Shaw Brothers Spy Thrillers, Capers & Crime Pictures Part 2

TRENDS, TURMOIL & SHAKE-UP AT SHAW

While the spy themed movies ran their course rather quickly, adventure movies and suspense thrillers molded in the likeness of Hitchcock took their place. Some of these movies did borrow elements from the more fancifully outlandish Bond styled actioners. Unfortunately, a fair number of these peculiar pictures are still unavailable and it's up in the air as to if some of them even still exist (however, a handful of the titles shown here are housed within the Celestial ZiiEagle Movie Box). The year 1969 was both a busy and tumultuous time for the Shaw Brothers studio. The House That Shaw Built was growing at a rapid rate and the production slate was likewise increasing reaching an unprecedented 40 to 50 films made in a single year as the 1970s began.

Ling Yun and Yu Hui are menaced by the bad guys in the suspense action thriller HELLGATE (1970)

It wasn't all roses, though, as the studio would lose some of their biggest talent both in front of, and behind the camera over the next several years. Some of these disgruntled employees would take a temporary leave (Li Han Hsiang, Joseph Kuo) and others would never return (Wang Yu, Chang Yi, Jenny Hu). Shaw would also lose one of his chief executives in Raymond Chow who would make his exit in 1970 and start his own production company, Golden Harvest that same year. These were major, almost crippling set backs, yet the studio continued to sign talent that showed lots of promise, or had proven their mettle elsewhere before finding a home at the then largest privately owned film studio in the world. Prior to the dawn of the new decade, the Shaw's were still the best ticket in town and continued their monopoly on the industry with the biggest stable of stars and best filmmakers throughout Asia.


With the homegrown Bond craze having died down in Hong Kong, a number of movies were also in production that were derivative of the bygone days of the classic cliffhangers and adventure programmers such as SWEET IS REVENGE from 1967. In it, Yueh Hua plays "The Masked Bandit", a Robin Hood styled superhero that raids the riches of a local military commander who's keeping the surrounding villagers in squalor. Yueh Hua would play essentially the same role in Chu Yuan's THE LIZARD in 1972.

THIEVES, WIVES, MURDERERS & THEIR LOVERS

Even more intriguing were the productions that were reminiscent of the works of Alfred Hitchcock such as his TO CATCH A THIEF (1955), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) and TORN CURTAIN (1966) being some examples. Considering how much the Shaw Brothers admired and modeled their films on old Hollywood pictures, a batch of movies patterned after the 'Master of the MacGuffin' was a no-brainer. Shaw Brothers had done these types of films before, but the year of '69 was full of them.

Check out Wang Hsieh playing a leading man and clean shaven!

One of the earliest was POISON ROSE in 1966. In it, Julie Yeh Feng is the title villainess, the head of a narcotics smuggling ring. The police are unable to catch her, but knowing her lustful craving for men, a good looking detective goes undercover to capture her. The plot device of having a female as the lead villain would also crop up in several of the Chinese spy movies including the upcoming ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS (1967). This film would also have a curious choice for the lead protagonist considering this actor was more commonly seen in martial arts pictures as a slimy bad guy.

Wang sports a Zatoichi type sword in this photo

Wang Hsieh (or Wang Hsia) is an actor many kung fu and wuxia fans will recognize from numerous swordplay and kung fu movies. Wang was most often cast as the antagonist in the bulk of his films, but early in his career he fleetingly was promoted as a leading man before his penchant for villainy took over. Yet another Taiwanese discovery, Wang also took leading, or supporting roles in several of Shaw's spy and suspense thrillers.


These included one of his very first leads in the aforementioned POISON ROSE (1966) and subsequent roles in films such as the Chinese western DOWNHILL THEY RIDE (1966), the semi-spy thriller THE BLACK FALCON (1967) and the murder yarns DEAR MURDERER (1969) and RAW PASSIONS (1969). DEAR MURDERER was one of Wang's rare turns as a good guy. In it, he plays a detective attempting to bring the character played by comedy actor, Peter Chen Ho to justice after he's murdered his pregnant girlfriend in order to marry another woman belonging to a wealthy family. Wang Hsieh also starred in at least two Korean co-productions such as NAKED LOVE (1970) and THE BANDITS (1971).


The latter title was an action adventure tale while the former was a modern day gangster thriller about two professional killers--one played by Wang Hsieh and the other by Korean leading man, Shen Yung-chun--who are involved in smuggling diamonds from Hong Kong to Korea. Shaw actress, Fang Ying is the young woman who comes between them. The plot would be refurbished numerous times over and from here on out, Wang Hsieh would rarely be seen onscreen without his beard and goatee, a look that enhanced his villain roles. NAKED LOVE was also one of the very last roles of Fang Ying, who also starred in pictures like the action thriller ASIA-POL (1967), the lively serial fashioned GUN BROTHERS (1968) and the seedy DIARY OF A LADY KILLER (1969).


DIARY OF A LADY KILLER is another nicely mounted Chinese production enhanced by the guidance of a Japanese filmmaker. Set in both Hong Kong and Japan, it's about a man named Zhou who suffers from a sex addiction. Since his fiance doesn't believe in bonding before marriage, Zhou embarks on a string of sexcapades with a variety of beautiful women then writing about his dalliances in his diary; hence the title. When his betrothed decides to look in on him, she discovers what he's been up to. Meanwhile, the bodies of his conquests begin piling up. The films title is a bit deceptive, yet it does have a double meaning. The opening credits promise an artistically erotic experience, yet the film isn't quite as exploitative as it could be. It nonetheless is a nifty little diversion from the Shaw norm.

Shirley Huang photo promoting DIARY OF A LADY KILLER

DIARY is a unique production for a variety of reasons. There's a literal parade of stunning Shaw beauties on display here including Fang Ying, Shirley Huang (see photo above), Fanny Fan (who has a nude shower scene with Chin Han), Tina Ti Na and Margaret Tu Chuan. You'll even spy Sir Run Run Shaw's mistress, Mona Fong singing in a nightclub! It was one of the last non action roles for Chin Han before he would appear predominantly in swordplay and fist and kick flicks. It was also the last HK production for Japanese director Koh Nakahira who shot four films for Shaw Studio. On a sour note, it was also the last film for the seriously troubled award winning actress Margaret Tu Chuan who, along with her female lover, committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills a few months after this movie hit theaters in November of 1969.

Promotional spread for the modestly dark humored musical GUESS WHO KILLED MY TWELVE LOVERS?

While Chin Han played a possible psycho in LADY KILLER, he also played a victim of sorts in the failed murder mystery comedy, GUESS WHO KILLED MY TWELVE LOVERS? (1969). This pedestrian, mostly awful comedy-musical about a mysterious woman who has allegedly killed a dozen men and may make Chin Han number 13 was the last Shaw picture for mega starlet Jenny Hu. She plays herself here and while it isn't a complete failure, the only other point of interest would be to see Dean Shek pretending to play guitar. Jenny quit Shaw's in April of 1970 and after taking a six month break, returned to the screen in the independent suspense thriller, SECRET OF MY MILLIONAIRE SISTER (1971). TWELVE LOVERS director Wu Chia Hsiang was better off leaving this sort of material for the far more adept Inoue Umetsugu.


Proficient in shooting both musicals and action pictures, the versatile Umetsugu tried his hand at a murder mystery with haunted house overtones with 1969s superior THE 5 BILLION DOLLAR LEGACY. It was the only such film he did at Shaw Brothers, which is a shame as it's an engaging picture with some stunning photography, gorgeous Japanese locations and a bit of gratuitous nudity thrown into the mix. The convoluted plot concerns three young girls who receive letters stating their father has left them a vast inheritance, but they must come to Japan to get it. Murder, intrigue, "ghosts" and numerous instances of subterfuge ensue. Kuei Chi Hung was an assistant director on this production and some of his later works have moments that are reminiscent of this picture.

The photo at bottom features the director and his cast discussing the movie

One of the most ambitious and high profile of these murder mysteries premiered towards the end of 1969. It starred one of Shaw's brightest talents as well as one of their biggest box office draws. It was also heavily ballyhooed for the Shaw Studio acquisition of a big name talent previously known to appear exclusively in extreme left wing film circles.

Top: Kao Yuen and Ivy Ling Po; Bottom right: Wang Hsieh and Meng Li in bed together

Kao Yuen, a former communist, was already a well known actor having been in films for 14 years prior to joining Shaw Brothers. Upon signing with Hong Kong's then reigning film production company, Kao was teamed up with mega starlet Ivy Ling Po in the thriller RAW PASSIONS (1969). The film is about a seductive dancer who has a second job blackmailing her admirers. These include Mr. Lin (Kao Yuen), who happens to be married. When the belly dancer (played by Meng Li) attempts to extort a large sum of money from Lin, she's mysteriously murdered, but which one of her "victims" is responsible?


This was the first film for the award winning Ivy after a year long hiatus that resulted from a disagreement with the Shaw Brothers. This was also her first starring role in a thriller. She was known primarily for Huang Mei operas and dramatic features such as THE LOVE ETERNE in which she played the male lead. As mentioned in part one, it wasn't uncommon for women to portray male roles in Chinese cinema till this preference was altered towards the end of the 1960s. Ling Po was one of Asian cinemas biggest, best loved and most spectacular screen performers with a list of amazing titles on her impressive resume.


Ivy did eventually leave Shaw's for the more free climate of the independent circuit with her actor husband, and former Shaw leading man Chin Han. It should be noted that Ivy was once engaged to star Paul Chang Chung, the star of the Bondian adventures THE GOLDEN BUDDHA (1966) and OPERATION LIPSTICK (1967) (among others). Incidentally, all three were under contract at Shaw's at the time. Making headlines at the time, Ivy abruptly broke off her engagement with Paul and quickly married Chin. Fans will recall him as the eldest brother in Chang Cheh's classic THE HEROIC ONES (1970) as well as the star of THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS (1971) and Chu Yuan's sought after THE KILLER also from 1971.

Kao Yuen upon his arrival at the Shaw Brothers Studio

Meanwhile, Ivy's co-star, Kao Yuen, dabbled for a time in swordplay films (like Lo Wei's BROTHERS FIVE and THE GOLDEN SWORD) before he, too, left Shaw's for Taiwan in 1971. There, he would be reunited with RAW PASSIONS director, the renowned Lo Chen for his first independent swordplay feature, THE CRAZY KILLER (1971).

Promotional spread for A CAUSE TO KILL (1970)

While shooting RAW PASSIONS, Ivy was also working on another murder thriller entitled A CAUSE TO KILL (1970). She shared the screen with another big ticket actress, the lovely Chiao Chiao. The plot concerns a love triangle between a wealthy businessman (played by SUSANNA's Kwan Shan), his gold-digging wife (Ivy Ling Po) and his mistress played by Chiao. When the well-to-do entrepreneur is framed for murder, his mistress attempts to prove his innocence while the scheming wife plans to make sure nothing stands between her and her husbands millions.


Chiao Chiao became a starlet almost by accident. She wasn't picked out of a group of hopefuls from Shaw's training academy, she was offered a contract after coming to HK to be with her then husband, Shaw contract player Huang Chung Shun. Her strong role as the wife of the ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) kept her popular among the wuxia crowd and even led to a few lead fighting female roles like THE BLACK BUTTERFLY (1968) and the ghoulishly titled HEADS FOR SALE (1970). You can see her alongside Ling Yun in the highly enjoyable GUN BROTHERS (1968) and the missing in action DARK RENDEZVOUS (1969).

Ling Yun in GUN BROTHERS (1968)

Ling Yun was a major star at Shaw Brothers and he was popular with audiences for a good many years. He did relatively few of these types of pictures, but he had a striking face that served him well. He got his start in numerous hit dramas before segueing into action movies and swordplay pictures. One of his best films is the aforementioned GUN BROTHERS co-directed by Wu Chia Hsiang and Cheng Kang.

Angela Yu Chien and Ling Yun about to be in a compromising situation in DARK RENDEZVOUS (1969)

Coming off as a throwback to the old 30s and 40s American serial programmers, the plot dealt with the tried and true formula of oppressed Chinese in the grip of Japanese warlords. The film, while very entertaining, fails to maintain the momentum of its rousing opening sequence. Ling Yun plays a dual role with one of them being a sort of Chinese Zorro/Robin Hood. Shaw's were particularly fond of this type of character as they would revisit it often, but alter the script to suit different time periods such as those seen in director Wu's SWEET IS REVENGE (1967) and Chu Yuan's THE LIZARD (1972).


Ling Yun has worked with many of the HK film industry's biggest and hottest female actresses. His heartthrob status was only reinforced when sharing the screen with the likes of Jenny Hu, Lily Ho, Angela Yu Chien and Tina Chin Fei to name but a few. He would have made a great James Bond. He came pretty close to that type of character with the unreleased to DVD obscurity HELLGATE from 1970.

ONE OF OUR MOVIES IS MISSING

Ling Yun is menaced by the villainous Betty Ting Pei in HELLGATE

HELLGATE (1970) is yet another rare and seemingly exciting detective suspense thriller and another Shaw title unfortunately unaccounted for on DVD or any viewing format. Directed by Mu Shih-chieh (real name Murayama Mitsuo), this film stars dramatic leading actor Ling Yun as a news reporter who stumbles upon an injured man who hands him a brief case. Requesting he deliver the contents to his daughter, it's discovered the dying man is a scientist who has created a formula for a new type of rocket fuel. Hidden inside a pen, a criminal organization led by sex siren Betty Ting Pei is also after this formula.

This lady wrestling sequence was being pushed as a highlight of HELLGATE, an action picture packed with talented names and potential stars.

In what would seem to be the filmmakers attempt at adding an air of almost carnival level of wackiness, this thriller also features a sequence of lady wrestling for additional entertainment value. This was apparently one of the first, if not the first time this sort of sporting event was presented onscreen in a HK production. The adorable Shen Yi, singing sensation, Agnes Chen's equally talented sister Irene Chen I-ling and musclebound Kao Ming also feature in this rare movie from the director of 1969s equally elusive DARK RENDEZVOUS (also starring Ling Yun) and A CAUSE TO KILL (1970).


Shen Yi was one of the 'Delectable Dozen' chosen from Shaw's Southern Drama Group in 1965 along with others like Jenny Hu and Tina Chin Fei. Shen first showed her stunning looks onscreen in PRINCESS IRON FAN (1966), the first sequel to THE MONKEY GOES WEST (1965). She also played the main villain in ANGEL STRIKES AGAIN (1968) and got to play one of the lead swordswomen in SWORDSWOMEN THREE (1970). That film saw her, Essie Lin Chia and Pan Yin Tze take on Lo Lieh in an average, but bloody swordplay adventure. She also featured in HELLGATE (1970) with Ling Yun and would also exit the Shaw studio that same year.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BETTY TING PEI

As so many of Shaw's gorgeous ladies were steadily vacating the studio, they were replacing them just as fast. One of these new actresses would become one of Hong Kong's most infamous women in the film industry. Formerly a star at Central Motion Picture Corporation under the name of Tang Mei-li, Betty Ting Pei joined Shaw Brothers in 1968. An accomplished go-go dancer, she put her moves to good use in a string of popular Inoue Umetsugu pictures such as THE SINGING ESCORT, THE MILLIONAIRE CHASE (both 1969) and Umetsugu's last Shaw film, THE YELLOW MUFFLER (1972). Her sex appeal soon extended to action pictures and erotic thrillers.

This two page spread shows the original director of STRANGER IN HONG KONG, Lin Fang-kang shooting scenes at an airport.

STRANGER IN HONG KONG (1972) began production in mid 1971 and was one of the studios most highly touted action thrillers at the time. It was the first Shaw film from Italian trained filmmaker, Lin Fang-kang. Apparently dissatisfied with his progress, the Shaw's dismissed Lin from the picture and replaced him with Kuei Chi Hung who was also busy shooting THE GOURD FAIRY (1972). While it remains unseen (unless you have the ZiiEagle box) and among the many titles not announced for a DVD release, the plot revolves around a man named Chang Shan who arrives in HK with his family only to be told that someone wants him dead. Not long after, a mysterious woman named Li Na (played by Betty Ting Pei sporting long hair) enters his life and soon, Chang's own life as well as that of his wife and child are in grave danger.


Ting Pei's exotic looks served her well in roles such as this. Her biggest claim to fame is being Bruce Lee's lover and being the last woman to see him alive. Lee was found dead in her apartment on July 20th, 1973. In 1975, Ting Pei responded to the massive controversy that surrounded her by both starring in and producing the exploitation level "true account" that was BRUCE LEE & I (1976). Danny Lee played Bruce (in what amounted to a secondary role) while Ting Pei took center stage in her bid to tell her side of the torrid true tale. With her film career and life mostly in shambles after this, she eventually retired from the movie world in the mid 1980s.

FIVE DEADLY WOMEN

Two page spread promoting the making of the prison action drama LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM (1970).

Inoue Umetsugu directed relatively few action films and his last of the genre was a 'Girls On A Mission' movie entitled LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM (1970). It started production with the much more colorful working title of FIVE PRETTY GANGSTERS ON THE LOOSE. Five female convicts escape prison and later enlist the aid of a policeman played by Chin Han to help clear their names as well as eradicate their enemies that put them there. This is yet another movie that was denied a DVD release and isn't included among the few dozen "lost" titles accounted for on Celestial's ZiiEagle box.

Pai Lu, where are you?

Umetsugu's unjustly obscure and unavailable movie is likely the first such instance of a film about a group of women fighters each possessing different backgrounds and specialties. The Five Deadly Women in the movie are Essie Lin Chia, Shirley Huang, Meng Chia, Ting Feng and Pai Lu (pictured above). Pai Lu is of particular interest. This luscious siren signed with Shaw Brothers in 1969 at 20 years of age. Her first film was HELLGATE (1970) starring Ling Yun, Ting Pei and a gaggle of other stars (why isn't THAT film on DVD?). Pai told reporters at the time that she had no problems going fully nude. With statements like that, it's astonishing she didn't become the 70s first 'Queen of Exploitation', a title proudly worn by Chen Ping and then briefly by Jenny Liang. Possibly realizing the film world had little prospects for her, Pai Lu seemed to disappear from the industry in 1972 after just six known films.


As the 60s came to an end, so did the look and feel of that decades movies. The 70s would bring with it a new breed of gritty thriller that would more often than not be taken from true accounts of various murders and kidnappings. Kung Fu movies would become vastly popular and the martial arts would also permeate dramatic features that had a little more to offer than lots of fighting sequences. But as the 70s wore on, modern day action and crime productions got increasingly more brutal and sadistically violent giving birth to a few incredibly talented directors with a dark and grim view of society around them.

CONTINUED IN PART 3...

Shaw Brothers Spy Thrillers, Capers & Crime Pictures Part 1

FROM HONG KONG WITH LOVE

Hong Kong will likely forever be famous in the movie world for its literally thousands of martial arts movies that seemed to crop up every week most prominently between the 1960s through the 1980s. Kung Fu and Swordplay features might have been their chief cinematic export, but Hong Kong had actioners of another sort as well. What's interesting about this cycle of Asian cinema is how it changed between the latter part of the 1960s and on into the 1970s. This change didn't necessarily spring from audience disinterest, or the starting of a new trend, but drastic societal upheaval led to the fanciful, the fantastic and the Hitchcockian suspense thriller mutating into something far more visceral and disturbing during the early years of the 1970s.

Spread for OPERATION LIPSTICK (1967), a spy actioner about yet another criminal organization out to capture a reputable scientist and a secret microfilm.

This multi-part article will cover these oft overlooked and seldom discussed movies from the Shaw Brothers studio over the course of a twenty year period between 1965 and 1985, many of which are extremely rare and remain unseen outside of their original theatrical releases. Despite importing Korean and Japanese technicians to work on their movies (in addition to partaking in numerous co-productions), the Shaw Brothers patterned many of their ventures on old Hollywood studio pictures. Everything from their musicals to their 30s/40s serial style adventure films, there was much to admire in the art decor of a Shaw production. Most of these other types of pictures they made were seldom seen outside of Asian territories. The few that were released on Chinese videotape found homes among collectors till the bulk of Shaw's library was finally unleashed in the early 2000s on DVD.

Above and below: Some examples of gadgets in Shaw spy movies

When the James Bond craze hit with the release of DR. NO in 1962, the fad spread to Asia and Shaw Brothers capitalized on it with their own brand of spy thrillers all with varying results in quality. One thing that will be noticeably different between foreign imitations of the Bond series is that there are very little (if any) changes in locations. Despite the monetary clout the Shaw's had at their disposal (they were untouchable in Asia in terms of their resources as a filmmaking empire not to mention the honor of possessing the largest privately owned film studio in the world at one time), for the most part, these pictures never strayed outside of Asian locales. The spy films had grandly kitschy credits sequences that aped those seen in the Bonds, but also brought to mind Italian westerns with the same sounds of gunfire going off in the background.


The gadgets were ported over--albeit on a smaller scale--as were the suave and sexy leads and also a playful ludicrousness that was indigenous to Asian cinema. You had a bevy of disguises, bombs, guns, infrared sunglasses, hidden transmitters and other assorted gadgets, but nothing too extravagant. Some of these films are a good deal of fun, some are rather bland and others have a lot of potential if only a bit more care and time were put into them. For their time, these pictures are a lot of gaudy fun and sometimes had the audacity to surpass their budgetary constraints for the sake of entertainment.

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL

While Chinese spy movies followed the blueprint laid down by the burgeoning Bond series (copied even more closely in Italy at the time), they differed in that they also had their fair share of female spies headlining several of these garish, heavily color saturated thrillers. The lead villains weren't always men, either. This showcasing of strong women of action was vastly different from anything being seen at the time in just about any part of the world. In America, the 1970s brought with it a lot of red hot sex symbols as 'B' action stars. In Asia, that sort of seductive feminine strength wasn't as sexually graphic as the less mannered examples that would erupt in the coming years overseas. Women took their clothes off in HK films during this time, only it wasn't the sole attraction. The ladies in modern Chinese action pictures were generally all business.

THE BRAIN STEALERS (1968)

Actresses like Lily Ho and Tina Chin Fei had their own starring vehicles playing feisty female fighters with a license to kill. Lily Ho headlined both ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS (1967) and its sequel ANGEL STRIKES AGAIN (1968). She also starred in the obscure and sought after THE BRAIN STEALERS (1968) as well as the more serious THE LADY PROFESSIONAL from 1971. HK cinema was the first to showcase strong female fighting roles whether in swordplay films (such as COME DRINK WITH ME [1966]) or in fist and kick flicks like THE CHAMPION from 1973. The casting and popularity of women in movies was the preference of moviegoers in Asia back in those days till scriptwriter turned director, Chang Cheh changed all that with the release of the groundbreaking THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN in 1967. This change didn't occur overnight, however. For a time, even when a film had a male lead, the credits would still top bill the female co-star or supporting role.


Lily Ho was particularly in high demand at the time. After appearing in a small capacity in Shaw's THE SHEPHERD GIRL (1964), she became a basic player in 1965 appearing in a couple of big ticket dramatic features before mixing it up in swordplay films. She pops up briefly at the end of the lackluster INTERPOL 009 (1967) to make Tang Ching's interminably horny agent swoon as she's boarding a plane. She was already in the process of headlining her own ambitious outing with ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS. Boasting a title card of "Shaw Brothers Proudly Presents", the film itself is entertaining if moderately disappointing due to a lack of action. There's lots of gadgets, secret lairs, death traps and occasional shoot outs and karate style tussles, but the bulk of the running time is mostly sneaking around and intrigue. The sequel upped the action considerably. Granted, this genre was represented best with MGM's James Bond series, but kudos to Shaw for branching out into a style of film not normally associated with Asian cinema and one that hasn't been explored to such a degree since.


Tina Chin Fei was another starlet who was popular with audiences during the late 1960s and into the early 70s. Along with Lily Ho, Tina was among a dozen lovely ladies picked from Shaw's Southern Drama Group in 1965 to grace movie screens across Asia. No sooner than she had been picked as a potential movie star, a Bangkok film company spotted her obvious physical talents. Shaw's temporarily loaned her out for the feature which no doubt made her an even more lucrative talent. Lily Ho is on a par with Tina in the spy game. Both co-starred together in the influential ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS (where Tina played the leader of the Dark Angels criminal organization) and both got their own star spy vehicles. However, Tina did a couple more secret agent movies such as the elusive KISS & KILL (1967) and the star packed OPERATION LIPSTICK (1967) starring Paul Chang Chung and Cheng Pei Pei. Tina's TEMPTRESS OF A THOUSAND FACES (1969) was a big breakthrough for her. Like Ling Yun in GUN BROTHERS (1968), Tina plays a dual role--one as the title Temptress super thief--and another role as the detective who becomes obsessed with finding her.


Also, if one Shaw actress deserved the crown of Sexy Spy Queen it's Tina Chin Fei. She was adept at playing both a heroine and a villainess topped off with sex kitten aura that permeates the screen whenever she's present. In one of her most well known pictures, the aforementioned semi-spy thriller TEMPTRESS OF A THOUSAND FACES (1969), Tina pushed some boundaries by performing a fight sequence in her underwear. While nude kung fu fights would crop up in later HK exploitation pictures like VIRGINS OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1974) and most graphically in NINJA THE FINAL DUEL (1984), Roger Corman did a similar sequence in both his Filipino lensed TNT JACKSON (1974) and the later FIRECRACKER (1981).

Behind the scenes on the set of THE BRAIN STEALERS (1968)

Unlike anglo territories at the time, Women had strong lead roles in HK action pictures that surely laid the groundwork for the later 'Girls With Guns' sub genre popularized in the mid 1980s. The short-lived Chinese spy craze of the late 1960s presented their women as tough and tender all at the same time; yet they were highly skilled fighters who would kill if they had to (or if they were paid to). Shaw Brothers were partial to exploitation elements in their movies and these films showed traces of them at times. Granted, the reigns were pulled in to a degree to maintain a level of respectability. By the time these types of action films died in Asia, they were replaced with more gritty, socio-political realism. But until then, women weren't necessarily the victims. They were the heroines as well as the villains that lead a diabolical crime syndicate, or some devious sex bomb with designs on the hero's death. One director at Shaw's was responsible for helming a few of the more memorable movies of the spy thriller canon. While he was evidently a commercial director, he nonetheless showed a good deal of flair while he was at the famed HK movie facility.

OF BUDDHAS AND BONDS: KISS & KILL ON CHINA'S SECRET SERVICE

Lo Wei (second from left) departs to Bangkok with cast from THE GOLDEN BUDDHA including lead star, Paul Chang Chung (far right)

Lo Wei, the director most famous for directing (or not directing) some of Bruce Lee's movies, was the guiding hand behind both the aforementioned ANGEL films that starred Lily Ho. So many of Lo Wei's directorial efforts are lifeless, static and devoid of interest. However, his work for Shaw Brothers are among the best on his resume and he apparently had a fondness for the Bondian style spy pictures. He directed four of them during his tenure at Shaw Brothers before heading for the pastures at Shaw's chief rival, Golden Harvest and finally with his own production company.

Spread promoting THE GOLDEN BUDDHA. Note the image at the lower right. That's director Lo Wei as the sunglasses wearing villain.

Lo's other spy films are the average THE GOLDEN BUDDHA (1966) starring Paul Chang Chung who was a popular actor at the time. He also headlined some other spy pictures and action thrillers such as KISS & KILL, OPERATION LIPSTICK and THE BLACK FALCON (all 1967). Compared with THE GOLDEN BUDDHA, SUMMONS TO DEATH (1967) starring leading man, Tang Ching is far more entertaining. Watching Lo's spy adventures, its clear he and his scriptwriter have paid a great deal of attention to the then wildly popular secret agent series that starred Sean Connery as agent 007. Even though these Asian variants were rarely comparable to their Anglo counterparts, Lo imbued his spy films with an overtly fantasy element that, while derivative, at least made for some semi engaging popcorn entertainment.


Tang Ching was a big star at the time and when the brief spy craze died down in HK, he effortlessly made the transition to swordplay epics. Prior to partaking in period pictures, though, Tang definitely showcased his charisma playing suave characters such as the spy in SUMMONS TO DEATH from 1967. This movie (which started filming as THE CHASE) is a great deal of fun and has a wild plot with elements--the search for two halves of a medal--that would be recycled for the kung fu genre several years later. There's pirates, buried treasure and numerous hardware including a house with all sorts of groovy gadgets like something out of one of those 'Homes of the Future' cartoons from Warner or MGM. This was yet another Lo Wei production. He shows a good deal of skill here and an ability to wring as much entertainment value as the budget and hectic shooting schedules of HK would allow at the time.

Promotional spread for the lackluster INTERPOL 009 (1967)

Tang also played the lead in the inferior fluff that was INTERPOL 009 (1967). This is the nadir of the Shaw spy cycle (of what is available to us) and is a bland tale of a secret agent and his bumbling comic relief attempting to bust a counterfeit money ring. Tang's character is the sort who will rush to answer a ringing phone only to grab the nearest bottle of brandy first. This nonsense is Bond-Lite for the most part and has a couple decent action sequences. The director Yang Shu-hsi (real name Koh Nakahira) was one of several Japanese imports brought over to help enhance Shaw's talent pool. Needless to say, this movie isn't one of their crowning achievements. Nakahira made four films for Shaw before returning to Japan. Three of them were remakes of his Nipponese resume including this film and the superior DIARY OF A LADY KILLER (1969). His last film for Shaw was the dramatic feature TRAPEZE GIRL starring Lo Lieh.


ASIA-POL from 1967 is another semi spy/secret agent adventure, this time starring mega star, Jimmy Wang Yu. This is a Shaw-Nikkatsu co-production with a very slick look. Directed by Matsuo Akinori, the picture deals with the Asian Secret Police Force. Wang Yu is one of the members attempting to bust a Japanese smuggling ring. Peppered with various Japanese stars (the Japanese cut features different scenes), this movie differs from the more over the top Shaw spy productions. For instance, the tone is far more serious. The villains, while far from flamboyant, enjoy blowing up their intended targets whether in cars or in buildings. The opening helicopter attack is well staged as are the other action sequences. Akinori directed one other Shaw film--THE LADY PROFESSIONAL--which came out in 1971 and starred Lily Ho.

From left to right: Shen Yi, Shu Pei-pei, Wang Yu, Lily Ho, Chiao Chuang, Ching Li

After a string of back to back hits, Wang Yu was also in high demand in the late 1960s. In January of 1968, he (along with Lily Ho and others) won the coveted Lai Sing Gold Cup for most popular actor in the Mandarin film world. It was his first time winning this award as was Lily's. Wang Yu's star would continue to rise as would his temperament which would lead to bad blood between he and his movie mogul employer. His last Shaw pictures were the action drama, MY SON (1970) and his directorial debut, THE CHINESE BOXER (1970). Wang Yu would break his contract, abruptly leaving the Shaw empire in early 1970 and would head to Taiwan to make films there.

This photo above gives you an idea at how the popularity of HK stars of the day was very similar to the adoration afforded stars in America.

Shaw Brothers attempted to sue him in March of 1970, but were unable to do so. From here on out, Wang Yu made it his mission to pepper his repertoire with cheap knock-offs of potential Shaw Brothers hits that were in production at the time, or make his own quickie version of a Shaw film currently enjoying popularity. In the interim, Wang Yu found time to co-star with Shintaro Katsu in the Japanese co-production, ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1971), which no doubt infuriated Shaw even more. Failing to sue him in Japan, Shaw was finally successful in stopping Wang Yu from shooting movies or appearing on television in Hong Kong till January of 1973 when his contract at Shaw was set to expire.


Almost as soon as they had surfaced, the spy pictures were replaced by more adult oriented thrillers such as detective and murder mysteries. Some of these bordered on horror and others managed to import elements of the spy movies, but without the same degree of lovable gaudiness that made those films so memorable in ways both good and bad. Many of these detective thrillers owed as much to Hitchcock as the spy sub genre owed to James Bond. These suspensers ramped up the sexuality considerably branching off into adult territory for a couple of years before this type of film would morph yet again; this time into something far more visceral. This time period would also soon end the tenure between Shaw and Japan in relation to the importing of talent to aid in local productions.

CONTINUED IN PART 2....