Shaw Brothers Studio

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This article is about the Hong Kong movie studio. For the Singapore movie theater company, see Shaw Organisation.

The Shaw Studio (邵氏片場), owned by Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. SEHK: 0080, is the forerunner and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies^{[citation needed]}.

From their distribution base in Singapore and as a strategic development of their movie distribution business in Southeast Asia, Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫) and his third brother Runme Shaw (邵仁枚) founded South Sea Film (南洋影片) in 1930. It was later renamed Shaw Brothers Studio. The studio released Hong Kong's first movie with sound 《白金龍》 (which translates as "platinum dragon", or one of the slang terms for a pistol) in 1934.

1 Legacy
- 1.1 Directors
- 1.2 Actors
2 Celestial Pictures acquisition and beyond
3 List of actors
4 Films
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Legacy

The clam-shaped Shaw Brothers logo, which opened nearly every Shaw film, was modelled after that of the Warner Brothers studios

[edit] Directors

The Shaw Brothers studio is noted for directors King Hu, Lau Kar-leung and Chang Cheh. King Hu was an early director who is best remembered for his film Come Drink with Me, a martial arts film which differed from those of Chang Cheh in that it featured a capable female protagonist and revolved around romance in the martial arts world, rather than fast paced action and the tales of brotherhood which Chang Cheh would later popularize. Chang Cheh, who was more fond of the latter components, would go on to be Shaw Studios' best known director, with such films as the Five Deadly Venoms, the Brave Archer (based on the works of Jin Yong), the One Armed Swordsman, and other classics of Wuxia and Wushu film. Almost equally as famous was fight choreographer turned director Lau Kar-leung, who would produce such highly regarded kung fu films as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter.

[edit] Actors

The stable with which the Shaw Brothers worked became one of their trademarks. While other studios rotated a good number of cast members, Run Run and Runme Shaw almost always had a familiar face in their films. The group from the Five Deadly Venoms - who would become known by that namesake - were among the most popular. These five were Lo Mang, Lu Feng, Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng and Kuo Chui, who had been stars in the Shaw studio for years, but did not become memorable faces until the Five Deadly Venoms. The "sixth Venom", Wei Pai, who played the Snake in Five Deadly Venoms was also part of the Venom Mob which numbered over 15 actors which appeared in almost all of the Venom movies.

Two other stars were particularly well known and favoured by Chang Cheh in his movies: Ti Lung and Alexander Fu Sheng. Ti Lung is considered one of the most, if not the most handsome martial arts actor to grace Shaw Studios, but is also accredited as a capable actor who reinforced his physical glamour with strong characterisation over his many films. Alexander Fu Sheng, who starred with Ti Lung on many occasions, was killed in 1983 in a car accident, ending what had been a short career.

Shaw Studios was not well known for female actors however, largely due to Chang Cheh's preference for brotherhood tales, and producer Mona Fong's alleged hatred for beautiful actresses. Nonetheless, actresses like Betty Loh Ti, Cheng Pei Pei, and Tien Niu appeared in Shaw films. Cheng Pei Pei in particular is relatively well known for her starring role in King Hu's Come Drink With Me, and more recently in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as Jade Fox.

[edit] Celestial Pictures acquisition and beyond

Although many of their classic films have become subject to bootlegging over the years due to copyright disputes in the international market, Celestial Pictures acquired rights to the studio's legacy, and is releasing 760 out of the nearly 1,000 films on DVD, with restored picture and sound quality. Many landmarks in Hong Kong and Singapore are named especially after Sir Run Run Shaw for his generous contributions to charity and medicare.

The Shaw Organisation remains a major distribution network in Singapore today.

[edit] List of actors

Most fans may not be familiar with the actors actual names, a recognizable role has been provided for some actors.

Popular Actors	Notable film(s) with major roles
Gordon Liu aka Lau Kar Fai	The 36th Chamber of Shaolin aka Master Killer Clan Of The White Lotus Dirty Ho Disciples of the 36th Chamber Eight Diagram Pole Fighter aka Invincible Pole Fighter Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 Legendary Weapons of China Martial Club Return of Master Killer aka Return to the 36th Chamber Shaolin and Wu Tang Shaolin Challenges Ninja Shaolin Mantis
Adam Cheng	Shaolin and Wu Tang
Chen Kuan Tai	3 Evil Masters Boxer From Shantung Blood Brothers Challenge Of The Masters Crippled Avengers Executioner From Shaolin Flying Guillotine Heroes Two Iron Monkey (Shaw) Killer Constable aka Karate Exterminators Water Margin
Cheng Pei Pei	Come Drink With Me Golden Swallow aka Girl With The Thunderbolt Kick
Chiang Sheng	Venom Mob films
David Chiang	5 Masters Of Death Abbot of Shaolin Angry Guest The Blood Brothers Death Chambers Duel Of Fists The Heroic Ones Shaolin Handlock Shaolin Mantis Water Margin
Alexander Fu Sheng	5 Masters Of Death Avenging Eagle Brave Archer series Chinatown Kid Death Chambers Eight Diagram Pole Fighter Heroes Shed No Tears Heroes Two Legendary Weapons of China Naval Commandos
Hsiao Ho	Dirty Ho Disciples of the 36th Chamber Lady is the Boss Legendary Weapons Of China Mad Monkey Kung Fu My Young Auntie
Leung Kar-Yan (Beardy)	4 Assassins aka Marco Polo Boxer Rebellion Iron Monkey (Shaw) Odd Couple aka Eternal Conflict The Victim
Kara Hui Ying Hung	Clan Of The White Lotus Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter Dirty Ho Legendary Weapons Of China Lady Is The Boss Long Road To Gallantry Mad Monkey Kung Fu Martial Club My Young Auntie
Ku Kwan Chung	Abbott Of Shaolin Chinatown Kid Brave Archer series (Chief of Peach Island) Sentimental Swordsman
Kuo Chui	Venom Mob films
Lau Kar Leung	Disciples of the 36th Chamber Drunken Monkey Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter Legendary Weapons Of China Lady Is The Boss Mad Monkey Kung Fu My Young Auntie
Lo Lieh	5 Fingers Of Death 5 Masters Of Death Abbot Of Shaolin Dirty Ho Executioner From Shaolin Clan Of The White Lotus Hammer Of Gods Mad Monkey Kung Fu Shaolin Handlock
Lilly Li	Challenge Of The Masters Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter Executioners From Shaolin Long Road To Gallantry Shaolin Abbott Shaolin Mantis The Bastard
Lo Mang	Venom Mob films Five Element Ninjas Lion Vs. Lion
Lu Feng	Venom Mob films
Lung Tung-Sheng (the Spearman)	Venom Mob films Five Element Ninjas Lady Is The Boss Long Road To Gallantry
Sun Chien	Venom Mob films
Ti Lung	5 Masters Of Death Avenging Eagle Angry Guest The Blood Brothers Death Chambers Drunken Master II Duel Of Fists The Heroic Ones Kung Fu Instructor Sentimental Swordsman Shaolin Prince Ten Tigers From Kwangtung Water Margin
Jason Pai Piao	Emperor and His Brother Lady Assassin Killer Constable Shaolin Intruders Shaolin Prince Shaolin Rescuers
Derek Yee	Black Lizard Buddha's Palm Heroes Shed No Tears Shaolin Intruders Shaolin Prince
Wang Li	Venom Mob films Five Element Ninjas
Johnny Wang Lung-Wei	5 Masters Of Death Clan Of The White Lotus Death Chambers Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter Invincible Shaolin Lady Is The Boss Lion Vs. Lion Martial Club My Young Auntie Return to the 36th Chamber Shaolin and Wu Tang Venom Mob films
Wei Pai	Venom Mob films
Wen Hsueh Erh aka "Candy Wen"	3 Evil Masters Venom Mob films
Shirley Yu	Venom Mob films The Call Girls Crazy Sex Dreams Of Eroticism
Jimmy Wang Yu	Assassin Beach Of The War Gods Come Drink With Me Golden Swallow Hammer Of Gods One Armed Swordsman
Wong Yue	Dirty Ho Executioner From Shaolin Lion Vs. Lion The Spiritual Boxer 1 & 2 aka The Shadow Boxing