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.

Soft Film Goes to the Beach

Here's a trio of treasures that I brought back from my recent trip to Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. First up is a rare swimsuit photo of Lucilla Yu Ming — right on the cusp of sweet sixteen — gracing the cover of Screen Voice (August 1952). Lucilla made her debut that year at Shaw and Sons with the film Love in Bloom (玉女懷春).



Now we move from sweet to saucy with the following cover of Spotlight (ca. 1956), featuring baby bombshell Man Lei Hung in a delicious cheesecake pose. She signed up with Shaw's Cantonese division in 1956 but eventually switched to the studio's Mandarin division, where she was reborn as the one and only Fanny Fan.



And last but not least, here's lovely tomboy Allyson Chang Yen on the cover of Companion (September 16, 1964). Like Fanny, she was a product of Shaw's Cantonese unit. When it shut down in 1963, Allyson was kept on by the studio but never quite found a place in the spotlight among the new crop of starlets (Li Ching, Chin Ping, Cheng Pei-pei, et al.).

South Sea Greetings

Sorry for the sudden disappearance! I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the past two weeks. I'm struggling to get back into my blogging routine but hope to share some of the finds from my trip in the coming days — like this lovely tropical Christmas card featuring Fanny Fan and Patricia Lam Fung.

Soft Film Summer Holiday

I just want to let you all know that I'll be taking a break from my blog this month. I'm feeling a little burned out and need some downtime to recharge.

Also, Fanny Fan invited me to cruise the Maldives in her private yacht for the next three weeks. And there's no way I was going to tell her, "Sorry, I'd love to join you, but I'm busy blogging."

Have a great June!

* Photo courtesy of the always dependable Oldflames

Buried Treasure: The Missing Shaw Films, Part 2

Here are five more missing Shaw films from the 760 titles that Celestial Pictures acquired from the studio in 2001. During a period of five years some 550 Shaw films were released on DVD at the wallet-emptying rate of 8 to 10 titles per month. Yet, when the releases suddenly stopped at the end of 2007, there were many eagerly awaited films that had not yet appeared. Fans were afraid that Celestial, not making the profit it expected, had decided to cut its losses.

Since then, rumors have occasionally surfaced about the remaining titles. Most recently, an unconfirmed announcement last summer predicted that DVD releases would start up again at the end of 2009. Alas, that never happened. Speculations about future releases are now greeted with the same skepticism as the boy who cried wolf. But the fact that these missing films are listed on the Celestial website, with synopses and sample stills, gives me hope that it's just a matter of time before something is done with them.


The Joy of Spring (1966)
I've always wanted to see this simply because it includes one of my favorite tomboys, Allyson Chang Yen (that's her in the white short shorts). But after recently learning that part of the film involves the characters visiting Shaw Brothers' Movie Town (where they meet Li Lihua, Li Ching, and a host of other Shaw stars playing themselves), I want to see it even more. Although this teen musical melodrama evidently features two suicide attempts, it was hyped in Southern Screen as "the sort of film guaranteed to give you a lift and make you feel great to be alive".


The Mating Season (1966)
Fanny Fan is reason enough to want this film. There she is under the hair dryer, along with perennial playboy Peter Chen Ho. This screwball romance stars Peter and Pat Ting Hung as the managers of rival advertising firms, who — no reward given for guessing this outcome — wind up getting married by the final reel.


Kiss and Kill (1967)
I haven't come across anything about this spy thriller, starring veteran bombshell Diana Chang Chung-wen, in my spotty collection of late 60s Southern Screen magazines, but the stills on Celestial's site are quite enough to hook me. Also featured are Shaw's resident "James Bond" — Paul Chang Chung — and sexy modster, Tina Chin Fei.


The Rainbow (1967)
I'm a sucker for melodramas, and if it involves a depressed, crippled girl (played here by Chin Ping) and psychologically revealing mise-en-scène (like that above), then sell me a front row seat (I'll also settle for a DVD, thank you). Directed by Lo Chen, one of my favorite Shaw directors, The Rainbow promises to be just as deliciously overheated as his Torrent of Desire (1969) and My Son (1970), two films that I absolutely love.


That Tender Age (1967)
"The Season of Youngsters 15 to 20 Years Old" — that's an awkwardly literal translation of the film's Chinese title but undoubtedly a precise description of its target audience. "Made for the young and played by the young", this musical melodrama features "uninhibited performances of the Twist, Pachanga, and the A-Go-Go" (SS). The film was directed by Tao Qin, whose superb melodrama My Dreamboat — available on DVD — was released the same year. (BTW, that's Lily Ho leading the youth train in the photo above.)

Wolves with Cameras

"Man Lee-Hung [aka Fanny Fan] is seen in a swimming suit that reveals her shapely figure in full."

More goodness from Southern Screen No. 6 (May 1958). You can see the original article here.

WHEN PHOTOGRAPHERS MEET ACTRESSES

On a sunny May afternoon Shaw's film actresses Ting Ning, Ting Hung and Man Lee Hung were invited by members of The Hongkong Photographers Association for a photographic study at a country villa in the New Territories, Kowloon. Present were more than two hundred amateur and professional photographers who in three hours or so took more than 5000 pictures.

"Ting Hung serenely leans against a rattan chair awaiting to be photographed."


"Film actress Ting Ning meets a barrage of cameras and flash coming from every direction."

Fanny and Margaret: A Pretty Pair

Here's a color pinup of Fanny Fan and Margaret Tu from Southern Screen No. 60 (February 1963). It was taken during the photo shoot about which I just posted.

Margaret and Fanny: Do the Twist!

Here's a fun piece from Southern Screen No. 56 (October 1962) featuring Margaret Tu with Fanny Fan. (A scan of the original article is available here.)

Both stars were famous for their sex appeal, but whereas Fanny was pigeonholed as a bombshell, Margaret achieved recognition as a serious actress. It's been said that she stole the show from Lin Dai in Madame White Snake (1962). She even won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Horse Awards in 1963 for The Second Spring, but she petulantly complained that her role was NOT a supporting role — backhandedly slighting both Li Lihua, the film's lead, and Loh Tih, who won the Best Actress award for Love Eterne (1963).

After a brief hiatus in the mid-sixties, Margaret and Fanny both returned to Shaw Brothers, but as decidedly lesser stars. Fanny achieved a new notoriety with her risque scenes in The Golden Buddha (1966) and Angel with the Iron Fists (1967), while Margaret seemed not entirely happy playing second fiddle to Shaw's new crop of fresh-faced beauties.

In an ironic twist of fate, Margaret and Fanny ended up starring together in Diary of a Lady-Killer (1969) — the last film for each of them — as "loose" women and murder victims. As she always did in her nude scenes, Fanny owns the screen with a palpable sense of power (here it comes from seeing her in the shower with Chin Han, husband of Shaw's reigning movie queen Ivy Ling Po); Margaret, on the other hand, looks quite degraded in her final, tawdry appearance on the silver screen. Six months after the film was released, she took her own life.

Well... that was a depressing little detour. Let us return to happier times, when the future of these two sexy young stars looked like nothing but blue skies!

FANNY FAN AND TU CHUAN

You will seldom see such a pretty pair together!

The two lovely dolls you see on this page are two of the brightest young stars of Shaw Brothers. In case you don't recognize them — which is most unlikely — they are Fanny Fan and Margaret Tu Chuan.

The photographer who snapped these shots considered himself the luckiest man in the world on that day. He happened on the two girls sipping a soft drink at Shatin Heights, then decided to attach himself to them for the day.

He ended up with these pictures!

Fanny and the Wolves

SHUESIK kindly sent me this fantastic picture of Fanny Fan surrounded by a pack of ravenous amateur photographers. I love this photo! Fanny is like a goddess of desire who has just descended from the heavens; the crowd of men, awestruck mortals fumbling with their cameras, trying to capture her earthly manifestation.

Don't Worry, Fanny Fans!

Don't worry Fanny fans... I haven't forgotten about my exploration of Fanny's career. It's still simmering on the back burner. In the meantime, please enjoy the picture above, which comes from Southern Screen No. 14 (April, 1959), back when Fanny was still working in Shaw's Cantonese division and being billed as Wan Li-hung.

Fanny Fan: She's G-r-r-r-eat!

Also from the May 1959 issue of Southern Screen comes this tasty pinup of Fanny Fan sporting a batik bikini. Grrr!

Fanny Fan: I've Been Wronged

Here's an article published just before the release of Kiss Me Again (October 21, 1960) that provides a little counterspin to Fanny Fan's screen image as a sexy femme fatale. Maybe the about-face was meant to prepare the public for her more wholesome roles in the upcoming Chinese New Year releases All the Best (February 15, 1961) and Les Belles (February 25, 1961). One thing is certain: besides her amazing curves, Fanny is one cute puppy!

"I've Been Wronged" says Fanny Fan

Fanny Fan has, since her debut in the movie world, been billed the sex kitten and given other fancy names to publicize her rich natural endowments.

In keeping with being a sex kitten, all sorts of rumours, especially those connected with the opposite sex, have been attributed to her.

What does Fanny feel about all this?

"I've been wronged!" Fanny said.

"Anyone with intelligence would know that what they say about me is untrue", Fanny said, making no attempt at hiding her hurt feelings.

Fanny does not like being publicized as a sex kitten, and she certainly detests the rumours that are always surrounding her name.

Looking up from the script of "The Wrong Man", in which she will take the starring role opposite Chao Lei, Fanny declared: "The man who is wronged in the film eventually finds redress, but when will the public realize that these rumours about me are false?"

—from Southern Screen No. 32 (October, 1960)
Original article available as PDF

Fanny Fan: Kiss Me Again (1960)

Shown above is a novelty centerfold from Southern Screen No. 31 (September, 1960) that opens to reveal the resolution of the romantic triangle in Kiss Me Again (1960), Fanny Fan's second Mandarin film. Of course, with "jade girl" Grace Ting Ning in the picture, it's a given that Fanny plays the role of "the other woman".

Kiss Me Again was made by veteran director Bu Wancang, who got his start in 1920s Shanghai. It was Bu who recognized the talent of Ruan Lingyu and cast her as the lead in her debut film, The Couple in Name (1926). He directed her again in Love and Duty (1931), The Peach Girl (1931), A Spray of Plum Blossoms (1931), and Three Modern Women (1933).

Ruan wasn't the only actress that Bu launched into stardom. Grace Chang and Chung Ching were both his discoveries, and Diana Chang Chung-wen's Hong Kong debut Three Sisters (1957) was directed by him.

From 1957 to 1961 Bu worked for Shaw Brothers, and in 1960 he even directed three films for rival MP&GI. While none of his Shaw Brothers films are among those recently restored and released on DVD, two of his MP&GI films — Dreams Come True (1960) and The Bedside Story (1960) — are fortunately available. Both films are romantic comedies with a light satiric touch and prove his mastery of whatever genre he worked in.

Given Bu's track record of bringing out the best in budding actresses, it goes without saying that I would love to see what kind of performance he was able to elicit from Fanny Fan in Kiss Me Again. Maybe I'm just tilting at windmills, but I'm determined to prove that Fanny had more talents than just her curves (and her boldness in baring them). Just call me Dave Quixote!

Anyway, here are two articles about Kiss Me Again from Southern Screen magazine.

THE SECOND KISS

Shaw's latest romance opens with a kiss and fades out with a kiss.

But in between the two kisses a powerful drama of human emotions and tragic love is unfolded on the screen.

Starring Shaw stars Ting Ning and Fanny Fan in their first film opposite handsome leading man Chao Lei, the movie is one to tug at one's heart strings.



Ting Ning, Fanny Fan and Chao Lei are the three parties in a triangular love affair, with movie bad man Hung Por trying to edge in by wooing Fanny Fan.

Ting Ning after her successes in "Enchanted Melody", "Rendezvous in the South Seas" and "My Daughter, My Daughter", and Fanny Fan whose "Pink Murder" shot her to fame, are cast again in roles that are tailor-made for their talents.

The movie is directed by veteran Po Wan-chang, who calls on his years of movie experience to give yet another masterpiece to Mandarin movie audiences.

—from Southern Screen No. 29 (July, 1960)
Original article available here

KISS ME AGAIN

Shaw Studio's latest love story to be told on the screen is "Kiss Me Again", which stars two young Shaws stars Ting Ning and Fanny Fan opposite Chao Lei.

Ting Ning plays a young woman who had been orphaned in her childhood. For the first time in her young life she finds happiness when handsome Chao Lei returns her love.



But they have not reckoned with Ting Ning's cousin Fanny Fan, a scheming possessive type who is also in love with Chao Lei and is determined to have him for her own.

The film directed by veteran Po Wan-chang revolves around the scheming efforts of Fanny Fan to wreck the romance of Chao Lei and Ting Ning.

—from Southern Screen No. 30 (August, 1960)
Original article available here

Fanny Fan: Oriole, the Heroine (ca. 1957-58?)

Au Kar-wai and Fanny Fan as pioneering female action heroes

According to available data, the next film starring Fanny to be released after The Pink Murder (1959) was not Les Belles — which, although completed, was being held for a 1961 Chinese New Year's release — but Oriole, the Heroine (also known as Miss Nightingale, the Flying Fencer), a Cantonese crime thriller starring Pearl Au Kar-wai as the titular heroine and Fanny as the trusty sidekick.

Although the release date is given as June 19, 1960, the film must have been made some time before Fanny joined Shaw's Mandarin division the previous year. The back cover of a program (printed in Singapore) for Oriole, the Heroine advertises Patricia Lam Fung's 1957 debut, The Fairy Sleeves; furthermore, the older Shaws and Sons logo appears in the program rather than the newer Shaw Brothers logo. This seems to indicate that Oriole was released — in Singapore at least — sometime in 1957-58. This article from the July, 1958 issue of Universal Screen offers further evidence of an earlier release date.

The character of Oriole (or Wong Ang) the Flying Heroine first appeared as the protagonist of a popular series of pulp novels in 1940s Shanghai. Written by Siu Ping, an intelligence worker during the Sino-Japanese War, these stories depicted the social injustice and inequities of the era and gave the people a hero who fought on their behalf. In 1950s Hong Kong, the Wong Ang novels remained as popular as ever.

Previously, I had assumed that the first film adaptation of Wong Ang was How Oriole the Heroine Solved the Case of the Three Dead Bodies (1959), which featured reigning martial-arts queen Yu So Chow in the title role. Yu played the crime-fighting heroine seven more times in the next few years. Her final Oriole film was The Blonde Hair Monster (1962), which also starred a 15-year-old Connie Chan as the sidekick Heung At. Naturally, I thought that Shaw Brothers was just cashing in on the popularity of these films with their own version. But the evidence seems to indicate that it was in fact Shaws that first brought the beloved pulp hero to the silver screen.

Yu So Chow's Wong Ang films are rightfully acknowledged as the precursor to "Jane Bond" films of the late 60s, but it is indeed unfortunate that the Shaw Brothers' Oriole, the Heroine — very likely the first film adaptation — is in danger of being forgotten.

Obviously, as a fan of Miss Fanny Fan, I would love to see one of her pre-bombshell films, especially one where she plays a fighting heroine. Further stoking my interest in Shaws' Oriole is a tasty bit of information from the Hong Kong Film Archive's online catalog: leading lady Au Kar-wai was allegedly coached in sparring for three months by none other than Lau Cham — real-life kung fu master, pioneering martial-arts choreographer, and father of Lau Kar-leung!

Stay tuned for more about Pearl Au Kar-wai and for my ongoing exploration of Fanny Fan's colorful career...


Chiang Feng, Au Kar-wai, and Fanny Fan in Oriole, the Heroine

(As always, I welcome further information and correction of errors on my part.)

Fanny Fan: Les Belles (1961)

Sweet girl Fanny Fan, ca. 1960

Fanny's transformation from Man Lei Hung, second-string actress in Shaw Brothers' Cantonese division, to Fanny Fan, rising star in their Mandarin division, was a great success. Following the release of The Pink Murder, Fanny was featured for the first time on the cover of Southern Screen (November 1959), and in the next issue, she made her centerfold debut: "Le Girl Fanny Fan". (I'd scan it for you Fanny fans, but sadly it's missing from my copy.)

So, what was next for Miss Fanny? According to this article from Southern Screen No. 26, she flew to Tokyo on February 23, 1960 to shoot dance scenes for the musical Les Belles. Being chosen to star in this film was a big deal. Not only was it a great opportunity to work with superstars Lin Dai and Peter Chen Ho and esteemed director Tao Qin, but Les Belles was also Shaw's first Eastmancolor production shot in CinemaScope (or ShawScope, as it was redubbed).

Of course, given that the film was first and foremost a vehicle for Lin Dai, Fanny was pretty much relegated to the sidelines. Still, in a dramatic turnaround from her femme fatale role in The Pink Murder, her "dumb blonde" role in Les Belles gave Fanny a chance to show her sweet side, an aspect of her personality that, in my opinion, was sadly underused during her film career.

In Les Belles, Fanny is paired off with Mak Kay as the film's secondary couple, and the two of them are quite charming. Truth be told, I would much rather have seen them as the centerpiece than the bickering Lin Dai and Chen Ho (who would repeat the same stale dynamic a few years later in Tao Qin's Love Parade).

But if Fanny and Mak Kay were to become the stars of a musical romantic comedy, it should be something along the lines of Viva Las Vegas. Here I go again, creating "What If" movies in my head that could never have possibly been made. Seriously though, Fanny's sweet and sexy demeanor is very comparable to Ann Margret. And Mak Kay was known for his "teddy boy" roles opposite Lam Fung: in fact, he played a character named "Elvis" in Young Rock (1959).

Anyway, here is a clip from Les Belles which offers a glimpse of the rarely seen sweet side of Fanny Fan.

Fanny Fan: The Pink Murder (1959)

Fanny Fan strikes a Jayne Mansfield pose for The Pink Murder film program.

The release of The Pink Murder on October 29th, 1959 marks the beginning of Fanny Fan's decade-long reign as Hong Kong cinema's leading sex symbol. As blogger Miss Su Zi astutely observes in a recent post, by unabashedly embracing the role of sex symbol in an industry where virtuous "jade girls" ruled the screen, Fanny boldly chose a "road of no return" that — for good or bad — would define her career.

Yet Fanny's decision was also a shrewd one which prevented her from vanishing into the limbo of forgotten actors. At Shaw Brothers' Cantonese division, where she had got her start in 1957, the lead roles were practically monopolized by Patricia Lam Fung and Pearl Au Kar-wai. Staying there would have been a certain dead end, especially considering the closure of the division in 1963.

At the studio's Mandarin division, there was more competition (such as established stars Li Lihua, Lin Dai, Loh Tih, and Chang Chung-wen and fellow newcomers Ting Ning, Ting Hung, and Tu Chuan), but with Diana Chang Chung-wen intent upon hanging up her swimsuit and bath towel and demanding more serious roles, the position of studio bombshell was open for the taking. And boy, did Fanny take it!

Here's an article from Southern Screen No. 18 (August, 1959) announcing the release of The Pink Murder. I've also made a PDF of the original article (582 KB).

The Pink Murder



Shaw's latest suspense thriller "The Pink Murder" revolves around the theme of a woman's seductive powers to enslave men and bend them to her will.

In the spicy and torrid role of the enchantress is Shaw's curvaceous Fanny Fan, whose natural gifts make her a most fitting choice for the role.

Countless men in the film fall under the spell of this beautiful and ruthless woman, and they commit murder for her sake.

Her first victim is none other than her old millionaire of a husband, whose wealth was his undoing. To inherit the vast fortune, she gets her paramour to dispose of the old man.

Another victim of hers is the lawyer who is charged with altering the will of the old man. He falls prey to her seductive wiles and becomes the victim of blackmail. In desperation he kills to extricate himself from his predicament.

In the role of the lawyer is Yen Chun, who takes on the dual role of director and star in the film.

Others in the film are Yu Kwong-chao who plays the millionaire husband, and veteran character actor Yang Chih-ching who is the blackmailer in the film.

Here are a couple of cool pics of Fanny and actor-director Yan Jun from The Pink Murder film program.





And here's an article from Southern Screen No. 22 (December, 1959) covering the enthusiastic response to Fanny's star debut.

Fanny Fan An Overnight Success


Curvaceous Fanny Fan is a success overnight with the release of her first Mandarin film "The Pink Murder".

Her maiden film on the Mandarin screen enjoyed a record-breaking run at the Rialto and Zenith Theatres in Hongkong and Kowloon.

Her fame spread so rapidly that when she volunteered to model a set of the latest creations in the way of Cheong-sams for amateur camera enthusiasts she attracted more than a 1,000 eager shutter-bugs. They had all gone there to capture this buxom star on celluloid.

Fanny Fan: "The Brigitte Bardot of China"

Man Lei Hung (aka Fanny Fan)

This pinup of Fanny Fan appeared in Universal Screen No. 7 (July, 1958), back when she was working in Shaw Brothers' Cantonese division and was still known as Man Lei Hung. Here's the accompanying article.

And here are two more articles, for which Dev Yang was kind enough to provide translations. Any errors are a result of over-enthusiastic editing on my part.

Chinese Brigitte Bardot — Man Lei Hung


It's important to choose the right stage name. It must be inspiring and beautiful, yet easily remembered by moviegoers. Here comes Man Lei Hung [literally "a thousand miles of red"]. This is a vivacious and youthful stage name for a new star, and she has been given the precious chance to be leading lady in a coming feature [not specified]. Man Lei Hung has put a great deal of effort in preparation, and there is no doubt that she will have a positive outcome. In the studio and on the film set, friends and colleagues have given her another name — "the Brigitte Bardot of China". This nickname has caught on more than her stage name, but Man Lei Hung regards this as a compliment. In real life, the lovely Man Lei Hung possesses a touch of innocence. She is courteous and respectful of her veteran colleagues, and they love and care about her. Man Lei Hung is bound to have a bright future.

from Film Star No. 21 (1958 or 1959)

The Seductions of Man Lei Hung


In such a freezing cold winter, even if you are "bold and daring", you must possess real courage to pose for photos like these! When we came to Man Lei Hung's residence for an interview about her transition from the Cantonese to the Mandarin screen, she was very courteous and polite, asking what kind of photos we wanted. We told her that our editor wanted something "special" and truly exceptional. Man Lei Hung cleverly read between lines and said, "Please wait for me a minute, and see if this is special enough". Here is her "special" sarong outfit. These photos, from the perspective of art, are neither obscene nor vulgar but indeed prove that Man Lei Hung possesses a true beauty that gives a feeling of "reality and tangibility"!

from The Movietune Pictorial No. 6 (March, 1959)

Fanny Fan: Before She Was Fanny

Man Lei Hung (aka Fanny Fan) on the cover of Film Star

Fanny Fan wasn't always known as Fanny Fan. She was born in Shanghai on October 16th, 1940 as Fan Wai-chuan. At some point she moved to Hong Kong, as did so many Chinese during the turbulence of the Sino-Japanese War and the Nationalist-Communist Civil War.

I'm not clear on the chronology of Fanny's entrance into showbiz, but according to the Hong Kong Film Archive's online catalog, she first appeared under the stage name Man Lei Hung in a small role in Lui Chen-sing's Many Adventures (1956), a Cantonese martial-arts movie starring Tso Tat-wah. Also around this time (probably either December 1955 or December 1956), Fanny was crowned "Miss Exhibition" at the Hong Kong Products Expo, a popular annual retail fair that featured pageants and performances.

Sometime in 1956, Fanny joined Shaw Brothers' newly formed Cantonese division and was given a supporting role in Pearl Au Kar-wai's star debut, Pearl of the Island, released on January 1st, 1957. Later that year, Fanny was introduced in the premiere issue of Southern Screen (December, 1957) as one of "Seven New Faces" being promoted by the studio. The other faces included fellow Cantonese stars Patricia Lam Fung and Au Kar-wai and Mandarin star Pat Ting Hung. But fame eluded Fanny as she got stuck playing second fiddle to Lam Fung and Au Kar-wai throughout 1958.


Fanny Fan (right) and Pearl Au Kar-wai (center) in Crime of Passion in the Hotel (1958)

Perhaps Fanny was just too sexy for Cantonese audiences, who tended to be culturally conservative and instead adored Lam Fung, the virtuous (and bankable) "jade girl" who was quickly becoming the "Jewel of Shaw". Whatever the reason, in 1959 Fanny switched over to Shaw's Mandarin division, where she made her career-defining transformation into a full-fledged Z-bomb.

The actress formerly known as Man Lei Hung was now dubbed Fanny Fan, a suitably sexy name that alliteratively riffed on her reputation as "the Brigitte Bardot of China". Her first Mandarin film was Enchanted Melody, where she joined pioneering bombshell Helen Hsia Hou Lan to provide a double dose of voluptuousness (tempered — lest things got too hot — by the sweet and cooling goodness of leading lady Ting Ning).


Fanny Fan in Enchanted Melody (1959)

Fanny also starred — as Man Lei Hung — with Mak Kay (famous for his "Teddy Boy" roles opposite Lam Fung) in Behind the Hidden Scene, a Cantonese-language "erotic" musical financed by Shaw Brothers and directed by Chow Sze-luk, the head of Shaw's Cantonese division. Mak Kay plays a man who learns that his long-lost daughter (played by Fanny) has been found in Japan working as an erotic dancer. He travels there and visits all the dance halls looking for a Chinese girl with a birthmark on her leg. Shot in color (rare for a Hong Kong film at that time) and on location in Japan, it featured performances by Japanese erotic dancers. Two years later Fanny and Mak Kay would work together again on another musical set in Japan, but this time they played in the shadows of superstars Lin Dai and Peter Chen Ho in the decidedly unerotic Les Belles (1961).

The adult-themed Enchanted Melody and Behind the Hidden Scene were clear signals that Shaw Brothers was building up the payload for the detonation of their deadly new weapon of mass seduction. On October 29, 1959 the Z-bomb was unleashed in actor-director Yan Jun's The Pink Murder. Stay tuned for the aftermath!

References

• Biography at HKFA Online Catalogue (in Chinese)


• "Shaw's Cantonese Productions and Their Interactions with Contemporary Local and Hollywood Cinema" by Law Kar in China Forever: The Shaw Brothers and Diasporic Cinema (2008)

Origins of the Z-Bomb

Fanny Fan was Hong Kong cinema's "youngest Z-bomb" in 1959.

In my quest for all things Fanny Fan, I came across a photo piece from the May 1959 issue of The Happiness Movieland referring to her as "the youngest Z-bomb". It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what exactly makes a "Z-bomb". Still, I was curious about the term, since it was also used in the same issue to describe Lau Leung-Wa ("a real Z-bomb").

According to War Slang: American Fighting Words and Phrases Since the Civil War, a Z-bomb is "a mythical bomb of such power that exploding it would 'end it all'. The term was used in the 1950s, and a stripper of that period, Lolinda Raquel, billed herself as Margo the Mexican Z-Bomb 'The Absolute End'."

Thanks to Newspaperarchive.com, I discovered this tantalizing piece about Margo from the November 25, 1960 issue of the San Mateo Times:

Margo the Z Bomb "Blows" in Dec. 1

Six years ago, Margo the Bomb "blasted" away at Luz Garcia's Sinaloa. Anyone who visited the San Francisco Powell Street night club during that time will never forget her. Never before, or since, has anyone been able to shake her torso in so many directions at one time as formful Margo.

After a long run at Sinaloa, Margo received an offer (a three figure sum) to appear in a Manila club with the contract understanding that if she was a big hit, her salary would double at the end of six weeks.

Never one to hold back the career of any of her acts, Luz Garcia wished Margo "bon voyage" and good luck — thinking she would return to the Sinaloa in three or four months.

Margo was such a "shaking" success that all options on contracts were picked up and for the past six years she has been in the three figure weekly salary bracket. The publicity raves from all over the world stamp this little lady as being "number one" in her field.

Because Miss Garcia was kind enough to release her from the local contract six years ago, Margo has agreed to again headline the Sinaloa all-Mexican show beginning next Thursday, December 1.

Well, the world is truly a small place. Not only am I familiar with the building in Chinatown/North Beach that used to house the club where Margo danced (and which currently houses the Lichee Garden Restaurant), but Margo also makes a stunning appearance in the Grace Chang musical Mambo Girl (1957).

Wow! All hail the "Mother of Hong Kong's Z-Bombs"!

Fanny Fan: Who is Fanny?

Who is Fanny? Well, she just so happens to be my secret idol. And I'm slightly miffed that Hong Kong film historian Law Kar left her out of the "Wild, Wicked, and Sexy" chapter of his book Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross-Cultural View. Anyone who is familiar with Fanny's small but unquestionably iconic roles in The Golden Buddha (1966) and Angel with the Iron Fists (1967) has to admit that this is a grievous omission. During the next few weeks I'll be exploring the films and charms of Miss Fanny Fan. To start things off, here is an article from the August, 1959 issue of Southern Screen.

WHO IS FANNY?

The name of Fanny Fan may sound unfamiliar to followers of the Mandarin screen.

If you are tempted to find out, then go and see her latest picture "The Pink Murder". That sexy, vivacious and thoroughly immoral young wife of a rich old man in the picture is her.

One look at her and there is no doubt that she has every thing that made Jayne Mansfield, Anita Ekberg and that well-known Brigitte Bardot a star.

In her latest film Fanny takes the starring role for the first time opposite director-actor Yen Chun. In "The Pink Murder" Fanny shows that she can act too. She is excellent as the greedy young wife who would not hesitate to use her physical charms to seduce men and make them kill for her sake.