HOLLYWOOD OF THE EAST: HONG KONG'S SILVER SCREEN CONQUERORS
"I can guess what the people want better than most other producers. I
guess wrong many times, but I guess a lot of times right." -- Sir Run
Run Shaw
The
life of Sir Run Run Shaw is a classic success story whose film industry
origins go as far back as the early 1920s. Over the course of six
decades, Shaw (along with his older brother Runme) built an
impressive entertainment empire that expanded throughout Southeast Asia
-- permeating into foreign territories, as well. Particularly with fans
of Hong Kong kung fu movies, the name 'Shaw' was synonymous with
blood, guts and chivalric grandeur that other companies copied, but
never duplicated. However, they did so much more than kung fu. The
brothers Shaw produced films covering every conceivable genre; but it
was their martial arts movies they will forever be associated with.
One
of their most memorable ingredients in the Shaw's filmic recipe was
their operatic studio bound sets. A Shaw Brothers production had a
unique look, sound, and feel about it that was instantly discernible
from the output from other HK studios. The Shaw Scope logo that preceded
each picture became one of the most recognizable in cult film history;
and the spirited backing music is as unmistakable as it is
unforgettable.
To
their international fans, another aspect of a Shaw Brothers production
is that trademark, bright red stage blood. Audaciously splattered from
one end of the screen to the next, the blood in Shaw pictures was as
vital as the trampolines used to propel actors into the stratosphere.
While
the Shaw Organization was a family affair, it was Run Run's
perseverance, dedication, and business sense that catapulted him into
the hearts and minds of film fans around the globe -- bringing attention
to the world of Asian cinema that has endured for decades.
Sadly, on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 at 6:55am, one of Asia's biggest, wealthiest, and philanthropic film producers and businessmen passed away at his home in Hong Kong at 107 years of age (106 in Eastern news sites).
Run Run Shaw's exact date of birth varies from one source to the next,
but it has never been officially released. This article is CAC's tribute
to a man who was an integral part to a great many kung fu fans childhood -- entrepreneur, movie mogul, capitalist, philanthropist, job creator, and film producer, Sir Run Run Shaw.
Against the wishes of their father, Shaw Yuh Hsuen (himself a prosperous businessman), the Shaw Brothers, Runme (Shan Ke)
and Run Run, forged ahead in their bid to create a filmmaking empire.
It took years of determination and overcoming obstacles, but they
eventually succeeded. The sixth son in the family, Run Run (or by his given name, Ren Leng),
along with his third brother, Runme adopted their fathers business
savvy to slowly build a powerful moviemaking metropolis that, at one
time, was the largest privately owned studio in the world. For years it was a long-standing rumor that Run Run's name derived from him taking a job as a rickshaw driver. This is not true. The Chinese characters simply translate the name that way. His name means 'Sincere and Honest'.
The two Shaw Brothers' cinematic journey began in what could be described as a traveling cinematic circus in
Singapore and Malaysia. The Shaw Brothers made their name with mobile
movie houses -- literal theaters on wheels -- that became a lucrative
enterprise. Honing their craft, the dynamic duo would build cinemas
wherever they made money. They were also prone to buying up more
property than needed believing that a prosperous theater would not only
benefit surrounding businesses, but increase their property value as a
result. One of their early successes was producing the first Chinese
talking picture in 1933 with the Cantonese musical, WHITE DRAGON. The
Shaw's had experimented with sound as early as 1931, but this effort was
purported to be the first professionally mounted sound production of
its kind in Asia. Of equal importance, the late 30s saw the birth of
Shaw's MFP (Malay Film Productions) company.
In
addition to MFP, the brothers also had years of success running a
variety of entertainment themed ventures such as amusement parks,
cabarets and wrestling events. These amusement parks came in very handy
when promoting the pictures playing at the theaters they owned. In the
spirit of such showmen as William Castle and any number of carnival
barkers, the Shaw's offered customer incentives such as ticket buyer
participation in stage contests related to whatever movie (American films remained top draws up to the mid 1960s)
they were showing. All this experience would come in handy, and be
applied when Run Run built his own Movie Town in Hong Kong in the late
50s.
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| Photo: HKcinemagic.com |
One of the biggest obstacles, and dangers the brothers (and their families)
faced came during WW2. Just prior to the Japanese occupation of
Singapore in the early 1940s, the Shaw family narrowly evaded a sure
death after a decision was made not to escape by boat to Australia. The
ship they were to travel was sunk, and the Shaw's ended up working for
the invading Japanese; and saw their assets seized in the process. Once
the war was over, the Shaw's were back in business again and involved in
a celluloid feud with rival studio Cathay. Had the head of that company
and members of its management team not been killed in a plane crash in 1964, Shaw's eventual return to HK to build a studio might not have happened when it did, if at all. By the dawn of the 1960s, Run Run Shaw would prove that hard work does pay off in a big, big way.
HOLLYWOOD OF THE EAST 2: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
In
the latter part of 1957, Run Run Shaw returned to Hong Kong to take
over film production there while Runme remained in Singapore to handle
the business side of things. Run Run Shaw was a bit more aggressive than
his older brother was. Fiercely competitive, he was very private in
talking about money matters, but wasn't above spending lots of it to
realize his dreams. The ultimate realization of this came in the form of
a massive, self-contained film production facility and an increasing
number of theaters with which to play his movies.
In
1958, Run Run Shaw bought 46 acres of land in Clearwater Bay. It is
here where the iconic Movie Town, aka Shaw Studios would be built.
Starting out with six sound stages, the studio was open for business in
December of 1961. By December of 1965, a total of 12 sound stages on an
expansive lot of 850,000 square foot of property was completed. With the
most modern filming facilities in all of Asia, as well as dormitories
for some 1,500 technicians and actors, the studio that Shaw built was
soon to rival Hollywood productions -- which Mr. Six greatly admired. At
this time, a dozen movies could be shot uninterrupted, and in color.
They produced 26 films in 1965. In 1966, they nearly doubled that number
with a staggering 41 movies made. They surpassed that in 1967 with 44
Hong Kong pictures that saw release that year.
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| Photo: Softfilm.blogspot.com |
In
December of 1957, a vital marketing aid was born; the publication of
Shaw's popular movie
promotional/gossip magazine titled Southern Screen hit newstands. In
1966, another Shaw
produced movie mag surfaced under the name of Hong Kong Movie News.
Circulation of both publications grew rapidly over the years lasting up
till the Shaw's closed their studio doors in 1985.
With his studio up and running, the youngest Shaw took a hands on approach
overseeing every aspect of his hefty production slate. He would view the dailies (or rushes) from every film, supervise the editing, and in most cases, have final say in how the finished product would look. According to Chang Cheh's memoirs, Mr. Six was a
cinematographer during those earlier, formative years as a movie showman.
The brothers Shaw not only expanded their moviemaking empire, but expanded it from
within as well. The Southern Drama Group was established in 1961 -- a
literal film school inside Movie Town; potential stars were trained in
various courses and capacities for a possible career in front of the camera.
The name changed a few times, but one thing remained consistent -- the
Shaw's training center guaranteed a steady flow of talent for both the
big and small screen.
In 1967, Run Run Shaw founded TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited).
It eventually became a massive empire in itself on an even larger scale
than his Movie Town. It remains the world's largest supplier of Chinese
language programming. TVB was as much a breeding ground for talent as
his movie studio was. Shaw finally retired as Chairman in December of
2011.
The
Shaw- HK-TVB Training Center was officially opened on August 8th, 1971.
This was a joint effort for Shaw's Movie Town and Television
Broadcasting Limited. Courses in foreign and Chinese film history,
singing, dancing and martial arts training were among the curriculum.
There was nothing like it at the time in Southeast Asia. The school was
ideal for spawning new talent for both the big and small screen.
With
the growth of the Shaw Organization in full bloom, foreign companies
were taking notice. Movies like the war film THE SAND PEBBLES (1966),
VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (the third in that series starring Christopher Lee), and the campy Bond style actioner SUMURU (both 1967) were shot there.
THE
SAND PEBBLES was especially influential on the technicians at Shaw's.
Many of the studios crew learned a great deal on how American movies
were made; and it was instrumental on Shaw as well considering he
modeled his filmmaking template on the old Hollywood Studio System.
Furthermore, the famous Shaw Brothers emblem was inspired by the same
crest used by Warner Brothers with the shield housing the two letters --
in this case, an 'S' and a 'B'. Moreover, the Shaw's
output frequently adhered to popular trends found in westernized cinema;
this was most apparent in a brief, if prolific string of spy pictures
in the late 1960s and a slew of popular musicals lavishly replicating
their American counterparts.
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| Run Run Shaw at meeting about THE WATER MARGIN. Toshio Kurasawa, Chang Cheh, Tetsura Tamba, Lily Ho |
With
all his previous years experience in filmmaking, Shaw was cognizant of
the fact that Chinese cinema techniques were not up to the standard of
those in Japan, Korea, and above all -- America. He then had a number of
neighboring Asian directors come to Movie Town and make films there.
Both sides would benefit in the end; and some of Shaw's best work from
the late 60s and early 70s would be due to the works of such directors
as Inoue Umetsugu and Korea's Cheng Chang Ho to name two.
SUPERSTARS VISIT MOVIE TOWN
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| Run Run Shaw throws a party for then 20th Century Fox president, Darryl Zanuck |
Several years before Run Run Shaw broke into the American market with kung fu movies, foreign personalities from the US and Great Britain
were already being lured to the Hollywood of the East to enjoy the
hospitality of the enterprising Asian movie mogul. In the 60s, two
different magazine articles on Movie Town in Time and Life magazines
introduced outsiders to the world of Shaw. Big name actors and
entertainment personalities like Kirk Douglas, William Holden, Elizabeth
Taylor, Peter O'toole, Curt Jurgens, The Beatles, James Mason, Cliff
Robertson (see insert), Rock Hudson and Candice Bergen to name a
few that visited the studio during one of its most successful periods.
Other stars like John Wayne, Richard Johnson and Gregory Peck toured the
studio in the 1970s.
When
he wasn't entertaining popular film stars, Run Run Shaw hosted
gatherings for a number of dignitaries and politicians at various events
that weren't always cinema related. Many times they were civic
gatherings for charity and other causes. Other times he was hosting gala
parties for huge televised events. Such as the 25th Miss Universe
Pageant -- which was held in Hong Kong on July 11th, 1976. Not only was
Run Run Shaw a judge at the event, he threw a party inside Movie Town on
the 4th for all the contestants and assorted personalities in the
entertainment industry. Many of his actors were in attendance as well.
Other judges at the Pageant included Fred Williamson, Roman Polanski (see insert) and Britt Ekland.
Considering
Shaw had such a watchful eye over his ever growing moviemaking
organization, and was so heavily involved in humanitarian activities,
and recreational events, it's amazing the man ever found time to sleep.
COMING SOON TO A SHAW THEATER NEAR YOU!
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| Run Run Shaw (far right) after signing a deal for a HK$20 million construction of two theaters -- The Pearl and The Jade |
Shaw owned and built numerous movie palaces with which his films, and
those they distributed would premiere to a public hungry for
entertainment. Some of these theaters showed only local productions
while others were exclusive to foreign pictures. Among these theaters
was the first Cinerama movie house in Hong Kong, The Pearl. Its grand
opening on December 15th, 1971 presented the film KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (1969)
as its premiere movie. In attendance was Sir Murray McLehose and his
wife. The proceeds for the night were donated to charity. This was a common occurrence when Shaw productions made their debuts.
The
opening of the Savoy, for instance -- the debut film there was Chang
Cheh's FIVE VENOMS (1978). The premiere took place in July of that year
and all proceeds for the evening went to charity.
Shaw's
theaters even reached overseas. In October of 1971 saw the opening of
the simply named, Shaw Theater in Vancouver, Canada.
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| Run Run Shaw greets British diplomat Sir Ivor at a charity premiere for THE 14 AMAZONS (1972) |
The
opening of one of
these theaters was always a gala event with various stars, directors and
high ranking officials
in attendance. Often times a Shaw Brothers production would be promoted
in high style. Charity walks (for THE LONG CHASE), go kart races (for
YOUNG PEOPLE), parade floats (for 14 AMAZONS, DEADLY DUO, OATH OF
DEATH), celebrity basketball games (for THE HEROIC ONES), and hot-air
balloon rides (for SUPER INFRAMAN) were some of the ways the Shaw's
promoted their films. As for the theaters themselves, the Shaw's had
some 200 movie houses in operation in the 1970s -- and among the most
modern in the world. This was a remarkable business model with both good
and bad attributes. The monopolization of Old Hollywood was dead, but
it was alive and well in Hong Kong. Furthermore, Shaw's didn't need to
worry about Block Booking (the selling of multiple motion pictures to a theater), as the astute business man could show whatever he wanted in his own fleet of movie houses.
CONCLUDED IN PART 2.
Ironically, a film that wasn't a big success in Hong Kong ended up being a smash success in America and other countries -- triumphantly opening the floodgates for a flurry of Fu to follow. That film, KING BOXER (1972), was the first kung fu film to chop and kick its way around the globe -- leaving an indelible mark wherever it played. In America, it was known most famously as FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH. Hot on its heels was Bruce Lee in FISTS OF FURY and Angela Mao in LADY WHIRLWIND (DEEP THRUST). Many more followed including MGM with ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN and Warner's with SACRED KNIVES OF VENGEANCE (THE KILLER[1972]). Hundreds more hit theaters across the country from small, independent outfits eager to reap benefits from the kung fu craze. The market was literally flooded with kung fu pictures; and remained so through the 70s and into the early 1980s. 
Curiosity of the mighty movie mogul came fast and furious for much of the 1970s. ABC went to HK to shoot a documentary titled WORLD OF RUN RUN SHAW in '73. There were other documentaries, of course, including entries on the British series Whicker's World (late 60s and early 70s) and another documentary item from the UK titled FISTS OF FIRE from 1974. Time Magazine again went to Shaw Studio in 1976 for another spread to be featured in a May issue (see insert).
Run Run Shaw was also attached, curiously so, to lowbrow horror efforts like the British ALIEN clone INSEMINOID (1981); and America's inverted JAWS-alike, BLOOD BEACH (1980). The budget was painfully low on the former -- at least it appeared so. ALIEN (1979) was particularly popular there, so it made sense Shaw would invest in a similar, if more tasteless picture with its alien rape and cannibalism. Shaw's publicity department was apparently enamored with the films poster as they reused it to formulate the one for Kuei Chi Hung's CURSE OF EVIL in 1982. The latter title is even more bizarre in that the monster dwells under the beach -- sucking its victims into its maw before they can reach the water!
Aside from his accomplishments in the film industry, Run Run Shaw (and his brother, Runme) was heavily involved in
cultural, educational, and economic growth. Twelve years as President of the HK Red Cross and annual donations of hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships are among his numerous humanitarian endeavors. Ever the staunch capitalist,
the entrepreneurial Shaw used his wealth to aid the needy, the elderly,
and the young. These weren't handouts, mind you, but building blocks
for educational, and technological advancement for the betterment of
society; Shaw's monetary contributions were also incentives to encourage the younger generation to train their minds for a potentially more prosperous future. Shaw used his immense wealth to found charity organizations
such as The Shaw Foundation and The Shaw Trust. The Shaw Prize was established by Run Run in 2002 and is an award for exceptional educational achievement.
For his service to the public, Run Run Shaw became 'Sir' Run Run Shaw on March 7th, 1978 when he was officially knighted at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II. His Knighthood was among those on the Queen's Birthday Honours List from June 1st, 1977, but the actual knighthood ceremony didn't take place till March of the following year. Accompanying him to this prestigious event were his first wife Lily Wong Me-chun, and his daughter Dorothy (see insert photo). 
Shaw's infamous stigma of possessing an "Iron Fist" where management was concerned can be traced back to his MFP days battling with unions. Tensions between him and his employees carried over into the later, more prestigious Shaw Brothers Studio; and the Cathay rivalry reincarnated itself via the Shaw/Golden Harvest feud that started at the dawn of the 1970s. The Shaw Studio was non-union, and modeled on the old Hollywood Studio System (which crumbled in 1948). At Movie Town, stars and employees were kept under contract and paid a fixed rate on a per film basis, plus a monthly allotment. Stars' payment grew over the years, and if their films were successful, bonuses were awarded; and popular contract players were eventually allowed to freelance for outside companies. Some of the actors and or actresses were hired as freelance talent from the start. Many of the stars lived on site in the dormitories with free room and board, while others enjoyed the fruits of their labor away from the studio.
Wang Yu was a big star at Shaw's having found his greatest fame under the wing of Chang Cheh. The actor was also not the friendliest, nor the most pleasant person to be around. The 'Tough Guy' persona he often portrayed onscreen was simply a reflection of who he really was. Argumentative and prone to fights, Wang Yu got tired of the restrictive nature of being under contract at Shaw Studio and decided he'd just leave -- whether his contract was up or not. He simply exited the premises in March of 1970 and immediately went to work for Shaw's rival at Golden Harvest. Sued by Shaw Brothers, Wang Yu was not allowed to make movies in Hong Kong (he made them in Taiwan instead) till January of 1973 -- the time his contract was to expire. Even after that time period, Wang Yu seemed to harbor a great deal of animosity towards his former boss by quickly cranking out a cheap knock-off of whatever Shaw picture was in production at the time. Wang Yu did reunite with Chang Cheh in the Chang Ho picture, SHANGHAI 13 (1984).
In October of 1976 while shooting THE FLYING GUILLOTINE 2 (1978), Chen Kuan Tai was becoming increasingly disgruntled over money and not being allowed to direct; so he simply said "to hell with it" and left the confines of Movie Town for the independent circuit. A lawsuit soon followed him there. He did direct IRON MONKEY (1977) in the interim, and made a slew of independent features as well. Unlike Wang Yu and Chang Yi, Chen and Shaw settled their differences and the actors heavily publicized return occurred two years later co-starring in Chang Cheh's CRIPPLED AVENGERS (1978). One of Chen's bests roles of his entire career came during this second wave at Shaw's starring as a ruthless constable in Kuei Chi Hung's seminal KILLER CONSTABLE (1980).
Hands down the most famous instance of Shaw making a bad business decision would have to be letting Bruce Lee slip through those "Iron Fists" of his. Upon his return to Hong Kong in 1971, Lee, an admirer of the Shaw house style, met with the successful tycoon about making movies there. As the story goes, Lee was given the standard entry level contract. Having already had a taste of the Hollywood life, Lee disapproved and ended up making movies for former Shaw publicity manager Raymond Chow -- who gave the star what he wanted. In 1970, Chow (along with another Shaw alum, Leonard Ho) left Movie Town to set up a rival company christening it Golden Harvest. Mimicking the Shaw Brothers style the best he could, Chow's fledgling company likely wouldn't have survived had it not been for securing Lee's services. 
By the early 1980s, Run Run Shaw was still an incredibly rich man. It was business as usual for him. Little had changed, although one thing was becoming increasingly apparent -- Movie Town was nurturing fewer and fewer box office hits. The Shaw Training School was yielding fewer stars with lasting staying power. Chang Cheh's discoveries around this time never quite reached the heights of those he pushed to superstar status earlier in his career. The unexpected overnight success of Jackie Chan was an especially damaging blow to the Shaw movie making machine. In addition to Golden Harvest, a new crop of upstart film companies were offering a fresh approach to filmmaking. Meanwhile, Shaw Brothers stayed on course providing the same type of pictures they'd always made. The few moments of innovation from a tiny contingent of hungry directors wasn't enough to salvage the sinking Shaw ship. However, the overseas market that salivated over their brand of swordplay and kung fu films kept them afloat longer than they probably would have been otherwise. Deciding to close the doors on Movie Town in 1985, Shaw focused all his attention on producing television programming at TVB. The studio was then leased out to foreign and local companies signaling the end of an era.
In 2000, Sir Run Run Shaw finally sold off his library of some 1,000 movies to Celestial Pictures for the equivalent of $84 million in US money. The company began remastering the films, restoring them to a polished sheen that made them look like they were shot yesterday. For the fans of Shaw's cinema, this was a revelation. Furthermore, the restorations and subsequent releases had issues that irritated a number of fans; but who would have thought we'd ever see the Shaw classics beautifully remastered, and in widescreen? For years, all fans had were shoddy, 3rd, 4th generation bootlegs, or copies of severely edited TV prints. However, a select handful of Shaw Brothers movies did surface legitimately on VHS through a few companies in America; some in widescreen and uncut.
Surrounded by family, he died in his sleep -- passing peacefully away leaving behind decades of wonderful memories and movies for future generations to enjoy (his brother Runme died in 1985). The other 'Iron Triangle' of Hong Kong cinema are now gone from this world -- that Magnificent Trio that was Chang Cheh, Liu Chia Liang and Sir Run Run Shaw. Without those three men, HK cinema would be an entirely different, and likely far less exciting place.
