Take a look at these two photographs of Margaret Tu Chuan. On the left is her first color pinup in the pages of Southern Screen (No. 17, July 1959); on the right is her first cover for the magazine (No. 30, August 1960).
The pose is similar — face turned upwards, hand on cheek — but the look is totally different. And it's not just her darker, thicker brows and cat eyeliner (both of which would become even more dramatic in the coming years and part and parcel of her signature look). In the first photo, Margaret is just a young girl, dazzled by the fantasy of becoming a film star; in the second, she has become that star, exhibiting a confidence that takes command of the camera, and the spectator.
It's a shame that the recent release of the Shaw Brothers film library does not afford us a glimpse of Margaret's early career. With the exception of Rear Entrance, in which she appears in only one scene, none of the movies from her first year as a star player are available on DVD. This unfortunate absence presents a skewed picture not only of Margaret's work as an actress but also the range of films produced by the Shaw studio.
Hopefully, we will someday be able to see a few more of these films from Margaret's rise to stardom:
The Magic Touch (December 3, 1958)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, King Hu
King Hu and his friends court Betty Loh and three of her fellow nurses in this romantic comedy, which was Betty's first film at Shaw Brothers after leaving the left-wing Great Wall Movie Enterprise. As for Margaret, she plays one of the nurses. Evidently, it was director Li Han-hsiang who noticed Margaret and brought her to Shaws.
Spring Song (February 14, 1959)
Director: Evan Yang
Cast: Grace Chang, Jeanette Lin Tsui, Peter Chen Ho, Roy Chiao Hung
You don't need to look very hard to find Margaret among the extras in this MP&GI film. Although released after The Magic Touch, it is in fact her first movie, shot before she signed up with Shaw Brothers. Margaret certainly has the star-struck look of a teenager — she was just 16 — appearing before the camera for the first time.
The Kingdom and the Beauty (June 19, 1959)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Lin Dai, Chao Lei, King Hu
Margaret must have been pretty excited to have a role — small as it was — alongside movie queen Lin Dai in this big-budget color extravaganza. She's one of the village girls in the scene where country maiden Lin Dai first meets the Emperor (played by Chao Lei) traveling in disguise as a commoner.
Twilight Hours (April 14, 1960)
Director: Tao Qin
Cast: Diana Chang Chung-wen, Pat Ting Hung, Margaret Tu Chuan
Noteworthy for featuring bombshell Diana Chang in her first straight dramatic (ie. non-sexy) role, Twilight Hours was one of three films that Shaw Brothers entered in the 7th Asian Film Festival. (The other two were Desire, starring Lin Dai and Peter Chen Ho, and Rear Entrance, which took home the Best Picture award.) Pat Ting got second billing as the daughter of leading lady Diana Chang, but evidently newcomer Margaret stole the scene whenever she appeared. From what I can tell, the film is a loose adaptation of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life (1959), with Margaret playing the role of the housekeeper's rebellious daughter.
"Kao Pao-shu dotes on her daughter Tu Chuan, hoping that she would one day be somebody everybody respects and admires."
Malayan Affair (April 28, 1960)
Director: Ho Meng-hua
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, Paul Chang Chung, Margaret Tu Chuan
Margaret plays Betty Loh's younger sister — and rival for the love of Paul Chang — in this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
Rear Entrance (May 27, 1960)
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Hu Die, Wang Yin, Li Hsiang-Chun, Wong Oi-ming
Winner of the Best Picture award at 7th Asian Film Festival, Rear Entrance was primarily a vehicle for Shanghai movie queen Hu Die, who had just returned to the silver screen after an absence of more than ten years. Margaret has a small role as Hu Die's younger sister Judy. In this clip you can catch a glimpse of the naughtiness that inspired Margaret's nickname, "Wild Girl".
How to Marry a Millionaire (August 5, 1960)
Director: Tao Qin
Cast: Margaret Tu Chuan, Peter Chen Ho, King Hu, Lily Mo Chou
This romantic comedy was Margaret's first starring role. Margaret plays a young girl whose money-hungry aunt trains her to become "the perfect millionaire-bait". Instead, she falls in love with bellhop Peter Chen.
"To the great delight of Peter Chen Ho, Tu Chuan secretly passes him a note asking him to meet her."
The Secret of Miss Pai (September 28, 1960)
Director: Ho Meng-hua
Cast: Pat Ting Hung, Margaret Tu Chuan, Chiao Chuang
Margaret plays the pretty, young servant of married couple Pat Ting and Chiao Chuang in this domestic comedy by director Ho Meng-hua.
"It is late at night and the wife has not returned. With such a pretty maid servant around, what should Chiao Chuang do?"
When the Peach Blossoms Bloom (October 13, 1960)
Director: Yueh Feng
Cast: Betty Loh Tih, Margaret Tu Chuan, King Hu, Lydia Shum
This family comedy was the screen debut of 15-year-old Lydia Shum, who would go on to become one of Hong Kong's most beloved comediennes. Betty Loh plays the eldest sibling who must maintain order while mom and dad are gone, and Margaret plays the younger sister who fools around and gets in trouble.
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