That's All Folks — Zai Jian!

From the 1968 Cathay film Song of Our Family (extant but not available on DVD)

It's not without teary eyes that I announce the end of this blog. The past two and a half years have been full of discovery and gratification. But it's time for me to move on to other domains.

I'd like to give a big thanks to all of my friends and readers. Your comments and messages definitely kept me going during my moments of fatigue.

I have several unfinished posts that I'm determined to complete before I totally exit the Web, so keep an eye out for them sometime in the coming months of 2011.

Best wishes to all of you for a fruitful new year — whatever that might be!

Now let me bid adieu with a lilting island tune by Chang Loo from the 1956 film Who Isn't Romantic, directed by the late Wong Tin Lam and starring Soft Film favorita Chung Ching and veteran actor Kenneth Tsang in one of his first roles.

"Hu-La-La-Yi" ((LISTEN))

Let's Go Lin Dai!

 Lin Dai and Soo Fung showing off for International Screen (October 1956)

I can't think of a more perfect picture to announce that starting tomorrow my blog buddy Glenn (A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed) and I will be celebrating the films of Hong Kong movie queen Lin Dai.

Glenn will review Beyond the Great Wall (1960/64), Love without End (1961), Madam White Snake (1962), The Love Parade (1963), and The Last Woman of Shang (1964) — all thankfully available on DVD. As for me, I'll be blogging about some of her early films that are either lost or languishing in home video limbo.

To bring you up to speed, check out Glenn's previous Lin Dai reviews: Diau Charn (1958), which garnered Linda her second Best Actress award at the 5th Asian Film Festival; Les Belles (1961), for which she received — not without some controversy — her third Best Actress award; and The Lotus Lamp (1965), posthumously completed with a stand-in and released a year after her suicide.

Whether you adore her or consider her overrated, Lin Dai is unquestionably a great actress and one of the top icons of Chinese cinema.

Lin Dai: A Tale of Two Covers

There's nothing out of the ordinary about Lin Dai being featured on the cover of two different Chinese movie magazines during the same month. After all, she was the biggest star of her time. But her simultaneous appearance in December 1957 as cover girl for both Shaw and Cathay highlights the war over talent waged between the rival studios.

Lin Dai sits comfortably for the inaugural issue of Shaw's new magazine

Lin Dai became an instant star with her 1953 debut, Singing under the Moon. Her popularity continued the following year with Spring Is in the Air. Both films were hits for Yonghua Studio but couldn't save the debt-ridden company from closure in 1955. Lin Dai subsequently signed a three-year contract with Shaw and Sons for three films a year. However, the contract failed to include an exclusivity clause. This enabled her to enter a secret agreement with Cathay chief Loke Wan Tho. He also offered her three films a year but at a higher pay. When Shaw found out, they immediately matched Cathay's rate. Lin Dai suddenly became Hong Kong's highest-paid movie star.

Superstar Lin Dai strikes a pose for Cathay's International Screen

Lin Dai's consecutive Best Actress wins at the Asian Film Festival — in 1957 for Cathay's Golden Lotus and in 1958 for Shaw's Diau Charn — consolidated her position as movie queen. She continued to make films for both studios up until 1960, after which she worked exclusively for Shaw Brothers until her sudden death in 1964. For more than 10 years, Lin Dai commanded the box office and ruled the silver screen. She is justifiably remembered today as one of Chinese cinema's brightest stars.

References
Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: The Twentieth Century (2003)

Soft Film Video Jukebox: Billie Tam

Hong Kong singer Billie Tam (蓓蕾) started off singing traditional ditties and standard shi dai qu but eventually found her success with an image and style more in tune with the times. In 1964 she scored a huge hit with "Enjoy Yourself Tonight", which was subsequently featured in The Joy of Spring (1966). It's one of the "Missing Shaw Films" that I've been dying to see — even more so after getting a glimpse of my favorite tomgirl Allyson Chang Yen in the video below.



Next up is a song from the Cathay film Little Matchmaker (1967). The scene shows an annoyed Zhang Yang stuck on the dance floor with an eager Fanny Fan, but the real attraction is the vivacious and foxy Miss Tam, seen here in a rare on-screen appearance.

Ting Hao: What's Up, Tomcat?

This post goes out to YTSL, who mentioned Kitty Ting Hao's gender-bender You Were Meant for Me (1961) as one of the Cathay films whose DVD release she had been eagerly awaiting. Alas, it failed to materialize before the series was discontinued, and the movie now remains tantalizingly just out of sight.

I'm sure that YTSL and I aren't the only ones turned on by the notion of seeing Kitty in drag. Doesn't she look dashing with suit and cigarette? Whenever I look at this photo, I can't help but think of Anita Yuen in She's the Man, He's the Woman (1994) — that wonderful film which helped turn me into a Hong Kong movie fanatic so many years ago.

Hopefully, Kitty's You Were Meant for Me will become available to the masses some day in the not so distant future. In the meantime, long live the People's Republic of YouTube!



* Photo of Kitty comes from the Yau Leung collection 昨夜星光 (1940s-1960s).

Remembering Kitty Ting Hao

Oldflames sent me these charming pinups of Kitty Ting Hao a few days ago, and I felt that I should pay tribute to Miss Kitty, just in case anyone got the impression from my recent post that I was a hater when it comes to MP&GI's "Little Darling".





Both photos exhibit that mixture of cute and spunky that made Kitty the cat's meow for movie fans then and now. It turns out that today happens to be her birthday (she would have been 70 years old). In memory of her unique charm and talent, here's a clip from one of her best films, Between Tears and Laughter (1960).

Scooter Girl Yeh Feng

More scooters! Here's a pinup of Julie Yeh Feng that I found when I was searching for pictures of Mai Ling. It's from International Screen No. 51 (January 1960).

Hong Kong Scooter Girl Mai Ling

Nothing says "mod" like a scooter. Here's Mai Ling from Screenland No. 9 (June 1960). Doesn't she look smart in her striped capris, checkered sweater, wedge slides, headscarf, and black gloves?

I wish I knew more about Mai Ling. She has always caught my attention whenever I've seen her in the pages of movie magazines. Her debut was Three Sisters (1957), which was also Diana Chang's first Hong Kong movie. After that she seems to have settled into second-string roles in both Mandarin films (at MP&GI) and Cantonese films. Her last movie was MP&GI's Fairy, Ghost, Vixen (1965).





* A scan of the original article is available here.

Helen Li Mei and the Jantzen Swimsuit Affair

"Fetchingly attired in an oriental style dress, Chinese actress Helen Lee Mei uses the Chrysler building as a backdrop as she poses atop a building here Oct. 3rd. Miss Mei, who was supposed to represent the Far East in swim suit fashions in New York, said Oct. 4th that she will not pose in a bathing suit because she considers it immodest. She will be flown back to Hong Kong by the swim suit manufacturer." —UPI Photo, October 4, 1958

Helen Li Mei refusing to pose in a swimsuit because she thinks it immodest? Hmmm... that doesn't sound like the Li Mei I know.

While not quite an international incident, Helen Li's unexpected refusal to model for Jantzen, after being flown to the United States by the swimsuit manufacturer, was nonetheless noted by International Screen as one of the "Ten Biggest Events in 1958" (ranking third, right after Our Sister Hedy's Best Picture Award and Lin Dai's second Best Actress Award at the 5th Asian Film Festival). While it's impossible to know what really happened, the wildly different accounts in the American and Chinese press hint at — to put it nicely — a lack of cultural respect and understanding.

On October 1st, 1958, Helen arrived in New York to help publicize Jantzen's latest international collection of swimsuits and sportswear. Here's a news item showing her doing some preliminary publicity on the day of her arrival with the three other models participating in the promo tour.

INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS . . . The international model set was well represented by this quartet of lovelies who attended the premiere of the film "The Big Country" as Astor Theatre in New York Wednesday. From left, they are Helen Connor, England; Fay Vitucci, Rome; Mamo Howell, Hawaii; and Helen Lee Mei of Hong Kong. The first three are wearing variations of the chemise while Miss Lee Mei is wearing a traditional style Chinese dress.

—The Daily Review, October 6, 1958

However, it was soon being reported in the American press that Helen was refusing to wear a swimsuit for Jantzen.

No Swimsuit, No Publicity

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese model-actress from Hong Kong, flown here to help publicize a line of bathing suits, is being sent back home. She won't wear a bathing suit.

The wasted trip of beautiful Helen Lee Mei was described by a spokesman for the swimsuit manufacturer. He said Miss Mei agreed to come here and appear in the Jet Age International Show at Idlewild airport Tuesday, along with top-flight models from other countries.

Miss Mei arrived in New York Wednesday, and it soon became apparent there had been a misunderstanding.

"The other girls have created no difficulties," said the spokesman. "However, Miss Mei refuses to wear a swimsuit."

Miss Mei was not available for comment.

—Albuquerque Journal, October 5, 1958

So, what happened? Like I said earlier, Helen was no stranger to the swimsuit. In fact, she was one of Hong Kong's top pin-up girls, as this July 1958 calendar photo clearly attests.



According to Oldflames, International Screen had a quite different account of the Jantzen affair. Apparently, when the company had approached Helen's studio (MP&GI) and invited her to the United States to promote their new collection, they weren't very organized and never showed her the contract. However, since a press conference had already been held by MP&GI to announce the tour, she decided to just go ahead with it.

Evidently, when Helen finally arrived in New York, instead of welcoming her like the top star that she was, Jantzen only sent a low-ranking promotions assistant to get her signature on the contract. It is at this point, according to the American press, that Helen became "difficult" and refused to wear a swimsuit out of an alleged (and implied as inscrutable) modesty. But according to Helen, the real reason that she refused to cooperate with Jantzen was because their assistant was rude to her and the company had acted unprofessionally.

Rather than try and patch things up with her, Jantzen warned Helen that she might be deported if she did not change her mind. Upon hearing this, Helen became so angry that she decided to sever her relations for good. She even went so far as to make a public statement that she was not at all adverse to wearing a swimsuit but rather did not like the way that Jantzen treated her.

Again, it's hard to say what really happened, yet it is not so difficult to imagine a possible chain of events from Helen's perspective: a less than respectful welcome; continually, and incorrectly, being addressed as Miss Mei rather than Miss Li (see the news items above); and perhaps even being given the "China doll" treatment (this happened, after all, during the "Suzie Wong" era).

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Maybe Helen was a bit of a diva... I don't know. But looking at Helen, especially in the picture at the top of this post, I see a proud woman who was willing to stand up for the respect she deserved.

Further Reading
Helen Li Mei biography by Paul Fonoroff

Dolly Soo Fung: Guns Are for Girls

Here's a pleasant little surprise from Screenland No. 24 (September 1961) featuring MP&GI's resident wallflower, Dolly Soo Fung. She may have been overshadowed by the studio's high-powered stars, but I've always been charmed by her gentle awkwardness and superb smile. A scan of the original article is available here.

Dolly Soo Fung Tries a Gun

The little cousin of Dolly Soo Fung had bought a toy pistol which shot plastic darts. Dolly wanted very much to try a few shots but cousin did not trust her at that. Dolly might ruin his pistol, and besides, Dolly was a girl and guns are not for girls. So Dolly had to try something to convince him.

"You say that guns are not for girls?" She said as she snatched the pistol, "Just let me show you how good I am with it." She snapped a shot and the dart stuck right on the nose of the doll on top of the refrigerator, which made little cousin's jaw drop in sheer admiration.

Her second shot found its mark on another doll.

"Gee, but you got to teach me that!" spluttered little cousin, real excited.

"Sure," Dolly agreed, "provided that you buy me some ice cream." So Dolly had ice cream and the pistol.

When I asked her where did she learn to shoot so good, she confessed, "I never learned. It was just luck."

Grace Chang: Mambo Girl

Because there's no such thing as too much Grace Chang, here are two items that Oldflames kindly sent me to share with all of you: a fabulous photo of Grace flashing her signature megawatt smile and a positively smashing, pink Mambo Girl flyer.



And as if that weren't enough, here is the film's legendary opening scene. Take it away, Gracie!

Grace Chang: She Goes to 11

"My life was changed was changed by Mambo Girl." So begins Paul Fonoroff's tribute to the Grace Chang film that introduced him to the rich history of Hong Kong cinema. In a similar way, my life was changed when I saw Grace for the first time in The Wild Wild Rose at the Hong Kong Film Archive in 2002. I had read about her and seen pictures of her in Paul's book Silver Light: A Pictorial History of Hong Kong Cinema, 1920-1970. But when I finally saw Grace on the big screen — vamping it up in the movie's first song sequence, belting out a saucy version of "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen — shivers literally went up and down my spine. I felt like the film's hapless protagonist who falls madly, and dangerously, in love with her.

Grace Chang exerts that kind power over those who see her for the first time. Whenever I try to describe her high-voltage charisma, I inevitably think of Nigel the guitarist in This is Spinal Tap, explaining how the group got its title as "England's loudest band". It's because, he says, their amps go to 11: "You see, most blokes will be playing at 10. You’re on 10, all the way up, all the way up... Where can you go from there? Nowhere. What we do, is if we need that extra push over the cliff... Eleven. One louder." That perfectly describes Grace Chang's screen presence. On a scale of 1 to 10, Grace goes to 11.

This post goes out to Grace Chang's nephew Curtis, who recently contacted me after discovering my post about her appearance on the Dinah Shore Show. He forwarded it to her, and she was evidently quite surprised and pleased to see it.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who wishes Grace the very best and would like her to know how much pleasure and joy her films and songs still bring us some 50 years later.

Ladies and gentleman, the one and only Grace Chang...!

Yu Ming: One... Two... Three... Smile!

From International Screen No. 37 (November 1958)

Soft Film Video Jukebox: Grace Chang

I'm sure you won't find this song on any of Grace Chang's greatest hits CDs, but "The Flying Car Song" from the 1959 film Our Dream Car is so charming that even people like me, who dislike cars and the inherently selfish culture of the automobile, will find themselves whistling along, nodding their heads in agreement to such memorable lines as "I can drive as fast as I like without any worries / It's like a rocket flying in the sky / I'm so happy that I can fly". So fasten your seat belts and let the lovely Miss Grace take you on a road trip back to the golden days of capitalist consumer culture!

Cathay Vaudeville Show: Blossoms and Beauties

Given my recent interest in Chinese American vaudeville, I was delighted to discover this article from International Screen No. 29 (March, 1958) about a variety fundraiser organized by Cathay/MP&GI during the Chinese New Year of 1958.

Of special interest is the skit "Northerners & Southerners" which would later be fleshed out by Cathay into a successful trilogy of films (1961-64) playing on the culture clash in Hong Kong between Mandarin-speaking immigrants from northern China and Cantonese speakers from the South. Some of the other acts were derived from previous films — the "Sword Dance" from Our Sister Hedy (1957) — or films then in production — Li Mei and Chen Ho's calypso routine in Calendar Girl (1959).

A scan of the original article is available here (1.9MB PDF).

"Blossoms and Beauties"

In response to the Standard-Sing Tao Newspapers' Fat Choy Drive to raise funds for Hongkong's needy people during the Chinese New Year, Motion Picture and General Investment Co. staged an unprecedented mammoth vaudeville show in which the cream of the Colony's movie workers paraded their talent in singing, dancing, clowning and tear-jerking. That the show was a whopping success was borne out by the fact that the two performances were played to full houses. The 18 items on the entertainment fare were dished out by a big cast of Hongkong's top movie stars, producers and directors.

"Sword Dance" fencers Yeh Feng, Grace Chang, and Lin Tsui


Zhuang Xue Fang and Chang Yang in an artist-and-model sketch


Chen Ho, Wu Jia-xiang, and Wang Lai in the "Magic Doctor" sketch


Li Mei and Chen Ho and their calypso routine


Leung Sing-bo and Liu En-jia in "Northerners & Southerners"


Songstresses Bai Guang and Chang Lye Lye


Cathay muscleman Roy Chiao

Yeh Feng: Kim Novak of the East

From International Screen No. 42 (April, 1959)

This post goes out to YTSL, who made a special request for something about the sultry Julie Yeh Feng. Here's an article from International Screen No. 29 (March, 1958), published a few months after Julie's debut in Our Sister Hedy (1957). You can view the original article here.

Yeh Fung, Kim Novak and Bai Kwong

Movie fans in these parts have crowned Yeh Fung, screenland's new siren, who is fast skyrocketing to fame, with the nickname "Kim Novak of the East". This moniker is quite fitting, seeing that both of them are tall, slim, bewitchingly beautiful and have that extra something sometimes known as "innate sex appeal". Besides, both are comparatively new comers. As this appears in print, only one of Yeh Fung's pictures, "My Sister Hedy", has been shown. The other two vehicles of hers, "Air Hostesses" and "The Wayward Husband", have yet to have their premieres. And yet she has already left a deep impression on movie fans.

Others have called Miss Yeh "Bai Kwong the Second" — Miss Bai is, of course, Mandarin movieland's best known "sexy wanton". Yeh Fung possesses Bai Kwong's low and magnetic voice and unique singing style. What's more, both appear lackadaisical but really emit some indescribable flame which well nigh hypnotizes people within their range of fire.

But when one asks Miss Yeh what she thinks of these nicknames, her answer is short, straightforward and to the point: "I am just myself." She is just that kind of girl, entirely without false modesty or pride. She is but natural.

In the near future, movie-goers will see more of her personality as she so ably projects it on the screen. They are going to like it.

You can definitely feel the heat of Yeh Feng's "indescribable flame" in the following clip from Our Sister Hedy. If after watching it, you find yourself tantalized, don't resist — go and order a copy of this truly classic film while you still can. The DVD is out of stock and no longer available at many retailers, but HMV Hong Kong still has copies!

Broadway Beckons to Yu Ming

"No, thank you," says Yu Ming.

I was surprised to find this news item when I was flipping through the pages of International Screen No. 34 (August, 1958). Lucilla Yu Ming appearing on Broadway in Flower Drum Song?! How's that for an alternate reality!

I presume she was being considered for the role of Mei Li, the fresh-off-the-boat picture bride. I've been unable to find further confirmation that she was indeed under consideration for the role, but in American newspapers it was already being announced by the end of July that the role was given — not surprisingly — to Miyoshi Umeki, who had just won an Oscar for her supporting role in Sayonara (1957). It was the first time an Asian actress was nominated for an Academy Award and would not be repeated until fifty years later when Rinko Kikuchi was nominated for her supporting role in Babel (2006).

Miyoshi Umeki starred in Flower Drum Song for its entire 17-month run on Broadway and received a Tony nomination in 1959 for Best Actress. In 1961 she reprised her role in the film version of the play. Umeki seems to have attained the glittery heavens of Hollywood, but by the end of the 60s she was playing a housekeeper in The Courtship of Eddie's Father and retired after the show was canceled in 1972.

As much as I'm curious to see what it would have been like to have Yu Ming star in Flower Drum Song, it is undeniably a good thing that she stayed in Hong Kong. Indeed, she went on to garner a Best Actress award at the Asia Film Festival two years in a row for her roles in Her Tender Heart (1959) and All in the Family (1959), and she also won Best Actress at the first Golden Horse Awards for her work in Sun, Moon and Star (1961). Not only that, Yu Ming became a huge star in Japan when she starred alongside Japanese heartthrob Akira Takarada (of Godzilla fame) in a trilogy of films co-produced by Cathay/MP&GI and Toho: A Night in Hong Kong (1961), Star of Hong Kong (1962), and Tokyo, Hong Kong, Hawaii (1963). Who needs Hollywood?!

Anyway, here is the article from International Screen. A scan of the original is also available as a PDF.

Broadway Beckons to Yu Ming

Leading Mandarin movie star Li Li-hwa went to the United States mainly to make pictures. Her first in Hollywood "China Doll" has been completed. The undisputed best actress in Asia Lin Dai went over there to study English and dramatics. She has also achieved her purpose. Yu Ming, a third eminent stellar actress of Mandarin movies, has gone to the States after having been signed up by MP&GI. She makes the trip just "to see the world." However, the hawk-eyed producers and talent scouts lost little time in contacting her. That world-known song-and-dance-man Gene Kelly met her in San Francisco. He wants her in a new musical stage show "Flower Drum Song". If the terms and part are all right and she signs the contract, she will probably return to New York from Hollywood in September to start rehearsing. Usually shows of this stature run for over two years. The songs of "Flower Drum Song" are the works of that inimitable team Rogers and Hammerstein.

Further Reading

• "The legacy of Miyoshi Umeki" by G. Allen Johnson


• Biography of Yu Ming by Paul Fonoroff

Happy Easter!

This picture from International Screen No. 6 (March, 1956) shows Lin Dai dressed up for one of her numbers with the Shochiku Revue in Cathay's 1956 musical comedy Merry-Go-Round.

International Screen: First 50 Covers

Having posted the first 100 covers of Shaw Brothers' Southern Screen magazine, it's only fair that I post some covers of International Screen, the in-house magazine of Shaws' number one rival, Cathay/MP&GI. Here then are the first 50 covers, minus those for Nos. 4, 14, 15, 20, and 36, which I've been unable to track down. Let me again thank the following eBay sellers for any of their scans I might be using: adamantine!, cyk5391antiques, kwsx, lvlalaysiaboleh, penangantiques, and rajah_borneo.

International Screen started publication on October 1955, almost two years earlier than Southern Screen. This reflects the Cathay Organization's lead in the race to modernize the Chinese film industry along Hollywood lines (especially the vertical integration of production, distribution, and exhibition). Cathay had started out as one of the largest theater chains in Southeast Asia, then entered into distribution in order to ensure a steady supply of films for its theaters.

In the mid-50s, Cathay ventured into production (including funding the independent productions of Yan Jun and Bai Guang) and initiated an actors training program. In 1956, it formally restructured its various Hong Kong companies into Motion Picture & General Investment, and the first MP&GI film, Golden Lotus (1957) starring Lin Dai, debuted the following Chinese New Year.

That same year, Run Run Shaw arrived in Hong Kong to oversee production at the languishing Shaws and Sons company. But he had bigger plans. He bought 46 acres of land in Clearwater Bay for the future Shaw Movie Town, and in March 1958 he officially announced the establishment of Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. The battle between Shaws and Cathay had begun.

One tactic used by Shaws was the stealing of stars, which can be traced on the covers of both studios' magazines. The most obvious example is Lin Dai, who was the cover girl for the premiere issues of both International Screen and Southern Screen. In fact, in the same month (December, 1957) that she appeared on the cover of Southern Screen No. 1, she also graced the cover of International Screen No. 26. Throughout the late 50s, she freelanced for both studios, until she finally settled down at Shaw Brothers in 1961.

Other stars, such as Li Lihua, Diana Chang, and Peter Chen Ho, were also lured away from Cathay/MP&GI over to Shaw Brothers. The one notable exception to this migration of talent was Lucilla You Min, who left Shaws in 1959 to join MP&GI.

As far as International Screen cover queens go, Lin Dai is the winner once again, as she was in the first batch of Southern Screen covers, with a total of 8 appearances. Grace Chang places second with 7 covers. Jeanette Lin Tsui follows in third with 5. And Li Lihua, Helen Li Mei, Julie Yeh Feng, and Kitty Ting Hao all score 4 each.

A special mention goes out to one-cover wonders Mu Hong, a Taiwanese compatriot of Diana Chang who had considerably less success breaking into the Hong Kong industry, and Nellie Chin Yu, who is best remembered for her screenplays (which include Her Tender Heart, The Wild, Wild Rose, and Sun, Moon and Star) than her two-film career as an actress.

Some of my favorite covers of this batch include: No. 3, a stunning portrait of the beguiling Bai Guang; No. 12, the brimming-with-optimism cover debut of 17-year-old newcomers Ting Hao and Soo Fung; No. 29, showing a deliciously bookish-looking Yeh Feng, with her turtleneck sweater and big forehead; No. 33, a simple, but absolutely radiant, close-up of Lin Dai at her most beautiful; No. 39, the perfect distillation of Lin Tsui's tomboy glamor; and No. 50, where Li Mei rings her bell, promising a very Merry Christmas indeed!

My least favorite is No. 34, You Min's International Screen debut, which I'm compelled to single out as the worst cover. You Min possessed a simple and natural beauty, but here she looks a touch garish. Compare this with her next cover, No. 43, which shows her at her usual girlish best.

Hopefully, it won't be long before I can show you the second fifty covers of International Screen!

Li Lin-Lin... mmm!

I'm supposed to be taking a vacation from blogging, but I couldn't resist posting this new addition to SHUESIK's channel: Maggie Li Lin-lin a-go-go-ing in Teenagers' Holiday (1968).