From the Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina comes an extraordinary piece of Chinese movie history: rare newsreel outtakes shot in January 1934 showing the production of a film at what is believed to be the Tianyi studio. Founded in Shanghai in 1925 by four brothers named Shaw (you may have heard of them), the Tianyi Film Company (天一影片公司) was a pillar of Chinese moviemaking during the 1920s and 30s (just like the family's Shaw Brothers studio some 30 years later). You can read more about the studio at The Chinese Mirror, my top one-stop shop for information about early Chinese cinema. But let me just point out that, as far as I know, none of the approximately 120 films made by Tianyi between 1925 and 1939 have survived, which makes this newsreel footage very precious indeed.
I've not had any luck in positively identifying the film or its stars. But I'm going to hazard a guess — even though I always fall on my ass whenever I go out on a limb — that the leading lady seen in the footage might be Fan Xuepeng (范雪朋), 1920s wuxia queen and star of Red Heroine / 红侠 (1929), one of the earliest surviving Chinese martial-arts movies. She worked at Tianyi from 1934 to 1937 and made a half-dozen or so films for the studio. One of them, Spring Dreams in the Dance Hall / 舞宫春梦 (1934), seems likes a possible match for the production shown in these outtakes.
Needless to say, I'm seeking the help of anyone who might be able to shed some light on this mystery film. Okay, enough talking. Click HERE to watch the clip.
Earlier this year I was bemoaning the fact that there were many titles from Celestial Picture's acquisition of the Shaw Brothers film library that still remained unavailable on DVD. Well, imagine my excitement when I discovered today (via the ever reliable Roast Pork Sliced from a Rusty Cleaver) that all 15 of the missing films I had mentioned — and many more — are now available in HD format, preloaded on a digital player.
Singapore multimedia company Creative has released the ZiiEagle Movie Box (天鹰宝盒), which contains a "complete" (I'll explain the quotation marks later) collection of 668 Shaw Brothers films, among which are a good many that never made it to DVD. I haven't yet done a complete count of the previously unreleased titles (although it's definitely not "around 200" as cited in this article). What I can tell you is that there are a good two dozen that I'd love to see, such as Poison Rose (1966), pictured above. Conspicuously absent from the collection, however, is Operation Lipstick (1967) and The Brain-Stealers (1968), two spy thrillers by Inoue Umetsugu starring, respectively, Cheng Pei-pei and Lily Ho. (Is that because there are plans to release those titles on DVD?)
The ZiiEagle is priced at S$1,070 (US$813) but is currently selling on promotion for S$888 (US$675). I'm not going to lie — that's a lot of dough. But considering how much I've spent on Shaw DVDs over the past eight years, I'd exchange in a flash all of my DVDs for this handsome little box. It's a moot point for me, however, since the ZiiEagle cannot be ordered outside of Singapore. Nonetheless, I'm quite excited about the arrival of this product, because it gives me hope that I may yet see these "no longer missing" (in Singapore, at least) Shaw films.
Of course, there still remain the truly missing titles: Shaw's black-and-white films (melodramas and comedies mostly) from the late 50s and early 60s and the entirety of the studio's Cantonese productions. Speaking of which, next month the Hong Kong Film Archive will be hosting a rare screening of Sweet Girl in Terror (1958), starring the "Jewel of Shaw", Patricia Lam Fung. This seminal movie is just one of the many treasures you won't find in the ZiiEagle Movie Box.
Still, if Santa could smuggle a ZiiEagle out of Singapore for me, it would make this Shaw fan *very* happy.
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)
I'm always a little surprised whenever I see this picture of "jade girl" Patricia Lam Fung, uncharacteristically shown smoking a cigarette. Smoking was de rigueur for bad girls and femme fatales like Bai Guang, but "jade girls" like Pat had to carefully protect their pure image. Even more surprising is the fact that this pinup appeared in the same issue of Southern Screen (No. 10, November 1958) as an article about Shaw's newly formed Jade Girl Fan Club, which targeted its membership to teenage girls. Hmmm... I wonder how many of Pat's young fans were inspired to imitate their idol.
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.
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.).
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".
December calendar girls Essie Lin Chia (at the handlebars) and Shu Pei-Pei from Southern Screen's 1967 annual special, the extra thick issue that Shaw Brothers published every January to promote its talent and the year's coming attractions. These two bright young actresses would star together in Spring Blossoms (1968) and A Taste of Cold Steel (1970).
Here's a final batch of unreleased Shaw movies that I'd love to see. According to my buddy Glenn, who visited the office of Celestial Pictures yesterday, it's up to IVL, who distributes the Shaw Brothers DVDs in Hong Kong (and around the world for those of us with all-region players), whether the remaining titles will be released. Like I've said before, I'm keeping my fingers crossed but not holding my breath. Now let's take a look at five more missing films:
Double Trouble (1968) This movie was directed by Sit Kwan, who helmed the delightful Cheng Pei-pei musical Blue Skies (1967), but there's only one reason — and it's a big one — that I want to see this film: my favorite fatty, the irresistible Peng Peng. He gets top billing (after Margaret Hsing-hui) in this comedy about two bumbling fools trying to help a pretty young girl escape an arranged marriage to an old millionaire.
Three Swinging Girls (1968) Essie Lin Chia (center), Jean Li Chih-an (right), and Irene Chen Yi-ling (left) play the three swinging girls who share an apartment — and more — in this romantic-revenge comedy by veteran director Chun Kim. None of the actresses were big stars, but that makes me all the more curious to see this film. I'm hoping it's one of those overlooked and unexpected gems that I so love.
Dear Murderer (1969) In a dark twist on his "ladies' man" image, Peter Chen Ho plays a company man bent on moving up the corporate ladder by marrying his boss's daughter (Betty Ting Pei). When he finds out his former sweetheart (Pat Ting Hung), a typist at the firm, is pregnant and demanding that he do the right thing, he knocks her off. But soon after his honeymoon, he becomes haunted by her ghost.
Long Road to Freedom (1970) A girls-in-prison movie directed by Inoue Umetsugu — need I say more? Essie Lin Chia, who plays the lead, is someone I've always liked whenever I've seen her. According to IMDB, she is of mixed Chinese and Portuguese heritage and was discovered by King Hu. And, are my eyes deceiving me — or does it say in her filmography that she starred with Jim Kelly in Black Samurai (1977)?! Yep, that's Essie in the movie's trailer at the 1:35 mark.
Mini Skirt Gang (1974) Speaking of 'sploitation, here's one for all you fem doms and male subs. Directed by Lui Kei (who was the screen sweetheart of Cantonese teen idol Connie Chan before he started directing soft-core sex comedies at Shaws) and featuring exploitation queens Birte Tove and Chen Ping, Mini Skirt Gang — much to my surprise — was actually released on DVD last year... in Denmark! Check out the Celestial Pictures logo in the bottom right corner of this DVD cover. Proof positive perhaps that the remaining Shaw films are restored and ready to go for those willing to take a gamble on releasing them.
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.)
After I posted that tantalizing still from Dark Rendezvous in my recent entry about Tina Ti, my buddy Eddy sent me a link which reminded me about those last remaining Shaw Brothers films that have yet to be released on DVD. (Unfortunately, these do not include the titles which were not a part of Celestial Pictures' acquisition of the Shaw film library: namely the studio's Cantonese movies and black-and-white Mandarin movies from the late 50s and early 60s.)
Even though I cry in my soup every day about the injustice of not being able to see the early films of Patricia Lam Fung (who was known as the "Jewel of Shaw"), I console myself with the fact that Celestial is still sitting on a treasure chest of titles that are sure to be released sooner or later. It was rumored that they were going to be rolled out at the end of 2009. Obviously that didn't happen, but the release two weeks ago of Ann Hui's Shaw film Starry is the Night (1988) has got me crossing my fingers again.
Here are some of the Shaw movies that I'm hoping will pop out of the oven by year's end:
The Second Spring (1963) This one was made by Lo Chen, one of Shaw's four "Ace" directors (the other three were Li Han-hsiang, Tao Qin, and Yueh Feng). As you can see, it stars the great Li Lihua. It also features Margaret Tu Chuan, who famously threw a fit at the 1963 Golden Horse Awards when she won Best Supporting Actress for her performance. The petulant Miss M evidently felt that her character was not a supporting role and that she therefore deserved Best Actress. Seems like the princess had her eye on the throne. But as I've mentioned here previously, the tale of little Miss Margaret did not have a happy ending.
The Black Forest (1964) Shot on location in Taiwan, this big-budget romance between a lumberman and an aboriginal girl put Margaret Tu in the upper echelons of Shaw's galaxy of stars, alongside established movie queens Lin Dai and Betty Loh Tih. Also featured is Fanny Fan and a young Taiwanese star by the name of Chiao Chiao. These three ladies find themselves competing for the love of leading man Paul Chang Chung (who passed away just this last month).
Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore (1965) This cosmopolitan confection was a co-production between Shaw Brothers and Filipino filmmaker Albert Joseph. Tao Qin, Shaw's master of musicals before Inoue Umetsugu took over the reins in the second half of the 60s, directed the Chinese version (starring Peter Chen Ho as a jet-setting womanizer), and Albert Joseph directed the Filipino version (with Néstor de Villa in the leading role). The three geographically discrete girlfriends were the same in both versions: Landi Chang, Angela Yu Chien, and Filipina actress Maggie dela Riva.
Squadron 77 (1965) More than 40 years before The Message and Lust, Caution, Shaw Brothers made this spy thriller set in occupied Shanghai. Li Lihua stars as the woman who is thrust into the role of nationalist freedom fighter when she discovers that her husband is a collaborator with the Japanese.
Downhill They Ride (1966) Filmed on location in the snow-capped mountains of Taiwan, this appears to be an early entry in Shaw's campaign to reboot the wuxia genre. Set in Northeast China during the early Republican Era, it stars Paul Chang Chung as a gun-toting knight-errant who helps defend Pat Ting Hung and her fellow villagers from a gang of bandits. In a contemporary review, it was disparagingly described as a hybrid of "Japanese samurai and American cowboy films... transplanted into the Chinese soil", but that actually sounds pretty good to me.
A legendary woman (奇女子): that's what they called Tina. And lest you think the title was only on account of her magnanimous bosom, check out this article. Did you know that she worked as a spy for the People's Republic of China!
If the stories in the article are true, then Tina Ti indeed lived an extraordinary life. However, I must take task with the statement that she was the first Hong Kong actress to appear nude (in Li Han-hsiang's The Warlord).
To the best of my knowledge, that particular honor goes to the incomparable Fanny Fan. She bared her booty on the silver screen in The Golden Buddha (1966) — a full six years before Tina. Furthermore, in Diary of a Lady-Killer (1969) — which stars both bombshells — while Tina stands around with her arms modestly covering her breasts, it's Fanny who reveals her "points" in a steamy shower scene with Ivy Ling Po's husband Chin Han.
As for Tina's notorious scene in The Warlord (1972), according to her it was unscripted and director Li Han-hsiang filmed more than he promised — sneaking that shot of Tina's backside with a hidden camera. Contrast this with Fanny's scene in The Golden Buddha, where she stands totally naked with her back to the camera and then turns her head and throws a smile to the audience, as if to say: "Look at me, boys!"
Of course, none of this detracts from Tina's status as a sex goddess. But remember: before Tina, there was Fanny.
Even though I obviously don't worship at the Temple of Tina, I'm still a fan, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that, in the wake of her passing, Celestial Pictures will consider releasing the erotic thriller Dark Rendezvous (1969), which features her in a special cameo.
My most recent guest post at the Asian Art Museum blog is up now: check it out here. The museum is screening two movies this coming Sunday in tribute to Ruan Lingyu: A Spray of Plum Blossoms (1931) and Stanley Kwan's biopic Center Stage (1992), starring Maggie Cheung (seen above) as the legendary Shanghai film star.
It was the 75th anniversary of Ruan's suicide this past March 8 (which is also International Women's Day). I was meaning to post something in memory of her but was just too burned out after my Hong Kong trip.
Earlier this week, as I was watching the sad — yet beautiful — Center Stage and trying to articulate my thoughts and feelings, I heard the news that Jadin Wong, former Forbidden City dancer, and Tina Ti, Hong Kong movie bombshell, both passed away.
Jadin Wong (1913-2010)
Tina Ti (1945-2010)
I don't have the time right now to write a proper memorial, but they were both smart and savvy ladies who relied on their brains as well as their beauty. After she retired as an entertainer, Jadin Wong started a talent agency for Asian American actors. As for Tina Ti, she also became a businesswoman, establishing aerospace and satellite navigation companies in Mainland China.
The last two months also saw the passing of Shaw star Paul Chang Chung and director Inoue Umetsugu, who rebooted the Mandarin musical for Shaw Brothers in the late 60s.
Paul Chang Chung (1931-2010)
Inoue Umetsugu (1923-2010)
If you've followed the DVD releases of the Shaw film library these past years, then you probably know Paul Chang as one of Shaw's "James Bond"s. He appeared in the The Golden Buddha (1966) and Black Falcon (1967) but actually got his start at Shaw back in the late 50s. One of his early films, The Golden Trumpet (1961) by Tao Qin, was selected for the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Inoue Umetsugu's death didn't seem to get any coverage in the Hong Kong press, but it's undeniable that HK cinema would have been a little less bright without his madcap musicals. My buddy Glenn wrote a nice tribute to him.
Finally, I can't finish this post without paying my respect to the great Leslie Cheung, who took his life seven years ago today. Every time I see one of his films now, I can't help shedding a few tears for him. Rest in peace, Leslie.
Leslie Cheung (1956-2003)
Sorry for so much death in one post! Remember: be thankful and cherish each day.
* Photo of Jadin Wong courtesy of the eBay Archive; photo of Tina Ti courtesy of Oldflames; photo of Inoue Umetsugu courtesy of Frédéric Ambroisine.
Since I got such a good response for the photos of Li Lihua decked out in her cowgirl duds, I've decided to feature some other Hong Kong cowgirls. Starting things off is Miss Betty Loh Tih, best known as a "Classical Beauty". But as you can see in this pinup from Southern Screen No. 8 (July 1958), she makes quite a fetching — and formidable looking — gunslinger.
Betty sported this outfit in Li Han-hsiang's The Magic Touch (1958) in a sequence where she appears in the dream of suitor King Hu (back in the days before he became a wuxia auteur). In another one of his dreams, she appears as sexy senorita!
Here's some cool Hong Kong Americana from Oldflames and myself (top and bottom respectively). These photos were probably taken sometime in late 1957, when Li Lihua was in the U.S. shooting her first and last Hollywood film, China Doll (1958). The Empress of Hong Kong cinema certainly makes a plucky cowgirl. Too bad her American debut was a World War II film and not a Western!
Sixties actress Fang Ying passed away on Wednesday. While I've never followed her the way I have her fellow Shaw stars, I've always thought there was something special about her. I'm not sure how to describe it: she had the spunky innocence of Li Ching and the cool sophistication of Lily Ho — but in a way that was so understated and natural it was completely disarming.
While Fang Ying rose to fame in Shaw's huangmei opera films, I will always associate her with veteran director Yueh Feng's superb social melodrama Auntie Lan (1967), in which she plays a young woman who struggles with being a single mother after her fiance dies in a plane crash. She also starred in a movie that is tops on my list of still unavailable Shaw films that I'm dying to see: the tantalizing Trapeze Girl (1967).
Fang Ying in Trapeze Girl
One of Shaw's "Seven Fairies", the first crop of starlets from its actor training school, Fang Ying was — along with Allyson Chang Yen — the first to disappear from the silver screen. She married in 1968 and made a few more films before retiring in 1970.
In the mid-80s, however, Fang Ying returned to the movie business, this time as an art director and costume designer. She was nominated for Best Art Direction at the 10th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards for Kawashima Yoshiko (1990) but gets a special award from me for her work on two of my favorite films: Deception (1989), a stylish thriller about workplace blackmail spun out of control; and Naked Killer (1992), a lurid girls-with-guns film inspired by Shaw's erotic wuxia classic Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972).
Pauline Wong, Brigitte Lin, and Elizabeth Lee in Deception
Carrie Ng, Simon Yam, and Chingmy Yau in Naked Killer
Let me end with this brief tribute with a wonderful clip from Auntie Lan showing off Fang Ying's unaffected charm.
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.
