The news came that the old drama bones of Hong Kong films were missing one less.
An old fan of Hong Kong films, who loves to call him ShouBo - Chen Long, died at the age of 79.
American director Robert Samuels posted the news of the death of the golden supporting actor of Hong Kong films on his personal social platform, writing: "We have lost a legend in the Hong Kong film industry - Chen Long. We worked together in the 90s, and he also worked with Bruce Lee on Dragon Fight and Jingwumen. He has a good and innocent heart. Pray for his family during this difficult time. ”
Somewhat surprisingly, the news of "Shou Bo's" death was actually released by an American director, probably because this old drama bone, who had given wonderful performances again and again in the golden age of Hong Kong films, had retired for 17 years.
At the beginning of the year, another Hong Kong film veteran drama bone, Liao Qizhi, left, when Weng Hong's post said to many people's hearts: "Starting from director Deng Yancheng, how many people have gone?" Director Chen Musheng, produced by Qian Guowei, voiced emperor Bingge Tan Bingwen, a generation of Xigong Niangniang qin sister Li Xiangqin, golden supporting role Wu Mengda, and now so soon it is the turn of the best supporting actor Zhi Uncle, these are all Hong Kong acting predecessors who accompanied my childhood memories! ”
Over the years, Hong Kong films have lost dozens of green leaves, and in 2021 alone, we have lost seven old drama bones.
Behind the golden supporting roles, there is also a golden age of Hong Kong films.
Just like Chen Long's representative role, the late master, Shou Bo, is also left over from the golden age of Hong Kong films, and in that wave rushing wave, they have also been a wave.
And when the old generation of Hong Kong films is dying, "Hong Kong films are dead" has long been silently accepted by Hong Kong film fans, for the new generation of audiences, may not even know how beautiful Hong Kong films have been: what is a Hong Kong film, is it good to have an idol drama starring brothers?
When more and more golden supporting roles fade out of the big screen to suddenly pass away, Hong Kong films are also leaving us.
In the sunset afterglow of the old drama bone far away from the back, what is left is the history of the demise of a Hong Kong film.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > Hongjiaban elder, who worked with Bruce Lee, do you remember the late master? </h1>
Chen Long has been acting in movies since the '70s, and yes, his performances may predate our childhood memories, and he has always been in the childhood memories of our generation.
Chen Long and Hong Jinbao are considered to be the same period, both are from the drama class, debuted early, and have been "killed" by Bruce Lee in "Big Brother Tangshan".
At that time, Hong Jinbao once studied with the famous master Yu Zhanyuan, and later followed Yu Zhanyuan's son-in-law Han Yingjie as a martial artist. Han Yingjie gave Bruce Lee martial arts instruction in the 1970s, and after Bruce Lee's death, the Hong Kong film martial arts lost its leader, and Han Yingjie helped Hong Jinbao form his own team, which later became the Hong family class.
Chen Long thus became a member of the Hong family class.
Because he also looks fat, and Hong Jinbao is called "Hong Jia Ban Double Fat".
Because he was born in a drama class, he had a foundation in kung fu, plus his appearance was very characteristic, and his face had a sense of joy, so he performed a lot in front of the screen while being a martial artist, but it was also because of this face that he could not become the protagonist after all.
The older generation of audiences are most impressed by his various roles in Lin Zhengying's films, which are his performances in Hong Kong comedies and martial arts films.
For example, the "Thunder Tiger" of "Gambler II on the Beach Gambling Saint", without him, Star Ye's bull fighting in the next mountain in the movie would not have impressed the audience so much.
In the impression, his most playable role should be the loyal servant "Dabao" of "Fang Shiyu", the first half of the funny and joyful, and finally the "Fang Shiyu" played by Jet Li collected the body for Dabao and was deeply moving.
However, the most classic role he left in the hearts of many viewers is the "late master" in the "Six-Fingered Piano Demon" that has been broadcast countless times in his childhood, holding two pot lids in his hand and shouting "How come I am late again".
Such actors as Chen Long, called "licorice actors" in Hong Kong films, are easy to understand that this is the green grass that sets off the red flowers. But in fact, there is another layer of meaning, licorice is a medicinal introduction, with it, good medicine can exert force, licorice is not the main ingredient, but indispensable.
But because it is licorice, even if it disappears, many viewers will not be aware of it, until he dies, many people are surprised: it turns out that the master has been retired for so long.
Just like those old drama bones that left us in 2021 —
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="120" > 2021, we lost seven Old Hong Kong film bones</h1>
1. Li Xiangqin died at the age of 88
The first old drama bone to leave us in 2021 is Li Xiangqin, known as "Qin Sister".
Li Xiangqin first sang Cantonese opera, debuted at the age of 14, and officially debuted at the age of 16.
Later, Cantonese opera gradually declined, Li Xiangqin began to shoot Cantonese films, and as a result, the first time she took over the role of villain, it was a blockbuster, because she often played sinister roles such as adulterous concubines and stepmothers, and was known as "a generation of adulterous concubines".
After the 1970s, Li Xiangqin began to enter the television circle, and his image was reversed again, and his amiable face was remembered by many viewers in classic film and television dramas such as "The Good Moon of the Storm of hearts 2", "The Tale of the Dragon Slaughtering in the Heavens", "Happy Events at Home", and "Happy Events in The Flower Fields".
Many viewers still remember the mother she played in "Family Has a Happy Event", who looks like an old man with dementia, but in fact, her heart is like a mirror.
Li Xiangqin and another Tan Bingwen were Cantonese opera partners who had cooperated for many years. The two worked together seamlessly, and also opened a film company together, and there were rumors about it, but in the end, there was no part.
Nearly 50 years after this love entanglement, Li Xiangqin has been single. In 2012, Li Xiangqin, who was more than 80 years old, faded out due to physical reasons.
In September 2020, Tan Bingwen died, Li Xiangqin's daughter also appeared on behalf of her mother to bid farewell to her best friend, who had thought, in just three months, on January 4 this year, Li Xiangqin suddenly fainted while eating rice cereal at home, and before she was sent to the hospital, she had died.
The most classic "A-ma" in Hong Kong dramas is one less.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="121" >2, Lin Cong died at the age of 76</h1>
The second old drama bone to bid farewell to us this year is Lin Cong, who died suddenly of a heart attack on January 31 at the age of 76.
The name Lin Cong may not be familiar to many old Hong Kong film fans, but those who love Hong Kong films must have seen his movies.
Because of his tough appearance and natural "villain face", Lin Congduo played the villain. He starred in hundreds of movies before his death, and the audience's deepest impression is still "The True Colors of Heroes", "Blood Street" and other jianghu films.
But there is a tradition in Hong Kong films: the more you look at the evil deeds in the film, the more docile and kind you are offstage.
Who would have thought that he would play a fierce gun at every turn in the film of The Owl, but in fact, he loves to read books very much, and he does not leave his hands all day long, and has a deep study of Chinese history and literature.
His friend Tang Zhenye even said that he was the most talented of all his artist friends.
Even in his later years, away from the entertainment industry, Lin Cong has always been concerned about the development of Hong Kong films, serving as the teaching governor of the Oriental International Film and Television Art Education Center, and jointly cultivating hong Kong film successors with Zeng Zhiwei and others.
Lin Cong is still a patriotic artist, and when Hong Kong returned to China, he was moved to speak: Finally feel rooted.
After the millennium, Lin Cong settled in Zhanjiang.
He was unmarried all his life, childless, although he looked tough, in fact, he had always had heart disease, but then he went out to shoot, too hard and frozen, and his health began to take a sharp turn, and finally died.
Hong Kong films, and one less classic villain.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="122" >3, Wu Mengda died at the age of 70</h1>
The next person to leave us was Uncle Da.
Before he was still saying that as long as he was alive, there was always a chance to cooperate with Star Master.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to that day.
Speaking of Wu Mengda, it seems necessary to talk about Zhou Xingchi. The pair is indeed unique, the two together will inevitably have a full comedic effect, it is difficult to imagine the 90s like the sun in the sky of the Zhou Xingchi comedy if there is no Wu Mengda, how much glory will be lost.
But what Wu Mengda is really the most powerful is the wildness of Hong Kong films, who can cooperate with whomever they want, and whoever they cooperate with, they can not only not steal the light of the protagonist, but also perform their own brilliance.
This is the case with Stephen Chow, the same with Andy Lau in "Heavenly Love", and the same with Zhao Jinmai and other juniors in "The Wandering Earth".
When he was alive, he and Zhou Xingchi once rumored that they did not have contact with each other, but in fact, they were only one less opportunity to reunite.
Who would have thought that on February 27, Uncle Da died suddenly, and Zhou Xingchi, who had not appeared for a long time, found himself hanging in white, so that the two old friends met again, it was Uncle Da's funeral.
Since then, Zhou Xingchi has lost Wu Mengda, the best partner, and Hong Kong films have lost a golden supporting role.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="123" >4, Liao Qizhi died at the age of 66</h1>
But everyone never expected that just sent away a golden supporting role, in 2021 we lost another golden supporting role - Liao Qizhi.
Starting from Chen Xianggui, Ding Li's "horse boy" in "Shanghai Beach", all the way to Zhou Botong in "The Legend of the Nine Yin True Classics of the Eagle Hero", Zheng Dongliu in "Strange Hero and One Branch plum", and then to the three uncles in the movies "Caged People" and "Infernal Affairs 2", "Kill the Wolf" and "Witness", Liao Qizhi seems to have few roles that cannot be played and cannot be played well in Hong Kong films and Hong Kong dramas.
But outside the play, his life is so lamentable.
When he married Ruhua Huadan, everyone was happy for him, and as a result, in 2003, his 2-year-old youngest son Wennuo was suddenly diagnosed with hemorrhagic cancer, and in order to treat his son, he had to take care of his son while filming desperately. Every morning I came home in the early hours of the morning and left the house at 6 o'clock the next day to take care of my son.
However, in 2006, Vinno eventually died of ineffective medical treatment.
The wife could not bear the blow and suffered from severe depression, Liao Qizhi carried everything and continued to enlighten his wife until she came out of depression.
Huo Jianhua recalled that when filming with Liao Qizhi, he always wore headphones and did not know what he was listening to, and then he couldn't help but ask about it, only to learn that he had been listening to Wennuo's recordings.
But such a good person with affection, righteousness and integrity was admitted to the hospital in March 2021 because of his deteriorating condition, and it didn't take long for bad news to come out.
On March 28, Uncle Zhi passed away at the age of 66. Hong Kong films have lost another "wild".
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="124" >5, Huang Shutang died at the age of 77</h1>
Many viewers are most familiar with his role, or "uncle" in "Dating".
Audiences of the earlier generation may remember his role as "a little red in the Central Plains" in "Chu Liuxiang".
Huang Shutang debuted as a martial artist in his early years, and later transformed into an actor, martial arts director and director.
In the late 1980s, ATV once focused on production in the Lin Baixin era and produced many popular works, of which "Dating" is one of the few ATV dramas that have fought wireless dramas.
The "Uncle Qiu" played by Huang Shutang in the play is the descendant of Mao Xiaofang (Played by Lin Zhengying).
But then ATV declined, no longer focused on drama production, instead of buying a large number of foreign dramas, Huang Shutang also turned to the new MaTai, mostly as a martial arts instructor, and occasionally returned to Hong Kong to participate in TV series.
In 2018, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and gradually recovered after surgery. Unfortunately, his condition recurred, and he eventually died of illness on April 10 this year at the age of 77.
Hong Kong drama, since then, there is no longer a date with ATV, and there is no longer an uncle.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="126" >6, Wang Zhong died at the age of 74</h1>
Many viewers are most impressed by him, should be in 1992 he participated in the "Wu Zhuangyuan Su Qi'er", playing Elder Mo.
In fact, he has participated in many Hong Kong films, and he has also written and directed himself in "Goldfinger", which has made Li Xiuxian popular in one fell swoop, making him have the reputation of "the ancestor of realistic police film directors".
Later, he also directed films such as "The Love of Long and Short Feet" and "Rogue Servant".
But the Hong Kong film jianghu is like this, no matter how many classics have been filmed, the old drama bones are only when they have worked a job, when doing things, they will go all out, and they will not take it seriously after finishing the work, so later Wang Zhongying actually ran to drive a taxi.
This group of old drama bones, after all, is to look at the world with a relaxed eye, whether it is to start work or drive, it is to do this job well.
In 2004, under the invitation of Du Qifeng many times, he once again went out to participate in "Hei Society", and since then, he has completely disappeared without any news.
Until April 2021, he died of illness, and many industry leaders sent wreaths.
I thought that the old drama bones that would be sent away in 2021 could finally end here, who expected that near the end of the year, Chen Long passed away again.
But even if you just roughly skim the life of these old drama bones, you can find that if you want to say that life is a test paper, it is really not only the standard answer of the protagonist, life is a variety of answers.
These supporting characters should have their own unique life code.
Some people are stubborn to carry fate to the end.
Someone is amusing the audience's lifelong persistence.
Some people, like Xiao Qiang, do not die, the sky falls down when the skirt wears the vitality.
The skin bag is given by God, can not be the protagonist, they do have the day after tomorrow to insist, business out of the things, only their own things.
Many of these supporting roles are still acting before their deaths, fading out of the show business circle, still working, no matter how old, there is no sense of "aging" at all, and they are all working hard to work and create. Even if you are willing to be a "green leaf", but everyone's life is legendary, living a wonderful life, what does it depend on?
Probably it is the sense of professional belief in doing this job well in the Hong Kong film.
Unfortunately, they have passed away, how many people still hold on to this sense of faith?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="127" > the golden supporting role has no successor, and the golden age of Hong Kong films is gone</h1>
Behind these golden supporting roles, there is actually a golden age.
From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, it was the heyday of Hong Kong films. Kung fu movies, action movies, police movies, comedies, martial arts movies have risen and fallen, and superstars have become idols of a generation of young people in the mainland.
David Podwell, a well-known American film research scholar, once said of Hong Kong films in its heyday: "This city of about 6 million people has one of the largest film kingdoms in the world, and the number of films produced exceeds that of almost all Western countries, and the number of films exported is second only to the United States." ”
At that time, Hong Kong film shooting was known for its speed, and it was common for big-name stars to shoot more than a dozen plays a year, but there were many green leaves like Liao Qizhi, Wu Mengda, and Chen Long that set off these red flowers.
How can safflower alone become a forest?
With these golden supporting roles of Hong Kong films, it is possible to withstand the glorious years of decades.
And these old drama bones, which have not received systematic acting training in the eyes of many audiences, have actually cultivated richer acting skills in this school of life, always able to show the solemnity of fate and its irrationality at the same time, and all the absurdities of the late master, the love of Fang Shiyu's servants, and the jokes of Thunder Tiger have all taken root in Hong Kong films.
Unfortunately, everything began to come to an abrupt end in 1993, when Hollywood blockbusters represented by "Jurassic Park" began to sweep Asia, and the Hong Kong film market was also impacted. After that, the rivers of Hong Kong gradually disappeared into the new millennium.
The best Hong Kong film directors, Xu Ke and Lin Chaoxian, have come to the mainland to shoot blockbusters.
Whether it is real or illusory, Hui Yinghong once sighed, "I have witnessed the transformation of Hong Kong movies from more than 400 a year to more than 20 now."
Hong Kong films continue to decline, it is difficult for newcomers to emerge, stars such as Gu Tianle Zhang Jiahui can also enter the mainland market to start work, but the mainland film industry does not lack supporting roles, so the golden supporting roles of the former Hong Kong films have gradually disappeared, either mixed with network movies, or faded out.
When the old drama bones gradually pass away in oblivion, it is difficult to see the older generation of Hong Kong filmmakers who really respect the film so much.
Compared with the pursuit of fame and fortune and coffee positions by many traffic stars, what we see more in Chen Long is a kind of respect for the film itself, and the love for the film itself is more important.
But those loves and aspirations are also dying with Hong Kong films.
There are two kinds of "extinction": the first is the death of the body, and the second is the "time when a person really dies when he is forgotten by all." “
With only the last sunset left in Hong Kong films, how long can these old drama bones be remembered?
But we still have to thank them for using licorice characters to create so many beautiful movies together, even if they are forgotten, they are buried in the memory of a generation.
Their wave of licorice actors, after all, is lucky to catch up with the golden years of Hong Kong films, even if the memory of this generation no longer has a street video hall, no longer has rough picture quality and Caton screen, and no longer has a colorful supporting role on the screen, only the brothers with good looks.
But there are always people who will miss them, and at the same time, they will miss their former selves, and they will miss the youth of those who skipped class and grew up watching Hong Kong films.
Today's Hong Kong films, no rivers and lakes, belong to the old bones of Hong Kong films, the golden age is also difficult to return.
But at least they have been sincere and enthusiastic, behind every classic Hong Kong film, there are traces they have left behind, and each of them has their own story and jianghu.
The soul of Hong Kong flavor is actually in the red of these licorice supporting characters.
Even if it can be remembered, difficult to reproduce, and never reproduced, the movies in the memory of that generation will never end.
Late master, life is like a dream, all the way good.
Thank you, Old Drama Bones of Hong Kong Films.