1950s Hong Kong Movies

In 8th-century China, the Emperor grieves the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their court influence. General An Lushan finds a distant relative working in their kitchen, whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love and she becomes the Princess Yang Kwei-fei. The Yangs are then appointed important ministers, though An Lushan is not given the court position he covets.

"Anak Pontianak" aka "Son of Pontianak' in 1958 starring the Shaw studio's leading lady Hashimah Yon and its male heartthrob Jins Shamsuddin. This horror film also featured a host of supernatural beings,besides the Pontianak and her werewolf son there was also a Polong (in the film the creature was shown as a kind of Mr Hyde alter-ego of one of the characters) and a Hantu Ular (Snake Ghost).

A young woman in search of a lost identity, her long lost mother who abandoned her soon after her birth.

Li's direction and Jin Yong's script always go hand-in-hand with each other. This time, their collaboration sparks again as the film seamlessly brings three short stories together through three different segments of flashbacks. Yin Zhaozong (Bao Fong) is an amour fou falling in love with a girl much younger than him. Instead, Yu Baicheng (Fu Che) is a playboy trapped by his three girlfriends. The bartender (Chiao Chuang), however, tells them how he and his wife are blessed by true love. The film not only displays Li's sensitivity to narrative structure but also his ability to cast the most suited actors for their respective roles, as such Mao Mei had a chance to demonstrate her dance talent for her debut in this movie.

This is a historical drama that was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio.

This early leftist social drama from Hong Kong offers a panoramic portrait of a crumbling apartment complex and its down-and-out denizens, including a taxi driver, an unemployed teacher, a professional reduced to selling his blood and, of course, a venal landlord. In addition to establishing an omnipresent theme in Hong Kong cinema – the plight of the urban poor – the film is also a prime example of the popular melodramas of the time, which featured displaced Mainland film stars.

Meal Time is a comedy film about all the mess with housework that director Yan and his wife had to go through after the maid gave up her job.

1953 drama film written and directed by Doe Ching. It is one of the earliest known productions by the Shaw Brothers credited as Shaw and Sons. The film is also known as Tomorrow and To-Morrow.

After seeing a friend of his boss' son adopted over his promised promotion with connections, Shrimp's father, a minor white-collar worker Ng Kwun-sing, vows to get Shrimp a place in a prestigious school and a chance to make friends with the rich. However, Shrimpy is constantly bullied and discriminated against by his classmates. Ng has not the means to be a social climber and finally realises his mistake. He sends his son to a voluntary school so that he may grow up happily. This poignant father-son drama shows a parents' willingness to carve out a good future for their children by any means necessary.

No known plot

Early Shaw Brothers crime film

Back in 1959, air hostess was considered one of the most glamorous and privileged occupations for young girls with a dream. This first colour production of MP & GI details the ins and outs of the profession and takes the three lead actresses, Ge Lan (Grace Chang), Julia Ye Feng and Dolly Su Feng through a series of tough training. After their graduation, the film then brings them, and the audience, to exotic places like Bangkok, Singapore and Taiwan.

A rural singsong film.

13-year old Bruce Lee plays San, a child up for adoption. Finally accepted by his surrogate parents, he is faced with a dilemma when his real parents show up and want him back.

A financially struggling office worker goes into debt in order to afford traditional holiday gifts for his boss and landlord. Part of Hong Kong Film Awards' 100 Best Chinese Movies.

Early Shaw Brothers thriller.

Wong Fei-Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance is a 1956 Wong Fei-Hung movie directed by Wu Pang.

Jing meets Hu Yanjuan, a woman who sells medicine, and gets mocked by her. Seeking revenge, he tricks her father and switches their medicine with rocks, causing them to be stopped from selling it. Yanjuan investigates and discovers Jing's deception. Jing pretends to ask her to teach him martial arts, and she uses this opportunity to teach him a lesson.

Spies, Military Documents and Traitors.

Criminals use jiangshi corpses to smuggle illicit drugs.

A Chinese Opera

HK crime drama thriller film.

This is a musical about a young emperor who is lured via stories told to a place called Kiang-Nan by his royal tutor. The empress mother has the tutor go to Kiang-Nan to bring him back.

Lavish Japanese-Chinese coproduction based on an ancient Chinese legend about a man who falls in love with a snake goddess in human form.

Hong Kong comedy horror from 1953.

Hung Gar Champion Wong Fei Hung The most prolific hero of kungfu movies wasn’t Bruce Lee. It was a founding father of Hung Gar kungfu and a real folk hero named Wong Fei Hung.

Cold Nights features great performances by both Pak Yin as a tough minded “new woman”, Shusheng, and Ng Cho-fan as her weak husband, Wang Wenxuan, whose spirits have been crushed by the Sino-Japanese war.

Teenage idols Grace Chang and Jeanette Lin Cui played competitive university freshman fighting against each other for almost anything : fame, recognition and, of course, guys, who were played by Cathay heart-throbs Peter Chen Hou end Roy Chiao.

Starring Tak-Hing Kwan as Wong Fei-Hung

HK drama film.

Lau Mung-mui chances on To Lai-leung and their encounter transcends to a rendezvous in their dreams. They admire each other, but they do not know each other's names and addresses. They keep on thinking of each other and decide to take each other as their future husband and wife. Mui's father wants his son to get married, but he pays no attention to his father's wishes. Mui leaves home to look for Leung. Leung's father forces his daughter to marry her rich and powerful cousin. Leung becomes despondent and dies, following an arranged marriage with her cousin. Mui sought everywhere for Leung for three years, but to no avail. He locates the home of Leung, but the household has moved out. The house is guarded by an old servant. Mui, chasing Leung's spirit, has a brief romance with her. Acknowledging that their union will be hindered by their incompatibility as a mortal and a spirit, Leung reincarnates as a mortal so that their love may be rekindled.

A Shaw Brothers Romance Drama

Wong Fei-hung goes up against members of the underworld

No overview available

A Shaw and Sons production.

1952 HK crime film.

Chan Sai-wah abides by his late father's word and marries the wealthy Yam Suk-kuen. They have a son, Kwok-leung. Though Wah is manager of the hotel owned by his father-in-law, Kuen is not a good wife. For all the years of their marriage, Wah has never been happy. Attracted to the humble and honest Carrie Mui, Wah decides to leave his domineering wife Kuen, but is stopped by his father-in-law. The lovers set off to Macau for a new start. Their life has become increasingly miserable under the pressure from Yam's family. When Wah leaves to seek help from his son in Hong Kong, Carrie decides she should leave so that Wah can go without feeling any guilt or burden. On the other hand, Wah is too ashamed to face his son, and returns to Macau. He lives his life in misery. Years pass, the lovers meet again. Wah is reduced to begging in the streets while Carrie becomes an opera diva.

King Kong escapes from Heaven and wreaks havok on the human world with his insatiable desire for women, until at last the Gods must beg the Monkey King for help to subdue the rampaging Gorilla.

Two couple doubt their partners are having affairs with another, so they try their best to find out the truth.

Temptation (誘惑) is a 1954 Hong Kong drama film directed by Doe Ching. The film was produced by Runde Shaw for Shaw & Sons Co. Ltd. and is based on the screenplay by Doe Ching and the original story by Hsu Hsu.