The death of renowned filmmaker, Chor Yuen, can be considered as the slow fading of an era in which cinema ruled the world. Nevertheless, Yuen was able to look back at his life with no regrets, spawning an iconic career as actor, screen writer, and director, that has granted him a spot in that eternity, that just the seventh art can grant, being credited with over 120 films as director, over 70 films as a writer and over 40 films as an actor. Many of them absolute masterpieces that will remain for years to come in the hearts of movie fans around the world. Leaving behing an incredible legacy for future movie fans to discover. Chor Yuen was born in Guanzhou, October 8, 1934, under the name of Cheung Po-kin. Son of Cantonese actor, Cheung Wood-yau. After studying in the Department of Chemistry in Zhongsha University for 3 years, Yuen decided to follow his father´s footsteps and entered into the movie industry. In 1954 he debuted as an actor in the fillm, “Madam Yun”, a 1954 historical drama directed by Ng Wui. Two years later he debuted as writer with “Flower Petals in the Wind”, a melodrama also directed by Ng Wui. Full of ambition and willing to learn all the aspects of this new fascinating craft that was opening its way ahead of him, in 1956 he joined Singaporean movie company “Kong Ngee Co.”, a company that produced films in Cantonese language, where he had the chance of working as assistant director in two films, “Bloodshed in the Valley of Love”, a martial arts feature directed by Chun Kim and “The Whispering Palm (a.k.a. Moon over Malaya) a melodrama. In 1959 he finally had his big chance of debuting as director with the film “Grass by the Lake AKA The Natural Son”. In 1962, he got married with popular actress Nam Hung. Together, they founded a short-lived movie company named “Rose Motion Picture Co.”, name taken for a film they made together called “Rose in Tears AKA Tear-Laden Rose”. In their company they produced a series of films between 1963 and 1967, written and directed by him and and starred and produced by her.
Right after this brief adventure, he would sign with “Cathay“, where he would write and direct his first Wuxia film, the classic “Cold Blade” (1970), film that called the attention of movie tycoon Run Run Shaw, who signed him under the Shaw Bros banner, where Yuen would deliver some of the biggest classic of wuxia cinema, praised and loved equally by audience and critics.
In Shaw Bros studios, he spent 14 years of his prolific career in the studio directing some of the most iconic and succesful wuxia films, including one of my all-time favorite films “Intimate confessions of a chinese Courtesan” (1972), an hybrid history of lust and vengeance, that mixes erotism and martial arts, in a plot loaded with sex and lesbianism, where the thin red line that splits love from hate is only measure by the sharp of a bloody kiss… An unique and original vision, supported by a mesmerizing aesthetic, not often seen back then in the industry, still remaining as one of the finest films ever filmed.
Besides that, Yuen gave th company some big box- office smashing hits such as “The House of 72 tenant” (1973), a film that topped the Hong Kong box office that year over Bruce Lee‘s final film “Enter the Dragon” His popularity was increased when he became the director of 17 wuxia films, based on the literary works of Taiwanese martial arts novelist Gu Long, delivering some classics of the genre such as the trilogy “The Sentimental Swordsman” (1977), “Killer Clans” (1976), or “The Magic Blade”(1976) “, most of them starred by stars of the company as Ti Lung, Derek Yee, or Alexander Fu Sheng… Fantasy fillms that evokes an invented medieval ancient China, inhabitated by lonely chivalrous swordsmen fighting fo honour. Adorned by an exquisite cinematography and a refined style that gives those adventures an above quality touch that made them very suitable for all types of audiences. The demise of Shaw Bros studios as top company on the British ex-colony, made him slowly dissapear from the spotlight. During the decade of the 80´s, he kept directing movies, some of them produced by big names as Tsui Hark, showing his diversity and good understanding of the craft, making from action films to comedies with his particular magic as film artisan. In 1983, he became the main villain in Jackie Chan´s masterpiece “Police Story”, delivering a memorable performance that still remains in the hearts of moviegoers. Role that he reprised in the first sequel of the series. In the 90´s, his glory days were already so far away, but he reinvented himself, switching into television, directing and acting TV Dramas, such as the 1996 adaptation of “Journey To the West”. 8 years ago he was diagnosed with dementia and his last public appearance was in April 2018, receiving a well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards.
His speech of acceptance was a clear statement of no regrets:
“When you look back on your life and are not regretful for having toiled in vain or ashamed for wasting your time, then you can proudly say to yourself, you have lived a life without regrets”
Chor Yuen left this world this past February 21st, at 87 years old, Leaving behind a huge legacy hard to top and almost impossible to equal. RIP MASTER CHOR YUEN, Thanks for such a wonderful legacy
LEGENDARY HONG KONG DIRECTOR CHOR YUEN DIES AT 87: Remembering an Iconic Career
February 22, 2022
The death of renowned filmmaker, Chor Yuen, can be considered as the slow fading of an era in which cinema ruled the world. Nevertheless, Yuen was able to look back at his life with no regrets, spawning an iconic career as actor, screen writer, and director, that has granted him a spot in that eternity, that just the seventh art can grant, being credited with over 120 films as director, over 70 films as a writer and over 40 films as an actor. Many of them absolute masterpieces that will remain for years to come in the hearts of movie fans around the world. Leaving behing an incredible legacy for future movie fans to discover.
Chor Yuen was born in Guanzhou, October 8, 1934, under the name of Cheung Po-kin. Son of Cantonese actor, Cheung Wood-yau. After studying in the Department of Chemistry in Zhongsha University for 3 years, Yuen decided to follow his father´s footsteps and entered into the movie industry. In 1954 he debuted as an actor in the fillm, “Madam Yun”, a 1954 historical drama directed by Ng Wui. Two years later he debuted as writer with “Flower Petals in the Wind”, a melodrama also directed by Ng Wui. Full of ambition and willing to learn all the aspects of this new fascinating craft that was opening its way ahead of him, in 1956 he joined Singaporean movie company “Kong Ngee Co.”, a company that produced films in Cantonese language, where he had the chance of working as assistant director in two films, “Bloodshed in the Valley of Love”, a martial arts feature directed by Chun Kim and “The Whispering Palm (a.k.a. Moon over Malaya) a melodrama. In 1959 he finally had his big chance of debuting as director with the film “Grass by the Lake AKA The Natural Son”.
In 1962, he got married with popular actress Nam Hung. Together, they founded a short-lived movie company named “Rose Motion Picture Co.”, name taken for a film they made together called “Rose in Tears AKA Tear-Laden Rose”. In their company they produced a series of films between 1963 and 1967, written and directed by him and and starred and produced by her.
Right after this brief adventure, he would sign with “Cathay“, where he would write and direct his first Wuxia film, the classic “Cold Blade” (1970), film that called the attention of movie tycoon Run Run Shaw, who signed him under the Shaw Bros banner, where Yuen would deliver some of the biggest classic of wuxia cinema, praised and loved equally by audience and critics.
In Shaw Bros studios, he spent 14 years of his prolific career in the studio directing some of the most iconic and succesful wuxia films, including one of my all-time favorite films “Intimate confessions of a chinese Courtesan” (1972), an hybrid history of lust and vengeance, that mixes erotism and martial arts, in a plot loaded with sex and lesbianism, where the thin red line that splits love from hate is only measure by the sharp of a bloody kiss… An unique and original vision, supported by a mesmerizing aesthetic, not often seen back then in the industry, still remaining as one of the finest films ever filmed.
Besides that, Yuen gave th company some big box- office smashing hits such as “The House of 72 tenant” (1973), a film that topped the Hong Kong box office that year over Bruce Lee‘s final film “Enter the Dragon”
His popularity was increased when he became the director of 17 wuxia films, based on the literary works of Taiwanese martial arts novelist Gu Long, delivering some classics of the genre such as the trilogy “The Sentimental Swordsman” (1977), “Killer Clans” (1976), or “The Magic Blade”(1976) “, most of them starred by stars of the company as Ti Lung, Derek Yee, or Alexander Fu Sheng… Fantasy fillms that evokes an invented medieval ancient China, inhabitated by lonely chivalrous swordsmen fighting fo honour. Adorned by an exquisite cinematography and a refined style that gives those adventures an above quality touch that made them very suitable for all types of audiences.
The demise of Shaw Bros studios as top company on the British ex-colony, made him slowly dissapear from the spotlight. During the decade of the 80´s, he kept directing movies, some of them produced by big names as Tsui Hark, showing his diversity and good understanding of the craft, making from action films to comedies with his particular magic as film artisan. In 1983, he became the main villain in Jackie Chan´s masterpiece “Police Story”, delivering a memorable performance that still remains in the hearts of moviegoers. Role that he reprised in the first sequel of the series.
In the 90´s, his glory days were already so far away, but he reinvented himself, switching into television, directing and acting TV Dramas, such as the 1996 adaptation of “Journey To the West”.
8 years ago he was diagnosed with dementia and his last public appearance was in April 2018, receiving a well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards.
His speech of acceptance was a clear statement of no regrets:
Chor Yuen left this world this past February 21st, at 87 years old, Leaving behind a huge legacy hard to top and almost impossible to equal.
RIP MASTER CHOR YUEN, Thanks for such a wonderful legacy
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