stars to do it. Yeah, that’ll be funny. Is Stallone available?” Sec:“Working on Judge Dredd and something about assassins…” HP:“Willis?” Sec:"‘Die Hard 3’ and some Terry Gilliam project." HP:“sigh. What about that spanish guy… whatzisname. Is he done on that ‘Desperado’ flick?” Sec:“Antonio Banderas? Yeah, he’s done on ‘Desperado’ and now he’s in Seattle with Stallone for that Assassin project.” HP:“Okay. Who else have we got? Wesley Snipes?” Sec:“My list says he’s not doing anything…” IP:“OOh! Patrick Swayze.” HP:“Perfect, he’s pretty hunky. Get him, too.” Sec:"‘Pricilla’ had three queens." HP:“Who’ve we got?” IP:“How about John Leguizamo?” … Secretary & HP:“Who?” IP:“Uhm… ‘Super Mario Brothers’.” _HP & Sec look at each other in confusion_ IP:"‘Carlito’s Way’?" HP:“sigh. Alright.” and history was made :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393/20 "2001-09-13T08:07:01Z")
It’s still fun. And it was a play long before _Priscilla_ appeared - I honestly think it was just a coincidence, like those two Robin Hood movies a few years back. I especially like the scene where the police come for them and demand that the drag queens come out and the little old lady says “ **I** am Spartacus!” and then someone else says “No, **I** am Spartacus!” and then every- No that’s not right… Hmmmm Well, anyway, some people are SO hard to please…! Pinkboss [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-wong-fu/80393.md?page=2)