"Golden Voice" Zhou Xuan, popular singer and film actress in the 1930s.

Shanghai on Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of "Golden Voice" Zhou Xuan, popular singer and film actress in the 1930s, passing away, the Star Daily reported on Friday.

Renowned film actors Gu Yelu and Lan Weijie delivered emotional speeches during a memorial ceremony held in Shanghai Yong Hua cinema, and shared with the audience their memories of the talented beauty. Respected actor Shu Shi expressed his admiration for Zhou Xuan in a written message.

Also attended the ceremony was Zhou Xuan's second son Zhou Wei and his two daughters.

Along with the ceremony, a pictorial exhibition will be held in the cinema, and representative films starring Zhou Xuan will be aired on TV.

Zhou Xuan, born in 1920 in east China's Jiangsu province, was one of the few successful singer-actresses in China of the last century. She became known as the "golden voice" in the late 1930s with the release of the popular movie The Angel in the Street.

In the film Zhou Xuan portrayed a female singer who, despite suffering a great insult, still held onto an aspiration for the future. The film turned out to be a great success. Her singing of the film's two theme songs: the Seasonal Song and The Female Singer also enjoyed long lasting popularity.

In her short lifetime, Zhou Xuan shot a total of 43 movies, including contemporary hits The Angel in the Street, Dark Night, Night Inn, Menglijun, and Recall to Jiangnan.

In 1957, Zhou Xuan died of cephalitis. She was only 37.

(CRI.cn June 22, 2007)