Shaw Brothers Studio: Difference between revisions
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==List of actors== |
==List of actors== |
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* [[Chia Hui Liu]] (aka Gordon Liu) - aka "Master Killer" to fans |
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* [[Adam Cheng]] - The Wu Tang student in "Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang" |
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! Popular Actors |
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* [[Chen Kuan Tai]] - Best known as "Hong Si Quan" who battled Priest Pai Mei in "Executioner from Shaolin", and the head villain in "Crippled Avengers". |
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! Notable film(s) with major roles |
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* [[Cheng Pei Pei]] (鄭佩佩) |
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* [[Chiang Miao]] - Best known as the old teacher from "Crippled Avengers" |
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| [[Gordon Liu]] |
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* [[Chiang Sheng]] - The student the “Five Deadly Venoms”. |
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| [[The 36th Chamber of Shaolin]]<br>[[Clan Of The White Lotus]]<br>[[Dirty Ho]]<br>[[Disciples of the 36th Chamber]]<br>[[Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter]]<br>[[Martial Club]]<br>[[Shaolin and Wu Tang]]<br>[[Shaolin Challenges Ninja]] |
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* [[Chiang Tao]] - Usually the lead villain opposite David Chiang and Ti Lung |
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* [[Ching Li]] - Leading female actress in many wuxia films with Chang Cheh and Chu Yuan, daughter of Ching Miao |
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| [[Adam Cheng]] |
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* [[Ching Miao]] - A veteran actor at Shaw Brothers, starred in many films, father of Ching Li |
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| [[Shaolin and Wu Tang]] |
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* [[David Chiang]] - Usually paired with Ti Lung |
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* [[Danny Lee]] |
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| [[Chen Kuan Tai]] |
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| [[3 Evil Masters]]<br>[[Challenge Of The Masters]]<br>[[Crippled Avengers]]<br>[[Executioner From Shaolin]]<br>[[Flying Guillotine]]<br>[[Heroes Two]]<br>[[Iron Monkey]] |
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* [[Alexander Fu Sheng]] - The "Brave Archer" |
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* [[Hsiao Ho (actor)|Hsiao Ho]] - Lead male in "My Young Auntie", "[[Legendary Weapons of China]]" and "[[Disciples of the 36th Chamber]]" |
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| [[Cheng Pei Pei]] |
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* [[Kara Hui]] - "My Young Auntie", "Lady Is The Boss" |
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| [[Come Drink With Me]]<br>[[Golden Swallow]] aka Girl With The Thunderbolt Kick |
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* [[Ku Kuan Chung]] - Best known as the "bad Kung Fu" corrector in "5 Super fighters" |
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* [[Kuo Chui]] - The "Lizard" |
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| [[Chiang Sheng]] |
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* [[Lau Kar Leung]] - Best known from "Legendary Weapons from China" |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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* [[Li Ching]] - One of the Shaw Brother's Four Queens, won an award for her superb performance in "Susanna" |
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* [[Lily Li]] - The sister from "8 Diagram Pole Fighter" |
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| [[David Chiang]] |
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* [[Lin Dai|"Linda" Lin Dai]] |
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| [[5 Masters Of Death]]<br>[[Abbot of Shaolin]]<br>[[Angry Guest]]<br>[[The Blood Brothers]]<br>[[Death Chambers]]<br>[[Duel Of Fists]]<br>[[The Heroic Ones]]<br>[[Shaolin Handlock]]<br>[[Shaolin Mantis]] |
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* [[Lin Hui-Huang]] - Usually plays some sort of slapstick comic with no kung fu skills. |
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* [[Lo Lieh]] - Best known as Chief White Lotus aka Priest Pai Mei |
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| [[Alexander Fu Sheng]] |
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* [[Lo Mang]] - The "Toad" |
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| [[5 Masters Of Death]]<br>[[Avenging Eagle]]<br>[[Brave Archer]] series<br>[[Chinatown Kid]]<br>[[Death Chambers]]<br>[[Heroes Shed No Tears]]<br>[[Heroes Two]]<br>[[Naval Commandos]] |
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* [[Betty Loh Ti]] |
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* [[Lee I Min]] - The Hero from "Mystery Of Chessboxing" after leaving Shaw Studios |
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| [[Hsiao Ho]] |
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* [[Lu Feng]] - The "[[Centipede]]", villain in 90% of Venom films. |
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| [[Disciples of the 36th Chamber]]<br>[[Legendary Weapons Of China]]<br>[[My Young Auntie]] |
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* [[Lung Tung-Sheng]] - Best known as "The Spearman" from Flag of Iron |
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* [[Pan Ping-Chang]] – Usually the lead female in Venom films. |
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| [[Kara Hui]] |
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* [[Shan Mao]] - Best known as the villainous monk in “Death Chambers” |
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| [[Clan Of The White Lotus]]<br>[[Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter]]<br>[[Legendary Weapons Of China]]<br>[[Lady Is The Boss]]<br>[[Long Road To Gallantry]]<br>[[Mad Monkey Kung Fu]]<br>[[Martial Club]]<br>[[My Young Auntie]] |
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* [[Shih Szu]] |
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* [[Sun Chien (movie star)|Sun Chien]] - The "Scorpion" |
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| [[Ku Kuan Chung]] |
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* [[Sun Shu-Pei]] - Usually a low ranking villain in Venom films with no fighting skills |
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| [[5 Superfighters]]<br>[[Brave Archer]] series (Chief of Peach Island)<br>[[Sentimental Swordsman]] |
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* [[Shirley Yu]] - Another female featured in Venom films. |
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* [[Ti Lung]] (狄龍) - Usually paired with David Chiang |
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| [[Kuo Chui]] (#4 the Lizard) |
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* [[Tien Niu]] |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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* [[Yang Pan-Pan]] - The female lead from "Lion vs. Lion" |
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* [[Derek Yee]] - From "Shaolin Prince" |
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| [[Lau Kar Leung]] |
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* [[Yu Tai Ping]] – Usually a mid-tier villain in Venom films that eventually gets killed. |
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| [[Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter]]<br>[[Legendary Weapons Of China]]<br>[[Lady Is The Boss]]<br>[[Mad Monkey Kung Fu]]<br>[[My Young Auntie]] |
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* [[Yueh Hua]] |
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* [[Wang Li]] - The 7th Venom, best known as the lead villain in "10 Tigers from Kwangtung" (the rogue policeman) |
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| [[Lo Lieh]] |
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* [[Johnny Wang Lung-Wei]] - Best known as the villain in most Venom films. |
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| [[5 Fingers Of Death]]<br>[[5 Masters Of Death]]<br>[[Abbot Of Shaolin]]<br>[[Dirty Ho]]<br>[[Executioner From Shaolin]]<br>[[Clan Of The White Lotus]]<br>[[Mad Monkey Kung Fu]]<br>[[Shaolin Handlock]] |
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* [[Wei Pai]] - the 6th Venom, aka The "Snake" |
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* [[Wen Hsueh-Erh]] - Lead female in "Sword Stained With Royal Blood" and "Ode To Gallantry". Usually plays some ones spoiled daughter. |
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| [[Lo Mang]] (#5 the Toad) |
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* [[Jimmy Wang Yu|Wang Yu]] (王羽) - the once top paying martial art actor of the studio. |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films<br>[[Lion Vs. Lion]] |
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* [[Wong Yu]] (汪禹) - known as Ho Chi in "Dirty Ho" (爛頭何) |
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| [[Lu Feng]] (#1 the Centipede) |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Lung Tung-Sheng]] (the Spearman) |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films<br>[[Long Road To Gallantry]] |
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| [[Sun Chien (Shaw)|Sun Chien]] (#3 the Scorpion) |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Ti Lung]] |
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| [[5 Masters Of Death]]<br>[[Avenging Eagle]]<br>[[Angry Guest]]<br>[[The Blood Brothers]]<br>[[Death Chambers]]<br>[[Duel Of Fists]]<br>[[The Heroic Ones]]<br>[[Sentimental Swordsman]]<br>[[Shaolin Prince]]<br>[[Ten Tigers From Kwangtung]] |
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| [[Derek Yee]] |
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| [[Heroes Shed No Tears]]<br>[[Shaolin Intruders]]<br>[[Shaolin Prince]] |
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| [[Wang Li]] |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Johnny Wang Lung-Wei]] |
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| [[5 Masters Of Death]]<br>[[Clan Of The White Lotus]]<br>[[Death Chambers]]<br>[[Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter]]<br>[[Lady Is The Boss]]<br>[[Lion Vs. Lion]]<br>[[Martial Club]]<br>[[My Young Auntie]]<br>[[Return to the 36th Chamber]]<br>[[Shaolin and Wu Tang]]<br>[[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Wei Pai]] (#2 the Snake) |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Wen Hsueh Erh]] |
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| [[Venom Mob]] films |
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| [[Jimmy Wang Yu]] |
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| [[Bells of Death]]<br>[[Come Drink With Me]]<br>[[Golden Swallow]]<br>[[One Armed Swordsman]] |
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| [[Wong Yue]] |
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| [[Dirty Ho]]<br>[[Executioner From Shaolin]]<br>[[Lion Vs. Lion]] |
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==Popular films== |
==Popular films== |
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Revision as of 20:52, 12 February 2007
The Shaw Studio (邵氏片場), owned by Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. SEHK: 80, 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.
Legacy
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.
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.
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.
List of actors
Popular films
- 2 Champions Of Kung Fu - Venoms
- 3 Evil Masters aka The Master - Chen Kuan Tai, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei
- 5 Fingers Of Death - Lo Lieh
- 5 Super Fighters - Ku Kuan Chung
- 5 Masters of Death - Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, David Chiang, Lo Lieh, Chiang Tao
- 7 Blows Of The Dragon - David Chiang, Ti Lung
- 8 Diagram Pole Fighter aka Invincible Polefighter - Gordon Lui, Fu Sheng, Wong Yu
- 10 Tigers From Kwangtung - Venoms, Ti Lung, Fu Sheng
- All Men Are Brothers - David Chiang
- Ambitious Kung Fu Girl - Chen Kuan Tai
- Angry Guest - David Chiang, Ti Lung
- Avenging Eagle - Ti Lung, Fu Sheng
- The Blood Brothers - Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kwan Tai, Chang Cheh
- Brave Archer - Fu Sheng, Venoms, Ku Kuan Chung
- Brave Archer 2 - Fu Sheng, Venoms, Ku Kuan Chung, Kara Hui
- Brave Archer 3 aka Blast Of The Iron Palm - Fu Sheng, Venoms, Ti Lung
- Brave Archer 4 aka Brave Archer and His Mate - Fu Sheng, Venoms (Considered more of a Venoms film than a Brave Archer film)
- Clan Of The White Lotus aka Fist Of The White Lotus - Gordon Lui, Kara Hui, Lo Lieh, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei
- Challenge Of The Masters - Gordon Lui, Chen Kuan Tai, Chiang Tao
- Chinatown Kid - Fu Sheng, Venoms, Ku Kuan Chung
- Come Drink With Me - Cheng Pei Pei, Wang Yu
- Crippled Avengers aka Mortal Combat aka Return Of the 5 Venoms - Venoms, Chen Kuan Tai
- Death Chambers - Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, David Chiang, Lo Lieh, Venoms
- Destroyers - Venoms
- Disciples of Death - Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, David Chiang, Lo Lieh, Chiang Tao
- Disciples of the 36th Chamber - Gordon Lui
- Dirty Ho - Gordon Lui, Wong Yu, Kara Hui, Lo Lieh
- Duel Of Fist - Ti Lung, David Chiang
- Executioner From Shaolin - Gordon Lui, Chen Kuan Tai, Lo Lieh, Wong Yu
- Five Deadly Venoms - Venoms
- Flag Of Iron - Venoms, Lung Tung-Sheng
- Flying Guillotine - Chen Kuan Tai
- Golden Swallow - Cheng Pei Pei, Wang Yu
- He Has Nothing But Kung Fu - Gordon Lui, Wong Yu, Lo Lieh
- Heaven and Hell - Fu Sheng, Venoms
- Heroes Two - Fu Sheng, Chen Kuan Tai
- Heroes Shed No Tears (1978) - Fu Sheng, Derek Yee
- The Heroic Ones - Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chang Cheh
- House Of Traps - Venoms
- Instructors Of Death aka Martial Club - Gordon Lui, Kara Hui, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei
- Kid With The Golden Arm - Venoms
- Killer Army - Venoms
- Lady is Boss - Kara Hui, Gordon Lui, Venoms, Lau Kar Leung
- Legend Of A Fox - Venoms
- Legendary Weapons Of China - Gordon Lui, Kara Hui, Lau Kar Leung, Hsiao Ho
- Life's Gambles - Venoms
- Lion Vs. Lion aka Roar Of The Lion - Johnny Wang Lung-Wei, Wong Yu, Lo Mang
- Long Road To Gallantry - Kara Hui, Lung Tung-Sheng
- Mad Monkey Kung Fu - Lau Kar Leung, Hsiao Ho , Lo Lieh, Kara Hui
- Magnificent Ruffians aka Daredevils of Kung Fu- Venoms
- Masked Avengers - Venoms
- Master Killer - Gordon Lui
- My Young Auntie aka Fangs Of The Tigress - Gordon Lui, Kara Hui, Lau Kar Leung, Hsiao Ho
- Naval Commandos - Fu Sheng, David Chiang, Venoms
- Ode To Gallantry - Venoms
- One Armed Swordsman - David Chiang
- Return of The Sentimental Swordsman - Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Derek Yee
- Return to the 36th Chamber - Gordon Lui, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei
- Sentimental Swordsman - Ti Lung, Ku Kuan Chung
- Shaolin Abbott - David Chiang, Lo Lieh
- Shaolin Handlock - David Chiang, Lo Lieh
- Shaolin Intruders - Derek Yee, Jason Pai Piao
- Shaolin Mantis - David Chiang
- Shaolin Prince aka Iron Fingers of Death - Ti Lung, Derek Yee, Jason Pai Piao
- Shaolin Rescuers - Venoms
- Shaolin Challenges Ninja - Gordon Lui
- Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang - Gordon Lui, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei, Adam Cheng
- Super Ninjas aka 5 Element Ninjas - Lo Mang
- Sword Stained With Royal Blood - Venoms, Lung Tung-Sheng
- The Super Inframan - Danny Lee, Bruce Le
- Treasure Hunters - Gordon Lui, Fu Sheng
- Unbeatable Dragon - Venoms
- Vengeful Beauty - Lo Lieh
See also
External links
- Beijing Video, full Biographies of every major Kung Fu actor/actress, including Shaw Studios
- The Shaw Story - at the official company website.
- The Rise and Fall of the House of Shaw - scholarly essay by Tom Green.
- Shaw Brothers Movies - list of DVD releases
- ShawScope - Shaw Brothers kung fu movies fan site
- Shaolin Chamber - Reviews, extensive poster-art gallery