Lo Lieh: The Black Whirlwind

Every once in a while I feel the need to inject a little testosterone into this blog before it becomes too soft. Hence, this fabulous pinup of Lo Lieh, my favorite of Shaw's mid-60s crop of young male stars.

I was first introduced to Lo in more recent fare such as Jackie Chan's Mr. Canton and Lady Rose (1989) and Glass Tears (2001), which I believe was his final film. He had the effortlessly commanding look of a veteran actor, and indeed he was: Lo starred in more than 70 films during his twenty-plus years at Shaw Brothers and was fairly active onscreen for the following 15 years, until his death in 2002.

Don't throw eggs at me if I confess that I've not yet seen some of his most signature films, like King Boxer (1972), Kidnap (1973), and Human Lanterns (1982). But I've always enjoyed him in the countless — and addictively watchable — wuxia films he made for Shaws.

Here's a piece about Lo from Southern Screen no. 131 (January 1969). You can view the original article here. The pinup comes from the same issue.

"Black Whirlwind" Lo Lieh

Perhaps the best Shaw actor around these days is Lo Lieh. Among his recent and current films are "Twelve Deadly Coins", "Dragon Swamp", "Swordswomen Three", and "The Singing Thief".

Not the debonair type, he nevertheless exudes masculinity with his rugged good looks and fine physique. Equally adept as hero or villain, he has established a strong screen image. Lo is nicknamed "The Black Whirlwind", a sobriquet as much due to his black costume and dark complexion as to his fiery temperament.

An Indonesian Chinese, Lo came to Hong Kong six years ago and joined the Southern Drama Group on completion of his studies. On graduation, he was signed up by Shaws. His debut took place in "The Butterfly Chalice", followed by "Tiger Boy". Since then he's made some 15 films, among them "Temple of the Red Lotus", "The Sword and the Lute", "The Golden Swallow" and "Trapeze Girl".

Blowing in the Wind: The Smell of Beefcake

The magnificent trio: (from left) Cheng Lui, Lo Lieh, and Wang Yu

Lest you think I serve only cheesecake here at Soft Film, here is a tasty slice of vintage beefcake: Jimmy Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, and Cheng Lui — the first recruits in director Chang Cheh's yang gang ("macho") army of male stars. Check them out in this article from Southern Screen No. 81 (November, 1964). A scan of the original is available here.

Meet Shaws' New Male Talent

The female of the species continues to dominate Chinese cinema. As proof of this, Shaws recently had to advertise for several husky youths to act in a projected film tentatively entitled "Tiger Boy". The reason? The studio was unable to find any actors on hand able to play the starring roles. After careful screening, the following three were selected from among 1,000 applicants.

They are: Debonair Wang Yu, 20, a six-footer who has won several sprint finals in All-Hongkong swimming contests. After two screen-tests, he won a seven-year contract with Shaws and the lead role in "Tiger Boy".



Lo Lieh: This 24-year-old was given the supporting role in "Fight". A product of the Southern Drama Group, he was also awarded a seven-year contract with Shaws. He appeared in "The Butterfly Chalice" in the minor role of a general's bodyguard.



Cheng Lei: Selected to appear in "Fight" as a brave youth who protects his sister from ruffians.



Two other applicants were picked for possible future roles. They are Li Ying-tsung, a noted gymnast and Kwan Hung, a champion diver.

Tiger Boy (1966) was the first film over which Chang Cheh had total creative control. Although he was only allowed a small budget and had to shoot in black-and-white, the movie was a success and proved to Shaw Brothers that Chang's formula of graphic violence, brotherhood and honor, and muscular male stars was financially viable.

As a result, Chang was given the go ahead to make The Magnificent Trio, which was released later that year. Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, and Cheng Lui again starred together as Chang's new breed of heroes.

I've always been fascinated by the film's innovative title sequence and the way it captures a historic turning point in Hong Kong cinema. The burning flag in the opening shot loudly declares Chang's intention to shake up Shaw's female-dominated star system. Although top billing is still given to Margaret Tu Chuan, Chin Ping, and Fanny Fan, this is boldly contradicted by the image of Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, and Cheng Lui running towards the camera against an abstract blood red sky.

They may be billed as co-stars, but these three hunks are clearly the stars of the film — and indeed, harbingers of a new era in Hong Kong cinema.