Lo Wei ( 12 December 1918 – 20 January 1996) was a Hong Kong film director and actor best known for launching the
martial arts film
Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression a ...
careers of both
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
, in ''
The Big Boss
''The Big Boss'' (; originally titled as ''Fists of Fury'' in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei (who also wrote the film) and Wu Chi-hsiang. Bruce Lee stars in his first major film in a lead role, and ...
''
and ''
Fist of Fury'', and
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...
, in ''
New Fist of Fury
''New Fist of Fury'' is a 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and starring Jackie Chan. It is the first of several films that Lo directed Chan in, and the first using Chan's stage name Sing Lung (, literally meaning "becoming a ...
''.
Career
Lo began his entertainment career as an actor in the Second World War. He moved to Hong Kong in 1948. During the 1950s, Lo became a popular matinee idol.
After Bruce Lee's death in 1973, it was Lo who gave Jackie Chan his first shot at the big time as part of the wave of
Bruceploitation
Bruceploitation (a portmanteau of "Bruce Lee" and "exploitation") is an exploitation film subgenre that emerged after the death of martial arts film star Bruce Lee in 1973, during which time filmmakers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea cast ...
. Lo is said to have been linked with Chinese organized crime, the
Triads.
Lo ran the production company "Lo Wei Motion Picture Company", which operated until 1977–78 due to heavy
cost-cutting
Cost reduction is the process used by organisations aiming to reduce their costs and increase their profits, or to accommodate reduced income. Depending on a company’s services or products, the strategies can vary. Every decision in the produ ...
measures as a result of
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...
signing a deal with
Golden Harvest.
Lo is credited with over 135 films as an actor, over 60 films as a director, over 30 films as a writer, and over 45 films as a producer.
Personal life
Lo died of heart failure in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
on 20 January 1996.
Filmography
Films
This is a partial list of films.
* ''Chun lei'' (1949)
* ''Chun cheng hua luo'' (1949)
* ''Da liang shan en chou ji'' (1949)
* ''Hai shi'' (1949) – Ku San
* ''Wang Kui yu Gui Ying'' (1952) – Wang Kuei
* ''Wu shan meng'' (1953) – Mingde
* ''Nie hai qing tian'' (1953) – Song Siqing
* ''Ge nu Gong Lingyan'' (1953)
* ''Ming nu ren bie zhuan'' (1953)
* ''Xiao feng xian'' (1953)
* ''Dang fu qing chi'' (1953) – Wen Lung
* ''Yuan yang jie'' (1953)
* ''Mei gui mei gui wo ai ni'' (1954)
* ''Bi xue huang hua'' (1954)
* ''Yang e'' (1955)
* ''Xiao bai cai'' (1955)
* ''Xiao feng xian xu ji'' (1955)
* ''Jin sang zi'' (1955)
* ''Cha hua nu'' (1955)
* ''Ying du yan ji'' (1955)
* ''Ju zi gu niang'' (1955)
* ''Tao hua jiang'' (1956) – Li Ming
* ''Hong chen'' (1956) – Hong Dalong
* ''Xue li hong'' (1956)
* ''Lian zhi huo'' (1956)
* ''Jing hun ji'' (1956) – Ma Churen
* ''Mang lian'' (1956) – Lung Meng-tang
* ''Shui xian'' (1956) – Kuang Yung-Li
* ''Wo xin chang dan'' (1956)
* ''Hu die fu ren'' (1956) – Wu Chiao
* ''Xian mu dan'' (1956)
* ''Duo qing he'' (1957) – Ah-Ching
* ''Jiu se cai qi'' (1957)
* ''Ai yu zui'' (1957) – Zhang Long
* ''Chun guang wu xian hao'' (1957)
* ''Ankoru watto monogatari utsukushiki aishu'' (1957) – King of Cambodia
* ''Diao Chan'' (1958) – Tung Chuo
* ''Xiao qing ren'' (1958)
* ''Shan hu'' (1958) – Chang Da Shun
* ''Hai wang zi'' (1958)
* ''Xiang ru fei fei'' (1958)
* ''Jin feng huang'' (1958)
* ''Long xiang feng wu'' (1959)
* ''Man tang hong'' (1959)
* ''Sha ren de qing shu'' (1959)
* ''Gui wu ge sheng'' (1959) – Kuan Li-Chi
* ''Jia you xi shi'' (1959) – Feng Gengtang
* ''Tao wang 48 xiao shi'' (1959)
* ''Ye hua xiang'' (1959) – Shang Ching Cheng
* ''Er nu ying xiong chuan'' (1959)
* ''Kuer liulang ji'' (1960)
* ''Gong lou dian ying'' (1960)
* ''Tao hua lei'' (1960) – Hua Mingchun
* ''Zhi fen jian die wang'' (1960)
* ''Hei hu die'' (1960)
* ''Mi yue feng bo'' (1960) – Chang Ying-Wei
* ''Ti yu huang hou'' (1961) – Guo Sue's Father
* ''Yuan nu Meng Li Si'' (1961)
* ''Wu yu wen can tian'' (1961) – Ho Ji-Ching
* ''Zei mei ren'' (1961)
* ''Shou qiang'' (1961)
* ''Zao sheng gui zi'' (1962)
* ''Yi duan qing'' (1962)
* ''Jin jian meng'' (1963)
* ''Wu Ze Tian'' (1963)
* ''He hua'' (1963)
* ''Die hai si zhuang shi'' (1963)
* ''Bao lian deng'' (1964) – Prime Minister Qin
* ''Luan feng he ming'' (1964) – Juying's Father
* ''Shen gong yuan'' (1964) – Dorgan
* ''Sheng si guan tou'' (1964)
* ''E yu he'' (1965)
* ''Nu hai qing chou'' (1965) – Master Ting
* ''Qi qi gan si dui'' (1965)
* ''Jin pu sa'' (1966)
* 1967 ''Angel With The Iron Fists'' – Chief Inspector. Also as director.
* 1967 ''Madame Slender Plum'' – Wang Xue Bin. Also as Director.
* 1967 ''Summons to Death'' – Gin Te-Biu. Also as screenwriter and director.
* 1967 ''Cui ming fu''
* ''Jin shi qing'' (1968) – Liu Yi-Jen
* ''Nu xia hei hu die'' (1968) – Chief Gai Tian Lui
* ''Tie guan yin yong po bao zha dang'' (1968) – Professor Hsiung
* ''Duan hun gu'' (1968) – Chao Yun Yang
* ''Jurang bahaya'' (1968) – Mr. King
* ''Bayangan ajal'' (1968) – Mr. King
* ''Du long tan'' (1969)
* ''Hu dan'' (1969)
* ''Long men jin jian'' (1969) – Pai Chen-Tung
* ''
Brothers Five
''Brothers Five'' (Chinese: 五虎屠龍) is a 1970 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film directed by Lo Wei and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio.
Plot
Five brothers were separated at birth when the evil lord of Flying Dragon Villa murdered their fat ...
'' (1970, Director)
* ''Gui tai jian'' (1971) – The King
* ''Ying zi shen bian'' (1971) – Chief Yang
* ''Gui liu xing'' (1971)
* ''
The Big Boss
''The Big Boss'' (; originally titled as ''Fists of Fury'' in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei (who also wrote the film) and Wu Chi-hsiang. Bruce Lee stars in his first major film in a lead role, and ...
'' (1971, Director)
* ' (1971, Director) – Shen Dun
* ''Jin Xuan Feng'' (1972)
* ''
Fist of Fury'' (1972) – Inspector
* ''
The Black Tavern
''The Black Tavern'' is a 1972 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film directed by Teddy Yip and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring Shih Szu.
Cast
* Shih Szu as Zhang Caibing
*Tung Li as Zha Xiaoyu
* Ku Feng as Zheng Shoushan
*Kong Ling as Jingl ...
'' (1972)
* ''
A Man Called Tiger'' (1973, Director) Also as Nakatami / Moriyuki.
* ''Ma lu xiao ying xiong'' (1973) – Tram passenger victim
* ''Hai yuan chi hao'' (1973) – Noodle shop boss
* ''
Kung Fu Girl'' (1973, Director) – Commissioner Wu
* ''
Yellow Faced Tiger'' (1974, Director)
* ''
Naughty, Naughty'' (1974, Director)
* ''Chuo tou zhuang yuan'' (1974)
* ''Jin fen shen xian shou'' (1975)
* ''
Shaolin Wooden Men
''Shaolin Wooden Men'' () (Shao Lin mu ren xiang) is a 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chen Chi-hwa, written by Gam Yam, and produced by Lo Wei. The film stars Jackie Chan, with a supporting cast of Doris Lung Chun-erh, Chiang Kam ...
'' (1976, Director, producer)
* ''
New Fist of Fury
''New Fist of Fury'' is a 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and starring Jackie Chan. It is the first of several films that Lo directed Chan in, and the first using Chan's stage name Sing Lung (, literally meaning "becoming a ...
'' (1976) – Inspector (cameo). Also as Director, screenwriter, and producer.
* ''
The Killer Meteors
''Killer Meteors'', ( Chinese: 風雨雙流星) (or The Killer Meteors, Jackie Chan vs. Wang Yu) is a 1976 kung fu Hong Kong action film, directed by Lo Wei.
Overview
Jackie Chan plays Immortal Meteor, who terrorizes a small town in Hong Kong ...
'' (1976, Director)
* ''
Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin
''Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin'' () is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film starring Jackie Chan and directed by Chen Chi-hwa. It was released by the Lo Wei Motion Picture Company, a subsidiary of Golden Harvest. Along with Tu Wi Ho, Chen was a ...
'' (1977, Producer)
* ''
To Kill with Intrigue
''To Kill with Intrigue'' ( zh, c=劍花煙雨江南, ) is a 1977 historical action-drama film directed by Lo Wei. A joint Hong Kong and South Korean co-production with martial arts, revenge and romance film elements, the film stars Hong Ko ...
'' (1977, Director)
* ''
Spiritual Kung Fu
''Spiritual Kung Fu'' () (Quan Jing) is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed and produced by Lo Wei. The film stars Jackie Chan, James Tien, and Dean Shek. The film features Yuen Biao as one of the ''Master of the Five Fists'' m ...
'' (1978, Director)
* ''
Dragon Fist
''Dragon Fist'' (, also known as ''Dangsang Martial Arts'' or ''The Wild Big Boss'') is a 1979 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei, who also Hsu Li-hwa. The film stars Jackie Chan, Nora Miao, James Tien, Yen Shi-kwan, Eagle Ha ...
'' (1979, Director)
* ''
Fearless Hyena Part II
''Fearless Hyena Part II'' () (also released in Japan as and in West Germany as ''Der Superfighter II'') is a 1983 Hong Kong comedy-themed martial arts film, martial arts Hong Kong action cinema, action film directed by Chan Chuen, and starri ...
'' (1983, Writer)
* ''Long hu zhi duo xing'' (1988)
* ''Haam ging bin yuen'' (1988)
* ''Shen xing tai bao'' (1989)
* ''Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive'' (1989) – The Boss
* ''Gong woo jui hau yat goh dai lo'' (1990) – (final film role)
References
External links
*
Lo Wei at fareastfilms.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lo, Wei
1918 births
1996 deaths
Film directors from Jiangsu
Hong Kong male film actors
Hong Kong film directors
Male actors from Jiangsu
20th-century Hong Kong male actors
Hong Kong screenwriters
Screenwriters from Jiangsu
20th-century Chinese screenwriters
Chinese emigrants to British Hong Kong