The Moon-Blanch'd Land
An early Musical by the Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company.
Tu Kuang-Chi
Tu Kuang-Chi
Also Directed by Tu Kuang-Chi
Leader of the Celestial Devil Gang Mo Fu ends an underling to infiltrate the house of code expert Cheung Yuet-ting in pursuit of the Mafia's secret intelligence. The unyielding man is killed, and the Mafia is framed for the crime. Cheung's instrumental role in the Mafia is succeeded by his daughter Oi-lan, who leads both gangs onto a deadly chase. Just then, Oi-lan's bosom friend Chan Yu-lam emerges from years of oblivion as a Mafia member and offers the wanted woman protection and assistance in retrieving the late father's cache. Mo's underling Lau Kei-fung is assigned the task of playing the confidence game in the Cheung household, preempting Oi-lan from accessing the classified information and abducting both Oi-lan and Chan before the Mafia can reach the key witness. Acting on a tip-off, the police raid the apartment and arrest both gangs. Chan, the undercover police officer, gains both Oi-lan's trust and affection. (Synopsis based on audiovisual materials)
The woman thief Pak Siu-yin was discharged from prison and Inspector Chan has set a trap for Bak to lure the head of the gangster Yim Fong, who used to threaten Pak to commit crime for his gang.
Siao Fong-fong, who played the heroine Sha Yen, was a young actress who enjoyed huge popularity at that time. The Daring Gang of Nineteen from Verdun City (aka 19 Heroes of the Green Mountain) portrays how Sha Yen practices kung fu with her eighteen fellow male disciples, vowing to seek revenge for the murder of her parents. Produced by Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company in Hong Kong, it was shot in Taiwan and featured the local landscape. The credits show that renowned director Sung Tsun-shou worked as script supervisor on the production. The theme, “avenging the murder of one’s parents”, is typical of a traditional martial arts movie. Siao Fong-fong as a lovely young swordswoman in the film left a deep impression on countless fans.
Mona Lam, who works for a swindling syndicate under duress, scours a nightclub for her new prey and finds the rich heir Cheng Siu-chuen. Struggling to find true bliss, the lovers gain the blessing of Lam's second uncle. On the eve of Cheng's father's birthday banquet, Lam is pressured to strike again under the watchful eye of Lucy sent by the man who's pulling the strings on the marionette behind the scenes who has threatened to kill Cheng. The quick-witted woman aborts the operation, claiming to have spotted her previous victims from amongst the guests. Her confession gains Cheng's understanding, but not his father's. The ringleader brings the liaison to an end by blackmailing the father and putting Lam under house arrest. Helping the girl flee, Second Uncle is killed in the commotion. The police act on the father's tip-off and bust the gang, clearing the way for the lovers to tie the knot.
The Heroic Lovers from the Tomb was a martial arts movie produced by Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company in Hong Kong and shot in Taiwan. It tells the story of a gang and two teams of warriors seeking revenge for the murder of their parents. In comparison with The Return of the Condor Heroes written by Jin Yong and published in 1959, it is easy to see the influence of the novel on the film, including the similarities that the disciples are asked to be abstinent, the romance between the hero and the heroine and the Blade-Dance of the Two Lovers.