10 HK | CULTURE Friday, November 30, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION
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10 HK | CULTURE Friday, November 30, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION A life in fi lms HK moviemaker Raymond Chow lit the fl ame Oct 8, 1927 – Born in of martial arts that still adds star power to Hong Kong 1945-49 – During high fi lms around the world, says Mathew Scott. school years in Shanghai, Chow and friends produce a Sports Weekly magazine. Graduates with a BA in V journalism from St John’s University in Shanghai. Returns to the city of his birth and begins life as a reporter at the Hong Kong Tiger Standard. 1951 – Joins Voice of America’s bureau in Hong I Kong. 1958 – Leaves journalism after being recruited by Shaw Brothers Studio, initially he story goes that the whose fl air for inventive action While co-productions international profile, Morgan working as the head of American film bosses sequences was first given full between filmmaking territo- believes the filmmaker’s last- publicity before becoming a were skeptical when rein at Golden Harvest. Chow ries have become all the rage in ing legacy was the work he did producer while overseeing the Raymond Chow Man- protégés also include Andy Lau recent years, Chow tied up with behind the scenes, work that business at the Cathay studio waiT first came to them in the Tak-wah, who had only just left the likes of the massive Ameri- was far from the spotlight and group. early 1970s with his plan to television work when the pro- can studio 20th Century Fox to the gala red carpets of major S introduce kung fu into their ducer and his team identified produce the star-studded romp movie premieres. world, and beyond. the young actor’s star power. The Cannonball Run back in “There’s a lot more to be said 1970 – Chow decides to Martial arts wouldn’t work, 1981. It was a monster interna- about Raymond Chow than just leave Shaw Brothers and with Leonard Ho Koon-cheung they said, because international Reinventing Jackie Chan tional hit. that he was the man who intro- — a friend from his days at audiences had no connection Chan took to his website “Golden Harvest had o ces duced Bruce Lee and Jackie St. John’s — sets up Golden to that style of combat and, to reveal how Chow had sug- in London and Los Ange- Chan to the world,” says Mor- Harvest. besides, kicking another man gested the actor use “Jackie” as les years before anyone else,” gan. “He modernized Chinese wasn’t really “fair.” his name. Chan had previously explained Lee. “All the things he cinema and gave opportunities 1971 – Chow signs on Bruce But Chow had a vision of the been calling himself “Jacky” but was doing then, people are try- to generations of filmmakers. I future, and by championing the the producer wanted a “fresh ing to do now. He was decades He was the true path fi nder for Lee. Together they make The star power — and sheer talent — start.” ahead of the game. When you martial arts, and beyond mar- Big Boss. Lee becomes a star of the likes of Bruce Lee, Sammo Chan had a serious acci- talk about the golden days of tial arts.” and begins a remarkable run Hung and Jackie Chan, martial dent on the Yugoslavian set cinema in Hong Kong, it came of international successes for Golden Harvest. arts movies soon went main- of Armour of God in 1986, so down to him. He changed the stream, and to the top of the serious that it was assumed by way studios operate and he had international box o ce charts. many that the actor was close faith in the people he worked These days the influence of to death. On hearing the news with. His passing really is the martial arts may be found in back in Hong Kong, Chow made end of an era.” O just about any action fi lm that’s arrangements for Chan to be While the success of Lee made anywhere. Those who treated by a Swiss neurologist, and Chan gave knew him say that Chow — who “which ultimately saved my life,” Chow an passed away on Nov 2 aged 91 Chan revealed. — had a pure passion for cin- “For decades, Mr Chow was The Way of the Dragon was co- ema that never abated. Across a not only my boss, he was my produced by Raymond Chow with career spanning fi ve decades he teacher, my mentor, and the Bruce Lee. COURTESY STAR TV was both producer — of more most respected model example than 600 fi lms across all genres in the fi lm industry. He’s an icon N — and star maker. of an era in the history of Hong 1972 – Joins Lee on set in Andre Morgan was hired by Kong and Asian fi lm. Mr Chow, Rome to shoot The Way of Chow fresh out of college in may you rest in peace. I will the Dragon — a rare overseas 1972. He started as an intern at always remember your energy, venture by a Hong Kong fi lm Chow’s Golden Harvest Studio your trust, and all the things industry venture in those days. and would go on to later become you’ve taught me,” Chan posted. its CEO. During an interview with 1973 – Lee’s posthumous “Raymond truly loved the Woo back in 2008 the con- release, Enter the Dragon, the magic of cinema,” says Morgan. versation turned to Chow A fi rst Hong Kong-Hollywood “Every time you sat with Ray- and the support Golden co-production, becomes a mond in a screening room, no Harvest had shown massive global hit, grossing matter what the film was he for a director who more than $90 million. would sit there with his eyes in many ways was wide open staring at the screen, still unproven in a loving every minute of it.” fiercely competi- tive market place. Creating opportunities Woo said one Chow began his working life of Chow’s great R as a journalist before joining skills was that the massive Shaw Brothers fi lm when he recog- studio. In 1970, he broke away nized talent he also Chow co-produced Enter the Dragon with Leonard Ho and formed created opportunities with Warner Brothers. Golden Harvest, a production to help them “follow house that would soon domi- their own dreams.” 1976 – Michael Hui Koon- nate Chinese-language cinema The Hong Kong man’s distinctly Hong Kong- while setting business models International Film fl avored satire The Private that are still being followed Festival’s newly Y Eyes is a surprise hit in Japan, today. appointed execu- opening up a new market for Chow would later say how tive director, Albert local comedies. his work as a new journalist Lee, spent 21 years helped fine-tune his ability to working under Chow 1980 – Helps launch the work independently. He cer- at Golden Harvest as international career of Jackie tainly started in the trade young a producer and execu- Chan with the US-set The Big enough, producing a weekly tive. He was among Brawl. sports magazine with fellow those to pay tribute to students while at high school in Chow following a memo- 1981 – Another massive Shanghai before receiving more rial service held in Hung international hit lands as formal training. It was during Hom on Nov 19. Chow provides the funds his school years that Chow’s love “I saw a lot of people from needed to attract an array of for Chinese martial arts was also the old days,” says Lee. “That international stars — including first explored, and he became all these people have stayed Burt Reynolds and Jackie for some period a student of the friends for such a long time is Chan — for the wild romp hung ga master Lam Sai-wing, a testimony to how close-knit The Cannonball Run. The fi lm a man who could trace his own the fi lm-making community he grosses around $100 million. lineage back to Wong Fei-hung, built was. In terms of Hong himself the subject of hundreds Kong fi lm and Greater 1990 – Raises eyebrows of martial arts movies. China film, he by producing the comic Generations of filmmakers was a giant.” book-inspired action-comedy were also given a start — or their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. careers revitalized — by work- The fi lm grosses more than ing with Chow, most famously $200 million worldwide. Lee and Chan, but later indus- try heavyweights too, including 1995 – Chan’s Rumble in director John Woo the Bronx cements the actor’s place as an international superstar. November 2007 – Chow sells his stake in Golden Harvest to businessman Wu Kebo, and retires as chairman. 2011 – Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian Film Awards. Nov 2, 2018 – Passes away in Hong Kong, aged 91. DESIGN BY BILLY WONG, GUN MOK / CHINA DAILY.