Sun Jian, Lu Feng, Jiang Sheng, Guo Chai
In 1977, the big director Zhang Che hurriedly ended the "Longbow" company in Taiwan and returned to his old owner "Shaw" with a debt. He also brought back several newcomer actors and actresses excavated in Taiwan, including Guo Chai, Lu Feng, Jiang Sheng, Sun Jian and others who later became the best of the four generations of disciples of the Zhang family class.
Guo Chai
Guo Chai, formerly known as Chen Julu and later changed his name to Guo Zhenfeng, was born in Taiwan on October 21, 1951, and studied "Gezai Opera" at Lu Guang Opera School when he was a teenager. Guo Chai is a natural martial arts prodigy, and all kinds of kung fu are learned at once.
Deer Peak
Lu Feng, formerly known as Chu Qixue, also known as Chu Luhua, was born in Taiwan on April 3, 1956. He is an alumnus of Guo Chai, but he studied Peking Opera.
Jiang Sheng
Jiang Sheng, formerly known as Shao Kangsheng, also known as Zhao Gangsheng, was born in Taiwan on April 27, 1953, graduated from fuxing opera school, and also studied Peking Opera. He was born at the same time as Li Yimin, Dai Che, Peng Gang and others.
Sun Jian
Sun Jian, formerly known as Sun Jianyuan, was born in Taiwan on December 5, 1955, and received a taekwondo black belt at the age of 19. Zhang Che praised him for his "kung fu on his legs" and was hailed as the "latest weapon".
Lu Feng, Guo Chai, Jiang Sheng
Guo Chai has a lively and cheerful personality, nicknamed "Ancient Cone" (Hokkien "cute"), and his stage name Guo Chai is the harmonic sound of "Ancient Cone". When he was a teenager, he did not fight with Jiang Sheng and did not know each other, became close friends, and pulled several other friends to form a "revival acrobatic troupe", performing in various nightclubs in Taipei, and finally disbanded because of "making less and spending more", and followed the brothers into the film industry to make a living.
In 1974, when filming "The Eight-Nation Alliance", Guo Chai's outstanding skills were "love at first sight" by Zhang Che. Under his introduction, Lu Feng and Jiang Sheng also entered Zhang Che's team.
"Chinatown Kid", Luo Mang, Sun Jian
Sun Jian entered the Zhangjia class through 1976's "Chinatown Kid". It is worth mentioning that "Chinatown Kid" is Zhang Che's typical "old with new" style film, which introduces Sun Jian to the audience through the lead actor Fu Sheng. Guo Chai and Luo Mang also played important roles in the film, while Lu Feng and Jiang Sheng only ran a dragon suit.
"Shaolin Temple", Middle Luo Mang, right Wei Bai
Soon, Wei Bai, a young Hong Kong man who served as a dragon and tiger martial artist with Luo Mang in the Shaolin Temple, also formally worshiped under Zhang Che's door. After a short run-in period, Zhang Che invited Ni Kuang to help and tailored the classic kung fu film "Five Poisons" for these six "Qizi".
Luo Mang
Luo Mang, formerly known as Luo Kunlin, born on July 23, 1956, has loved martial arts since childhood, practiced a beautiful muscle, and his best is Zhujia Mantis Fist.
Wei Bai
Wei Bai, formerly known as Mei Guocheng, born in 1957, is a descendant of Huang Feihong and the apprentice of Hong Quan master Zhao Zhiling, and also studied Wing Chun.
The Five Poisons
In August 1978, the bizarre "Five Poisons" became a hit, and even gained a large number of fans overseas. Since then, fans have collectively referred to Guo Chai, Lu Feng, Jiang Sheng, Sun Jian, Luo Mang, and Wei Bai as the "Five Poison Warriors".
"Five Poisons", Jiang Sheng, Guo Chai
"Five Poisons", Luo Mang, Wei Bai
Zhang Che designed the role according to the characteristics of each disciple, but at the same time it was inevitable to limit their future plays: Guo Chai calm, Lu Feng evil qi, Jiang ShengLingli, Sun Jiansiwen, Luo Manggangmeng, and Wei Bai... handsome.
Sun Jian, Wei Bai
Heroes
Among the six people, Wei Bai was the most special one. Among the four generations of disciples, he was obviously the most handsome, but he was the one who was the least pleasing to Zhang Che. The reason is that he is an introvert and cannot mingle with the crowd. In 1979, he left "Shaw" to "Jiahe", although he also starred in several films such as "Hero" and "Pink Skull", but he went to the United States for love in 1981, causing more than two years of empty window and wasting a good time for development. When he returned again, the traditional kung fu films had become thinner and thinner, and he had to switch to the television circle.
Shaolin and Wudang
"The Great Kill"
Back to Zhangjiaban. In a short period of time, the four generations of disciples have successively starred in more than ten kung fu films such as "Crippled", "Southern Shaolin and Northern Shaolin", "Acrobatic Outlaw Team", "Life-Selling Boy", "Golden Arm Boy", "Forked Hand" and so on, all of which are group dramas without exception. Several people performed their duties: Luo Mang's fist, Sun Jian's leg, and Guo Chai, Lu Feng, and Jiang Sheng's three people playing with their muscles. Especially after Guo Chai and the three were promoted to martial arts instructors, the martial arts actions designed according to the characteristics of each person were both novel and good-looking.
Outlaw Acrobatic Team
"The Boy Who Sold His Life"
In addition to martial arts, they are also constantly honing their acting skills. Although they are not handsome men in the traditional sense, they are indispensable to cooperate with each other tacitly. In addition to the taste-hunting "Five Poisons" and "Mutilation", films such as "Acrobatic Outlaws" and "Lifestroke Boys", several people performed very well. The helplessness of the film for traditional kung fu and jianghu righteousness to be eliminated by the times also seems to be a portrayal of themselves.
Guo Chai, Sun Jian
Sun Jian, Guo Chai
Outside the film, Guo Chai, Lu Feng, Jiang Sheng, and Sun Jian, the four foreigners, are usually relatively close. Jiang Sheng is very sloppy in private and does not like to wash his hair and take a bath, so Guo Chai, as the eldest brother, has no less to worry about. The situation didn't get any better until he found a wife. It is said that Jiang Sheng's wife is the most beautiful of several spouses. However, this marriage is not perfect, this is a later story.
Jiang Sheng, Zhang Che
Jiang Sheng, Guo Chai, Zhang Che, Luo Mang, Sun Jian, Wang Li, Lu Feng
Although there are scenes to shoot every day, they have to face the reality that traditional kung fu films are gradually declining, the box office of movies is not as good as one, and the former film overlord "Shaw" has become weaker and weaker.
Jiang Sheng, Lu Feng, Wang Li, Guo Chai, Qian Xiaohao, Long Tianxiang
Zhang Che was also thinking about a way out. On the one hand, he began to support the fifth generation of disciples such as Cheng Tianci, Long Tianxiang, and Qian Xiaohao, and on the other hand, he dismissed Sun Jian and Luo Mang, and sent Guo Chai, Lu Feng, and Jiang Sheng to enter the Taiwan market again.
In 1981, with the assistance of Zhang Che's former assistant director Bao Xueli, Guo Chai, Lu Feng and Jiang Sheng made a kung fu film "The Legend of the Warlock" that told the story of national hero Qi Jiguang.
The Law of No King
"Five Ninjutsu", the fourth right Luo Mang
At the same time, the abandoned Sun Jian perked up from his sullenness and starred in a grossly underrated "black film": "The Law of No King". After Luo Mang completed the task of "bringing the old to the new" in "Five Ninjutsu", he also began to take over the works of other directors.
"The Legend of the Warlock" unsurprisingly pounced on the street, and Guo Chai returned to "Shaw" in order to get the Hong Kong ID card. However, time has passed, and at this time he can only play various strange supporting roles. Lu Feng and Jiang Sheng stayed in their hometown and fought for Zhang Che's new company "Changhe".
"Shanghai Beach Thirteen Taibao"
"Hot Hand Detective", the right one Guo Chai
In 1984, Zhang Che's masterpiece "The Thirteen Taibao of Shanghai Beach" brought together several generations of disciples from Wang Yu to Cheng Tianci, but Guo Chai was absent. Under the support of Cheng Xiaodong, he finally became popular as a martial arts instructor. In films such as "Hot Hand Detective", "Across the Sea", "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch", "007 Tomorrow's Empire" and many TVB TV series, Guo Chaidu left his name and was nominated for best action design at the 7th Hong Kong Film Awards with "Ghost of Qiannu" and Cheng Xiaodong.
Filmark International Ltd. company logo
"Mad move", right Sun Jian
"Ip Man 4" Luo Mang
In 1985, shaw laid off workers and stopped production, sun Jian joined the infamous Filmark International Ltd. company, concocted a large number of "ninja films" to sell to southeast Asia and other underdeveloped regions, but did not make less money. Luo Mang joined TVB and has been working diligently ever since. Lu Feng turned to the background, and he participated in famous TV series such as "The Legend of the New White Lady", "Huan Zhu Gege", "Bao Qingtian's Seven Heroes and Five Righteousness", etc. The handsome brother Wei Bai left "ATV" at the end of the 1980s and completely withdrew from the film and television circle to live overseas.
Lu Feng, Cheng Tianci
Jiang Sheng was the most unfortunate of several people. As mentioned earlier, his wife left him. The marriage broke down, the glory was gone, and he could only play some small roles in the TV series. Long-term alcoholism made him extremely ill. One day in August 1991, his friend Cheng Tianci visited Jiang Sheng's home and found that Jiang Sheng had died of a heart attack for many days, at the age of 38. Guo Chai once lamented that Jiang Sheng did not die of heart disease, but died of a "broken heart".
"Five Poison Warriors"
There are talented people in the jiangshan generation, and there are fewer and fewer children in the jianghu. Zhang Jiaban, the fourth generation of disciples, has his own strengths in fist and foot kung fu. In the most glorious era of Hong Kong kung fu films, they left a number of unique films, which are also a strong stroke. Although they are not as good as the martial arts teams such as Liu Jiaban and Chengjia Class in terms of achievements, they also deserve respect.
Hats off to the "Five Poison Warriors"!
End