THE LADY HERMIT (1971) #59

THE LADY HERMIT (1971)

The elder Shaw Brother, Runme Shaw produces another hit with THE LADY HERMIT (1971) released January 22nd, directed by Ho Meng Hua, written by Yip Yat-Fong (The Jade Raksha and Heads For Sale), with action directed by Leung Siu-Chung. An action filled revenge tale introducing a brand new female action star: Shih Szu!. Let's get busy!

Cui Ping has traveled all the way to Dugan Town with a letter of recommendation for Chief Wang Cheng En of Da An Security Service from her father. Cui Ping is determined to learn martial arts at the foot of a real martial arts master, in particular, the one known as "The Lady Hermit". She heard rumors of The Lady Hermit being sighted in and around Baijiang Town near a Chung Kuei Temple and is determined to go there to ask The Lady Hermit to be her master. Cui Ping has already learned "all the basics" and literally cracks a mean whip. She is confident The Lady Hermit will accept her as a student.

What Cui Ping does not know is that Chung Kuei Temple is a trap for The Lady Hermit set up by her nemesis, Black Demon. When Black Demon and The Lady Hermit last fought three years ago she was severely injured during the battle and has been hiding out recovering from her wounds and developing a counter for the Black Demon's deadly technique "shadow-less claw". If Cui Ping is not careful, instead of just becoming the disciple of The Lady Hermit she may also become the cause of her death! Game on!

Yes, that is SAMMO HUNG third person from the left

CAST REPORT

the good: Introducing Shih Szu in her first movie as Cui Ping. Cheng Pei-Pei as Leng Yushuang / The Lady Hermit. Lo Lieh as Chang Chun. Fang Mien as Chief Wang Cheng En.

the bad: Wang Hsieh as Black Demon.

HONORABLE MENTION: Black Demon disciples -- Sammo Hung, Chiu Hung, Chuen Yuen, Tong Tin-Hei, Lee Siu-Chung, Law Hon, Woo Ka-Kei, Siu Wa, Cliff Lok, Yeung Chak-Lam, Suen Lam, Ng Ming-Choi, Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, and Bruce Tong Yim-Chaam.

FIGHT TIME: THE LADY HERMIT (1971) has Leung Siu-Chung (Lady of Steel) as its action director and just as he did in his last work, his choreography is still crisp and easy to follow while he ups the ante with more fights: I counted ten (10) fight scenes including the finale while Lady of Steel had eight (8) and a creative under-cranking that spiced up the fight in spots. I would love to see more of this style because it adds some suspense to the fight. Action-packed and creative fight scenes, need I say more?

RECOMMENDATION

THE LADY HERMIT (1971) features the return of Cheng Pei-Pei and Lo Lieh together in a love triangle but unlike GOLDEN SWALLOW, this movie's third wheel is a woman, the newcomer Shih Szu. There is a saying: "Hindsight is 20/20". and looking at the future of Cheng Pei-Pei this movie could have been her swan song and would have been perfectly fitting as such. The truth is, she did make two more movies for Shaw Brothers one more wuxia and one comedy (released in 1972) before leaving for the rival studio Golden Harvest. The drama of the love triangle added texture and interest to THE LADY HERMIT (1971) and the action was top notch making my recommendation for this movie a must-see and collectible for all audiences. Cheng Pei-Pei's star presence is undeniable but this is definitely Shih Szu's movie and they don't debut better than this! See you next time!

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NEXT UP: THE NEW ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1971)

KING EAGLE (1971) #058

KING EAGLE (1971)

Our first movie of 1971 is KING EAGLE (1971) released on January first it is an all-out fight fest featuring Ti Lung for what (I am guessing) is the hunt for Wang Yu's successor based on the one-note characterization of the protagonist. Sir Run Run Shaw is the producer, Chang Cheh is the director, I Kuang is the script writer, and action directors are Tang Chia teaming up yet again with Yuen Cheung-Yan   (VENGEANCE 1970). King Eagle is basically a murder mystery without the mystery!  Let's get busy!

TIEN YI TONG

TIEN YI TONG HEADQUARTERS

Tien Yi Tung is a orthodox clan that has done many good deeds for the common people. It is a clan with a headmaster and 8 chiefs. But one of the chiefs, First Chief Hung Sing Tien, wants to be the headmaster himself. He wants to be the headmaster for his own personal gain and not to continue the good work of the Tien Yi Tung. To that end he has assassinated the current headmaster and has arranged partnerships with heretic clans to support his take-over by murdering his own clan brothers. Unfortunately Jin Fei, known as King Eagle witnessed the death of the Sixth Chief, Chu Hung. Jin Fei is not a member of any clan and wants nothing to do with the politics of the Jiang Hu and he makes this quite clear. However, First Chief Hung Sing Tien, has decided that Jin Fei might get in the way in the future and decides to kill Jin Fei anyway. Dude, bad idea! 

CAST REPORT

the good: Ti Lung as King Eagle Jin Fei. Li Ching as Seventh Chief An Yuk Lin. Lee Sau-Kei as Headmaster of Tien Yi Tong. Wang Kuang-Yu as Fang Shing. Wang Chung as Second Chief Fan. Yau Lung as Sixth Chief Chu Hung. Cheng Lui as Chief Koon.

the bad: Chang Pei-Shan as First Chief Hung Sing Tien. Li Ching as Eighth Chief An Bing Er. Cheng Miu as Deadly Fingers Wan Hau Ba. Chen Sing as Fifth Chief Chen Tang.

HONORABLE MENTION:  Bruce Tong Yim-Chaan, Tang Chia, Tung Li, David Chiang and Yuen Shun Yi have minor roles and Li Ching plays two roles as younger and older sisters. 

FIGHT TIME: KING EAGLE (1971) is action-packed! I counted nine (9) fight scenes including the finale. Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan are the action directors. They have worked together before [VENGEANCE (1970) and HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL (1969)] and once again do an excellent job here with mostly sabre (dao) fights that are really fast paced and not just under-cranked. I was thrilled to watch this movie and it was very hard to capture a fight still without any blurr. Kudos!

RECOMMENDATION:

KING EAGLE (1971) is Ti Lung's first movie where he is dominate for the entire movie and is not sharing the lead role with Wang Yu nor David Chiang. In fact HKMD credits David Chiang with a very small role as an extra or stuntman but I could not spot him. It also introduces Bruce Tong Yim-Chaan in a featured role above extra or stuntman. As I have stated earlier the action is spot on and the only flaw in this movie is with its story. I called it "a murder mystery without the mystery" which you will understand in the first five minutes of the film but there is another point not made clear. Why don't they just leave him alone? Why murder the people in the restaurant? Who were they waiting for in the restaurant if not him? Anyway these questions are forgivable if you are just looking for a good time and I certainly recommend KING EAGLE (1971) for a good time and, any film with Ti Lung in it from Shaw Brothers Studios is an automatic collector's item. That's all for now, see you next time! 

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NEXT UP: THE LADY HERMIT (1971)

THE SINGING KILLER (1970) #057

THE SINGING KILLER (1970)

The Singing Killer (1970) released 12/22 is Shaw Brother's the last kung fu movie released in 1970. Sir Run Run Shaw produces Master Director Chang Cheh's heist / kung fu / modern music / romantic / young people's slice of life in Hong Kong / dramatic movie. This movie is definitely one for the time capsule with everything and the kitchen sink from the Shaw Brothers Studios packed inside it and it takes itself very seriously. The script is co-written by I Kuang and Chiu Kang-Chien, and the song lyrics are written by director Chang Cheh. Action direction is by the skillful team of Tang Chia and Liu Chia Liang so it is a legit kung fu movie. Let's get busy! 

Chen Sing the "Chinese Clark Gable"

Mr. Fung is a music promoter and the manager of the Dragon Palace Night Club. Mr. Fung is also an independent member of the criminal underworld in Hong Kong. Occasionally his legit world and his illegal underworld would cross paths but this time they will totally collide as his multi-million dollar jewelry heist of Tse's Jewelry Shop is missing one "key" element. That element is someone to crack open the safe in the manager's office. Namely Mr. Fung's heist requires the skills of the Singing Killer himself, the former criminal gang member known as "Johnny".   

David Chaing doing teen angst

Mr. Fung is keenly aware of Johnny's reluctance to return to a life of crime but he also knows Johnny's weakness --"Lily". Lily is the love of Johnny's life and his former gang member and girlfriend. They have long went their separate ways but Johnny would do anything to be reunited with Lily or at least, that's the plan...

Wang Ping as "Shiu Hsien"

CAST REPORT

the good: David Chiang as Johnny. Wang Ping as Shiu Hsien (Lily). Stanley Fung as Detective Wang.

the bad: Chen Sing as Manager Fung. Tina Chin Fei as Ho Man. Ku Feng as Brother One.

HONORABLE MENTION: Ti Lung, Dean Shek, and Wang Chung have very small roles. 

The Crew

FIGHT TIME: THE SINGING KILLER (1970) spared no effort by assigning the masterful team of Tang Chia and Liu Chia-Liang to do their fight choreography which consisted of street-fighting and some gun play. I counted six (6) fight scenes which is not very action-packed but with the drama and music necessary for the story any more action would have made for a much longer film which I can see them not wanting to risk on a multi-genre movie. Bottom line is you can't do too badly with these guys as your action directors, they do good as usual.

HONORABLE MENTION: And the Academy Award goes to...Chen Sing for pretending he can't fight! 

David Chiang versus Wang Chung

Let's dance!

RECOMMENDATION:

I'll have to recommend THE SINGING KILLER (1971) if for no other reason than the off-the-cuff kick-in-the-stomach realism it portrayed in depicting life on the run for young street people in Hong Kong. If you are not used to Hong Kong movie realism then you might be taken aback when one of the female characters has to "pay the rent" for the group. Unfortunately this does not come until the movie is two thirds over and so you might be bored by the goody-goody two step of the early part of the movie. Over-all this is a movie one should "have" rather than "not-have" but I will not call it a must-see movie. It is, however, a unique look at Hong Kong in the 1970's and as such as some collectible value. See you next time!

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NEXT UP: KING EAGLE (1971)

THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) #056

THE CHINESE BOXER (1970)

Producer Runme Shaw gives Jimmy Wang Yu his first chance to write and direct his own movie and the wuxia genre and the world will never be the same again. Action directing master Tang Chia is on board to add seasoning to this new style of wuxia and as we all know -- it was a hit, pulling in over 2 million Hong Kong dollars on its November 27, 1970 debut! Let's get busy!

Diao-erh is one of those village bullies that is more annoying than dangerous. A small petty man with countless grudges and a warped sense of entitlement. But sooner or later everyone gets to feel that enough is enough and so the entire village petitioned to exile Diao-erh from among them so he had to leave. Diao-erh ended up traveling to Japan and studied hard to learn the art of Judo, but only the physical techniques. When Diao-erh returned to the village he singled out the village kung fu school thinking he would get a little competition but little did he expect he would lose.

Diao-erh's defeat at the Zhongyi Martial Arts School did not set well with him. Before the dust even settled on his judogi he threatened to bring karate experts back with him in one month's time for revenge. And in one month's time Diao-erh is true to his word bringing with him three karate trained killers to the Zhongyi Martial Arts School with the intention of not leaving a single one of them alive. 

Fortunately Diao-erh was unsuccessful in leaving no survivors. One of the survivors of that slaughter, Lei Ming was determined to get vengeance for his teacher and his fellow classmates. Master Li Chun-Hai of the Zhongyi Martial Arts School had always lectured on the various martial arts of the world. Lei Ming remembered what his sifu had taught them on what would beat karate. Lei Ming remembered and trained. Vengeance was coming, and it was coming for Diao-erh and his karate friends.  

CAST REPORT

the good: Jimmy Wang Yu as Lei Ming. Wang Ping as Li Xiao Ling.

Fang Ming as Master Li Chun-Hai. Cheng Lui as Cheung Da Lung. Wang Kuang-Yu as Suen Tung.

the bad: Lo Lieh as Master Kita. Chiu Hung as Diao-erh. Wang Chung as Tanaka. Chen Sing as Ishihara. 

HONORABLE MENTION: Wong Ching, Tung Li, Yuen Wo-Ping, Chen Kuan-Tai, Jason Pai Piao, and Yuen Cheung-Yan have small roles.

FIGHT TIME: THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) is fight directed by Tang Chia.  I counted nine (9) fight scenes including the finale with some of the fights containing authentic Japanese and Okinawan martial arts. This is the first Shaw Brothers movie in the wuxia genre that specialized in unarmed martial arts in Asia and as such is very collectible. With the whole world loving this film and the action in it, my opinion pales in comparison, time for silence.

HONORABLE MENTION: Chen Sing getting down in his Okinawan Goju stances, just too cool!

RECOMMENDATION: "Mama told me there'd be movies like this!"

THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) is a movie that is a lot of "firsts" to its name but it is also the last movie Jimmy Wang Yu made for Shaw Brothers Studios.  Perhaps the reason why it is not mentioned all that often is because it was not the last of anything for Jimmy Wang Yu nor for Shaw Brothers Studios. They both went on from their separate ways to do great things from this accomplishment forward. This movie is one of the very many classic (and collectible) productions from Shaw Brothers that needs no one's recommendation, so just get out and enjoy this one by hook or by crook, and I'll see you next time!

  

If you liked this review please comment on the blog, become a follower of the blog, join me on my Facebook account by sending me a message first and then a friend request so I know who I am friending (  https://www.facebook.com/Michael529P   ) and like my Facebook page: SHAW Brothers Kung Fu Movies 1965-1986. I thank you and would appreciate it very much!

NEXT UP: THE SINGING KILLER (1970)