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 by | Poon Man-kit |
| Screenplay by | Stephen Shiu Johnny Mak |
| Story by | Chan Wa Lee Ying-kit |
| Produced by | Stephen Shiu |
| Starring | Ray Lui Kent Cheng Cecilia Yip Amy Yip Waise Lee Kenneth Tsang Lawrence Ng Elvis Tsui |
| Cinematography | Peter Pau (H.K.S.C) |
| Edited by | Poon Hung |
| Music by | Joseph Chan |
Production companies | Golden Harvest Johnny Mak Production Co. Ltd |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
Release date | 5 April 1991 |
Running time | 143 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$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 | |
External links
- Hong Kong films
- 1991 films
- 1990s crime films
- 1990s biographical films
- Hong Kong crime films
- Hong Kong biographical films
- Triad films
- Best Film HKFA
- Golden Harvest films
- Cantonese-language films
- Films about the illegal drug trade
- Films set in the 1960s
- Films set in the 1970s
- Films set in Hong Kong
- Films shot in Hong Kong
- Films directed by Poon Man-kit