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To Be Number One (film)

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Not to be confused with To Be No. 1, a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Raymond Lee.
To Be Number One
Film poster
Directed byPoon Man-kit
Screenplay byStephen Shiu
Johnny Mak
Story byChan Wa
Lee Ying-kit
Produced byStephen Shiu
StarringRay Lui
Kent Cheng
Cecilia Yip
Amy Yip
Waise Lee
Kenneth Tsang
Lawrence Ng
Elvis Tsui
CinematographyPeter Pau (H.K.S.C)
Edited byPoon Hung
Music byJoseph Chan
Production
companies
Golden Harvest
Johnny Mak Production Co. Ltd
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release date
5 April 1991 (1991-04-05)
Running time
143 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$38,703,363

To Be Number One (Chinese: 跛豪) is a 1991 Hong Kong crime film directed by Poon Man-kit, and produced by Stephen Shiu. The film is based on the rise and fall of a real-life gangster Ng Sek-ho (吳錫豪), who is portrayed in the film by Ray Lui. To Be Number One was a critical and box office success, grossing HK$38,703,363 at the Hong Kong box office and winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film at the 11th Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2017, the film was remade as Chasing the Dragon.

Plot

The protagonist Ho begins the story as a poor Teochew refugee from Communist China, and leads his men to become pawns of the corrupt policeman Fat Kwan to control the drug trade. After Ho establishes himself, Fat Kwan turns against him, cripples him and kills many of his men, but Ho keeps rising and eliminates all his enemies. However Ho is blinded by his growing power, and his empire ends with the establishment of ICAC.

Cast and roles

  • Ray Lui as Crippled Ho
  • Kent Cheng as Fat Kwan
  • Cecilia Yip as Tse Yuen-yin
  • Amy Yip as May
  • Waise Lee as Man
  • Kenneth Tsang as Chief Inspector Tiger Lui
  • Ng Kai Ming as Ming
  • Elvis Tsui as Dummy
  • Tommy Wong as Loud Hung
  • Dickens Chan as Big Sha
  • Frankie Chan as Little Hak
  • Lo Lieh as Boss Tin
  • Ng Man-tat as Gold Teeth Ping
  • Lau Shun as Boss Fung
  • Lau Kong as Chief Inspector Lung
  • Lily Ng as Man's wife
  • Elvina Kong as Lui's dranged mistress
  • Chin Tsi-ang as Ming's mother
  • Wong Chi-keung as Fat restaurant boss
  • Koo Wai-jan as Restaurateur boss' wife
  • Victor Hon as Boss Kwong
  • Dion Lam as Tin's bodyguard
  • Chung Fat as Fat
  • Lui tat as Opium den worker
  • Wai Ching as Lui's assistant
  • Jameson Lam as Ping's gangster
  • Lee Ying-kit
  • Wong Shu-tong
  • Wong Kam-tong as Policeman interrogating Ho
  • Mark Houghton as OSCG officer
  • Tam Wai-man as Kwan's thug
  • Leung Sam as Barber
  • Fong Li as Chiang
  • Wong Chung-kui as Kun
  • Ng Kwok-fai as Unlucky gangster
  • Ho Wing-cheung as Tin's bodyguard
  • Chang Sing-kwong as Fat's thug
  • Choi Hin-cheung
  • Chan Hon-man

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations
Ceremony Category Recipient Outcome
11th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Film To Be Number One Won
Best Director Poon Man-kit Nominated
Best Screenplay Johnny Mak, Stephen Shiu Won
Best Actor Ray Lui Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Kent Cheng Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Cecilia Yip Nominated
Best Film Editing Poon Hung Nominated
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film
1992
Succeeded by