But by doing this research it hit me again how many of the Shaw films didn't and may never make it on to DVD and many of them sound right up my alley. I think Celestial released the majority of the martial art films as those sparked the most interest and buyer dollars but in truth it was all the other genres that most intrigued me - melodramas, musicals, adventure, historicals. I remember that at the Chinatown DVD store where I spent much of my retirement money Paul used to kid me that he only ordered one copy of a bunch of titles because he knew I would be the only person to buy them! True.
I was a sucker for anything with Peter Chen, Paul Chang Chun, Betty Loh Ti, Diana Chang, Lily Ho, Julie Yeh Feng, Angela Yu Chien, Jenny Hu, Essie Lin Chia, Tina Chin Fei, Betty Ting Pei, Lucilla You Min (pictured at top of page in the 1958 Love with an Alien) and two of Dave Durian's rightful obsessions - Fanny Fan and Margaret Tu Chuan. Yup, for the most part all the sleek sexy sirens of Shaw. And there are loads of films in which they appear that never made it to DVD - and of course besides those there are all the films made in the 1950's of which only a handful were remastered and none as far as I know of their Cantonese division usually starring Patricia Lam Fung (pictured above in the 1961 Manhunt) . Hey, Celestial I want to see films like Oh Boys, Oh Girls (1961) with Paul and Margaret or Three Dolls in Hong Kong (1961) with Paul, Pat Ting and three Japanese babes or The Lady and the Thief (1963) with Peter and Pat. I don't know if they are any good but I want them!
Greatest Hits
1. The Dancing Millionairess - 1964
2. Till the End of Time - 1966
3. The Singing Escort - 1969
4. Love Without End - 1970
5. Love Without End - 1970
6. The Black Forest - 1964
7. Hong Kong Nocturne - 1967
8. My Dreamboat - 1967
9. Swan Song - 1967
10. Moonlight Serenade - 1967
11. Moonlight Serenade - 1967
12. That Tender Age - 1967
13. Sing High, Sing Low - 1967
14. The Millionaire Chase - 1969
15. The Black Forest - 1964
16. The Black Forest - 1964
17. The Black Forest - 1964
18. Hong Kong Nocturne - 1967
19. Hong Kong Nocturne - 1967
20. My Dreamboat - 1967
21. My Dreamboat - 1967
22. Moonlight Serenade - 1967
23. Moonlight Serenade - 1967
24. Moonlight Serenade - 1967
25. The Warlord and the Actress - 1964
26. The Warlord and the Actress - 1964
Timeless Favorites
1. When the Clouds Roll By - 1969
2. Diary of a Lady Killer - 1969
3. My Dreamboat - 1967
4. The Second Spring - 1963
5. Till the End of Time - 1966
6. Swan Song - 1967
7. Love Without End - 1970
8. Song of Tomorrow - 1968
9. Song of Tomorrow - 1968
10. Come Drink With Me - 1966
11. Come Drink With Me - 1966
12. Come Drink With Me - 1966
13. Dragon Creek - 1967
14. Swan Song - 1967
15. Swan Song - 1967
16. Susanna - 1967
17. Susanna - 1967
18. The Rainbow - 1968
19. Forever Diamonds - 1968
20. The Enchanted Chamber - 1968
21. The Enchanted Chamber - 1968
22. Torrent of Desire - 1969
23. Torrent of Desire - 1969
24. Raw Passions - 1969
25. Love Without End - 1970
26. Flower in the Rain - 1972
27. Till the End of Time - 1966
28. Song of Tomorrow - 1968
29. The Second Spring - 1963
Romantic Classics
1. The Lark - 1965
2. Till the End of Time - 1966
3. The Black and the Blue - 1966
4. The Venus Tear Diamond - 1971
5. The Price of Love - 1970
6. Mist Over Dream Lake - 1968
7. The Singing Killer - 1970
8. The Lark - 1965
9. The Lark - 1965
10. The Lark - 1965
11. The Black and the Blue - 1966
12. Love Without End - 1970
13. Song of Tomorrow - 1968
14. Blue Skies - 1967
15. Dragon Creek - 1967
16. Unfinished Melody - 1969
17. Unfinished Melody - 1969
18. The Orchid - 1970
19. The Price of Love - 1970
20. The Price of Love - 1970
21. Love Across the Seas - 1973
22. The Joy of Spring - 1966
23. Till the End of Time - 1966
24. Poison Rose - 1966
25. Poison Rose - 1966
26. Lady Jade Locket - 1967
It is interesting (to me at least) that so many of the films that I associate with Shaw musicals didn't make it on to any of these CD's - Hong Kong Rhapsody being the major one but also nothing from Love Parade, Les Belles, The Yellow Muffler, Tropicana Interlude, Linda Lin Dai's Love Without End and many others. Perhaps there were more CD compilations in the works that were also dropped for lack of interest.
Here is one selection from Timeless Favorites - from a 1968 film called Forever Diamonds with Peter Chen and Pat Ting Hung that never made it on to DVD.
4 comments:
I purchased my first all region player because of the Shaw reissues.
And in the first batch that I bought was Hong Kong Nocturne.
I echo your sentiments wholeheartedly.
If I had known that these were going to go out of print so quickly, I would have purchased more films.
I'm right with you that the SB films I want most are the musicals and melodramas. Since they're the earliest ones, perhaps they're in unsalvageable condition? I'd even settle for that bizarre re-dubbing and re-scoring they did for "Rear Entrance".
And don't get me started on MP&GI....
Thanks for the list, Brian! If you're taking requests, I'd love to hear Track 29 from Timeless Favorites (The Second Spring). It's sung by Margaret Tu Chuan and one of the few recordings she made.
BTW, send me an email (duriandave@gmail). I have a question for you.
-200albums, I'm half with you on your proposition. I thought they did a great job of re-dubbing the dialogue for Rear Entrance, but I absolutely hated the new music. It didn't fit the period of the film and was too new-agey.
Glad to learn about your blog! I'm looking forward to following the list with you.
Glenn - ya I understand that lots of the SB films are out of print now. The sense I get is that Celestial just lost interest in the films once they realized it wasn't the gold mine they had hoped for. I was fortunate in that I picked up everything I wanted when they came out - and when I had the money to do so!
200 Albums - I don't think its the condition of the film prints as much as the condition of the sales - those types of films just didn't sell very well. They clearly saw the martial art films as the money makers. I guess I should not complain too much - I am happy that they released some 400 films that I never expected to see in my life but once you get a taste you want the whole thing. And the Cathay films - same thing except they didn't even have the martial art films to balance the ledger - so it was a real loss for them and with so many great titles to go.
DD - next time I post I will include that song. My email is just: bdnaas@hotmail.com
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