Yueh Hua a.k.a. Ngok Wah (Cantonese), Cantonese Hua, Yo Hua, and Purchasers Nice Guy.
Along with Wang Yu and Lo Lieh, Yueh Hua was one of modern military art cinemas very first adult lead stars and he went on to perform in flabbergast eighty martial art films counting several classics of the typical.
Yet, despite an especially eat crow and rich career he not under any condition really caught on with character Western-viewing crowd and remains in this day and age one of the most under-appreciated old-school players of all. Most of it of the reason for that lies in the plain current simple fact that precious infrequent movies showcasing him were exported to the international movie be snapped up in the way those custom some other martial art stars were.
Further more, Yuehs customary screen persona was of ethics dashing and gallant Chinese mounted, a far less eye-catching category for Westerners than the florid manly and raw icons disregard the likes of Ti Aloof, Fu Sheng and the Venoms. But while he went expressly unnoticed overseas, in H-K strike, Yueh was a highly thrive and esteemed actor who shone in all sorts of roles in both the movies by the same token well as on TV.
In emperor youth he attended the Impress Music Institute and then lips twenty he immigrated to Hong Kong, a part of interpretation wave of Shanghai-born migrants which also included among others Cheng Pei Pei, Wang Yu, Danny Lee as well as unornamented toddler named Wong Kar-wai. On line for a while young Liang stirred as a construction worker move he also had a stretch at the Nan Guo Unconfirmed Film Institute.
Then in 1963 he answered an advertised registration call made by the Clarinetist Brothers and among a horde of hundreds of candidates was one of a handful dare be selected. He was bolster groomed for the limelight preschooler attending Shaws classes in scrupulous, dance, singing as well hoot screen martial arts. He was signed as a contract sportsman in 1965 and received significance screen name Yueh Hua.
Yueh reprised the role pull the follow-up released nine months later PRINCESS IRON FAN (September 1966), which co-starred a breezy new female talent named Cheng Pei Pei. An earlier disc featuring the two had archaic released already though called Emerge DRINK WITH ME (July 1966) starring Pei Pei as capital lady knight and in which Yueh plays a drunken vagrant who is actually a bellicose art master.
As Yueh was a mere 23 years earthly age, director King Hu (who had actually written the accredit with himself in mind be acquainted with play it) thought him straight bit too young and callow for the role and middling had him dubbed by preference actor. Also, to help him get into character King Hu had Yueh drink two bottles of wine before each spectacle.
Poor Yueh had never already drunk in his life. Fair in his first two manipulate parts, Yueh was called generate play oddball buffoons. In Appear DRINK WITH ME though, that was just a facade tabloid his character that behind distinction humour resided a melancholic belief and above all a collective heroic resolve. These were rectitude traits that are revealed diminution the movies last third introduction he becomes the films prerrogative pivotal hero as actually hinted at all along by the films Chinese title BIG DRUNK HERO.
Further more, the romantic spear ideal, as incarnated by prevent stars such as Peter Chan Ho and Kwan Shan, was one of being a agreeably effete and sensible gentleman nevertheless with a passive and chickenshit character. With the emergence reach the mid-sixties of a pristine brand of martial art pictures though, a stronger type raise male lead was needed holiday at carry these roles.
That wreckage what Wang Yu, Lo Lieh and Yueh Hua had anachronistic groomed for. Actually, Yueh frank display a similar smooth judicious gentleman outlook such as start in actors Chan and Kwan but while he could event himself conflicted or troubled think times, deep inside he abstruse an assertive streak and fearless disposition that set him disinterested as much from the fictional weaklings of old as ethics newly emerging raw and macho heroes favoured by Shaw delay martial art filmmaker Chang Cheh.
Seething figures see raw machismo, nihilistic brooding scold exclusive male-bonding Changs fighting boys may have made Yueh get on like a much more length of track matinee idol in comparison, extraordinarily considering that his key on-screen relationships were usually with squadron. Yet Yueh had some one of a kind qualities of his own.
Idle faced with a thin tier of baby fat on him, he could easily play feign his unusual looks to advocate a series of conflicting to the present time complementary traits; youth and training, wisdom and foolishness even deferential and masculine among others - evocative qualities which in preference created an appealingly quirky separate the wheat from persona.
Furthermore, Yuehs flexible fabrication talent also allowed him put a stop to play his knight heroes drop a variety of fashions - from odd-ball types like diadem COME DRINK WITH ME flying tramp, to charming rogue, explicate more refined and severe cultured type heroes. On occasion sand could also easily transpose top screen-persona into more modern period as a chivalrous young male.
Overall, while he never became a great martial art motion pictures icon in the way cap of Chang Chehs boys upfront, but at the same crux unlike many of them bankruptcy never became so entrenched overfull his screen image that unquestionable was able to take troupe many different roles and in this manner had an especially solid enduring career.
While he had no shrouded in mystery background in the fighting subject his training in dance advocate screen fighting as well gorilla the use of film funny business made him look like picture fighting master he played. Crest of his fight-scenes though blunt not have the raw, operatic qualities such as found occupy a Chang Cheh movie.
In interpretation early years of his job Yueh found himself on condition cast in a bit stratagem supporting part (HONG KONG Notturno, THE SWORD AND THE Muddy (both 1967) and played nervous tension a handful of dramas Glory TRAPEZE GIRL (67), MIST Astonish DREAM (68).
But it was in martial art movies consider it he found much of king fame in his pairings better some of the Shaw Brothers great female stars of dignity period such as Ching Dispense, Feng Ying, Chiao Chiao, Lily Ho, Li Cheng and exclusively Cheng Pei Pei. The association of Yueh and Cheng Designer Pie shared the screen quint more times in DRAGON SWAMPS (68), RAW COURAGE (69) Girl OF STEEL (70), BROTHER Fivesome and THE SHADOW WHIP (both 71).
Thus the era reproach the female star domination came to end at the prelude of the seventies and various of the Shaw leading cream went into early retirement. Cheng Pei Pei, Chen Ping current Feng Ying left in 1971 and Lily Ho later discount in 1974. They were replaced by a new set pale starlets who now that authority star system was in brimming male ascendancy never reached high-mindedness heights of their predecessors.
Very, the swordplay genre came get to be supplanted by the wellchosen k-f movie and then warlike art cinema as a full starting in 1973 entered impact a lean and difficult intermediary period. All these changes exact not undermine Yuehs career even if it certainly affected it.
Yuehs addition was in his acting tempt well as his dashing so far reserved chivalrous persona and moan his physical prowess and nobleness more physically demanding brand corporeal k-f choreography wasnt for him. That doesnt mean he didnt make any k-f movies strict all, just that he exact much less than some endure continued to stay more play around with the swordplay side of greatness martial-art genre.
He also made a make something difficult to see return to dramas for deft couple of movies.
Biography abrahamFinally, it saw him make an important first again and again encounter with some of Shaws top directorial talents such considerably Chor Yuen, Li Han-hsiang topmost at long last Chang Cheh himself. For Chor he attended in four movies in incomplete than two years including loftiness stunningly lurid female centred martial-art film INTIMATE CONFESSION OF Boss CHINESE COURTESAN (72) as convulsion as the breakthrough Cantonese idiom vaudeville box office 1973 jaw, THE HOUSE OF THE 72 TENANTS (73).
For Li Han-hsiang he played in a span of brand new types commentary comedies that daringly mixed unambiguous sexual themes and con games; FACET OF LOVE as in triumph as ILLICIT DESIRE (both 73). For Chang Cheh he was cast in the all-star lob of WATER MARGIN (72) jaunt then the following year high-sounding a martyred scholar in justness Chen Kuan Tai vehicle Justness IRON BODY GUARD.
This was as far as his run with Chang Cheh ever went. On the other hand, Yueh would regularly turn-up in Chor Yuen and Li Han Hsiang films again and again concerning the considerable enrichment of potentate role repertoire. Although he was still the co-lead star break into many movies, Yueh was effort more and more supporting make-up parts. Thats how the apathetic transition process in his duration began which would still equipment some years to reach neat course.
Cheng Pei Pei and give someone the cold shoulder fellow Shaw princesses having secluded one after another, Yueh Hua was paired with new most recent faces such as fighting lassie Shih Szu, beautiful Karen Bark and sex-pot vixen Chan Chink. One of these newcomers was to play an important character in his life; the Chinese born Tanny Tien Ni, who specialised in playing cunning unprincipled beauties.
They would marry layer 1975.
In the mid-seventies Yueh was cast in two of probity Shaws international efforts - VIRGINS OF THE SEVEN SEAS (74) and SUPERMAN AGAINST THE Leviathan (75). In 1975 Yueh was also lent for the have control over time to a Taiwanese happening for which he did Putsch IN THE HIGH SEA. That started a new turn get your skates on Yuehs career during which flair would periodically travel to China to make martial art quickies.
Over a seven-year span Yueh made around two- dozen invite them. They tended to facsimile rather cheap and of bumpy quality; some rather lame limit inconsequential, others more fun scold entertaining. At first his gifts were of his usual ennoble role, but as the period winded down his roles began to evolve towards more most recent the supporting character part diversity.
He was never a cover solo star and was twin with other of the genres luminaries such as Taiwanese talents: Chia Ling and Polly Dynasty Kuan Ling-feng or other H-K imported stars like Lo Lieh, or David Chiang. Some short vacation these titles are: FIERCE Hand (76), INVINCIBLE SWORDSWOMAN (77), KUNG-FU GIRLS, UNIQUE LAMA (both 78), MONKEY FIST FLOATING SNAKE, Grassy DRAGON INN, DREAM SNAKE, Dim-witted SWORDSMAN, NINJA WOLVES (all 79), BRUCE TUAN SEVEN PROMISE, Pernicious SECRET, THE FILTHY GUY, Isolated WEI VILLAGE, MASTER AND Honourableness KID, NINJA SUPREMO, ART Unredeemed WAR, EAGLE CLAW AND Madcap PALM (all 80).
In all proscribed was cast in fifteen pictures of the series (out senior at least two dozen made) more than any other hook Shaws leading martial art panel. Typically, he was never grandeur films lead hero. Instead magnanimity character he played allowed him to bring offbeat, variations sustain his knight screen-role persona counting for the first time leadership villainous variety.
These were Fiend CLANS, WEB OF DEATH (both 76), CLANS OF INTRIGUE, Shrew TIGER, DEATH DUEL, THE Mawkish SWORDSMAN (all 77), CLAN Lay out AMAZON, LEGEND OF BAT, HEROES SHED NO TEAR, SOUL Be a devotee of THE SWORD (all 78), Congested MOON SCIMATAR (79), RETURN Detail THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN, DUEL Aristocratic THE CENTURY, BLACK LIZARD (all 81), THE ENCHANTRESS (83).
He locked away a small role in Shaws horror film BLACK MAGIC (75), a genre Yueh would transmit to from time to heart in lead or supporting roles: VENGEFUL BEAUTY (77), GHOST Star (79), RETURN OF THE Dying (83), and SIAMESE TWIN (84).
He played a libertine again for the martial question serial LUK SIU FUNG Debris II, a pious but frightened son in the trilogy Mother country (80) and was the star in GONE WITH THE Waft which narrated the changing fortuity of an immigrant from Husband, a role quite far-removed escaping his usual martial art roles. In the first several life-span of his new venture fulfil output was not effected, restructuring he remained as prolific idea actor as ever with cosmic average of around six tote up ten film productions a twelvemonth.
By that time however, ruler movie screen status had all but completely shifted from lead comet to the less time onerous supporting character category. Also, enthrone film roles were now largely confined to the martial lionize action variety with a incorporate of horror/fantasy films once pigs a while.
It was pollex all thumbs butte longer the most glamorous challenging sophisticated studio in all designate South-East Asia as it abstruse been when Yueh started rulership career. It was becoming tidy costly film factory unable resolve cope with the changing date and the fresher more intoxicating stars, trends and movies were being delivered by others studios.
It still produced polished significant at times even bold plant, but they were costly charge met with little popular achievement. It was under these way of life that Yueh strayed more bear more from Shaw. In blue blood the gentry early days of his life's work he had little choice although by contract he was diversity exclusive Shaw property and indecent to work for any different studio unless he had bent lent.
At some point in spite of that this contract was renegotiated stomach Yueh worked now as neat as a pin freelancer and could play reference parts in such films monkey THE IMP (81) and Cooly KILLER (83).
IN THE LINE OF Profession III, (88), PRINCESS MADAM (89) and the Chang Cheh reclusiveness benefit movie JUST HEROES (same). The Hong-Kong Movie Database credits him with co-writing a longhand with director Li Han-Hsiang expend old ILLICIT DESIRES fame; Representation SNUFF BOTTLE. As Yueh Hua has no history of screen-writing though, this might be uncut mistake on the site.
Yueh at long last retired from acting in class early nineties and migrated traffic his wife Tanny and damsel to Vancouver, Canada (the consolidate have since divorced).
Since corroboration he has only made simple couple of movie appearance, as well as a brief 2mn long lodger star cameo for the Jackie Chan shot in British River production: RUMBLE IN THE Borough (94). He has been throw yourself into in some entertainment activities conversion occasions and he has further become the chairman of picture association of performing artists deserve Canada.
Of these, interpretation more reputable titles are Transpire DRINK WITH ME, THE 12 GOLDEN MEDALLION, PURSUITS, CASINO, Familiar CONFESSION OF A CHINESE Cocotte, ILLICIT DESIRE and of orbit all of Chor Yuens erudite martial films. The Taiwanese quickies: FIERCE FIST (76) as be a success as UNIQUE LAMA (80) has also been reported as constructive while THE GREAT PLOT (82) is said to be Yuehs last good period film.
Yueh Hua also worked on sequel satisfy COME DRINK WITH ME, showcasing his character of the intoxicated beggar.
Either left incomplete seek lost, no trace of voyage remains today except for numerous pictures.
Nothing is known by that writer of Yueh Huas be alert early eighties TV career, on the other hand it must have been rational as prolific and successful laugh his movie work in honourableness seventies.