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Lee Hoi San


inframan

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GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG

He says in the very beginning part 1 of the interview that Ti Lung and David Chiang were the catalyst to his entering the Hong Kong film industry. He said they were directing and asked him to come aboard. Wow, that's very interesting IMO!

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Just finished watching Warriors Two, and got me thinking that this is probably one of the most under appreciated guys in classic kung fu!

Never seen him in a disappointing role, whether he’s just a henchman, the main villain, or a Shaolin abbot. Fantastic screen fighter, and solid actor as well.

 

What are some of everyone’s favorite Lee Hoi San roles, moments, fights, etc.?

 

 

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Warriors Two! Yes sir! Great film.

LHS has been in so many great films, many great roles, big and small.

Just a random fight from Crazy Shaolin Disciples.
 

 

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When its comes to villainous roles, Lee Hoi San would probably be in my top 10. He doesn't have that menacing look like Wang Lung Wei and Lung Fei. Those two always got typecasted to play the the main baddie or henchman. His supporting role in Fists & Guts is one of my favorites, and I liked his comedic timing and chemistry with Liu Chia Hui.

 

Edited by venom10463
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And Last hurrah for chivalry. Great villain(although not main one) in movie I think is best kung fu movie not made at Shaws...

 

 

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DragonClaws
12 hours ago, paimeifist said:

What are some of everyone’s favorite Lee Hoi San roles, moments, fights, etc.?

 

Always rated bodybuilder/Martial Artial Artist turned actor Lee Hoi-San, very highly. There was so much Martial Arts talent in Hong Kong during the 1970's. That it was easy for a really skilled guy like this, to be able to slip through the cracks, and not get the recognition he deserved. He was one of those faces you couldnt help but recognize, even when you are not too familiar with Old School actor's.

 

He would sometimes threw a few Western boxing style punches into his Martial Art's movie fight's, in the say way Bolo Yeung did.

Edited by DragonClaws
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26 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

Always rated bodybuilder/Martial Artial Artist turned actor Lee Hoi-San, very highly. There was so much Martial Arts talent in Hong Kong during the 1970's. That it was easy for a really skilled guy like this too be slip through the cracks, and not get the recognition he deserved. He was one of those faces you couldnt help but recognize, even when you are not too familiar with Old School actor's.

 

He sometimes threw a few Western boxing style punches into his Martial Art's movie fight's, in the say way Bolo Yeung did.

Funny, I didn’t know he was a body builder, but always thought he was an oddly stout guy for old school kung fu films!

 

Your second point is true too, before I was more knowledgeable about old school fu, I did always recognize him, as “the monk from the 36th Chamber.”


Speaking of The 36th, that is probably his best role. But you know, it’s fun to discuss the less obvious, haha!

 

How about the red-wig, giant axe wielding character from Demon of the Lute?! He actually had a string of roles in many of those off beat 80s era Shaw flicks. His performance in Shaolin Intruders is another one that is very memorable as the hot-headed abbot. 

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15 minutes ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

Bodybuilder???? Source?

Yeah I find it a bit hard to believe. He was a stout guy, especially for a martial arts actor of the time; But if he were a bodybuilder, he’d be a pretty poor one in all seriousness.

Either way, it doesn’t alter his badassness one way or the other!

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DragonClaws
On 3/26/2020 at 10:55 AM, paimeifist said:

Funny, I didn’t know he was a body builder, but always thought he was an oddly stout guy for old school kung fu films!

 

That's was my first impression of him too, when I first saw him in Tower of Death(1981). In the loose fitting monks robes, you wouldnt have guessed he had done much weight training. Some of his on-screen characters make use of his physique, while others play it down completely. I cant think of a exact example, but he's looked really big in some roles. A lot depended on what the producers or director wanted him to do with his chracter's.

Bodybuilders come in all shapes and sizes, not every one of them is a 20st monster. Just like Boxer's come in all shapes and sizes, the bantam weight fighter's are just as much boxers, as their heavyweight peer's.

He and Bolo also had some great footwork too, the two were really good on their feet. In ways many of the leading star's didnt.

 

 

 

Edited by DragonClaws
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DragonClaws
1 hour ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

Bodybuilder???? Source?

 

Your man Bey Logan was the one who described him as a bodybuider, I think it was during his Magnificent Bodyguards audio commentary?. Before I listened to that commntary, I didnt think Lee Hoi-San was a Bodybuilder. It was Logan opinion that changed my viewpoint. I'd only seen him in Tower of Death at the time. This all changed when I watched Kung Fu Genuis, and lo and behold Bey Logan was right afterall.

 

 

Edited by DragonClaws
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TibetanWhiteCrane
25 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

Your man Bey Logan was the one who described him as a bodybuider, I think it was during his Magnificent Bodyguards audio commentary?. Before I listened to that commntary, I didnt think Lee Hoi-San was a Bodybuilder. It was Logan opinion that changed my viewpoint. I'd only seen him in Tower of Death at the time. This all changed when I watched Kung Fu Genuis, and lo and behold Bey Logan was right afterall.

 

 

"My man"? I don't have a man. Also, I think you mean Magnificent Butcher as the other makes no sense cuz LHS wasn't in it, and I'm pretty certain Logan never did a commentary for it. But aside from that, my recollection was always Logan saying he had a burly physique but not a bodybuilders body.... though I could be misremembering. Anyway, never heard LHS mention bodybuilding in the interviews about his life, only Karate, Judo and Kung Fu. I mean if just working out with weights constitutes a bodybuilder, then my entire family are bodybuilders to some degree.

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DragonClaws

 

23 minutes ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

I think you mean Magnificent Butcher as the other makes no sense cuz LHS wasn't in it, and I'm pretty certain Logan never did a commentary for it. 

 

I had to give you some verbal ammunition to fire back with:wink, I know you like a bit of drama.

 

23 minutes ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

But aside from that, my recollection was always Logan saying he had a burly physique but not a bodybuilders body.... though I could be misremembering. Anyway, never heard LHS mention bodybuilding in the interviews about his life, only Karate, Judo and Kung Fu. I mean if just working out with weights constitutes a bodybuilder, then my entire family are bodybuilders to some degree.

 

What's funny, is I once had the exact same opinion you have of Lee Hoi-San. Only to later change my opinion completely, there's an ideal person I can ask for a second opinion. In regards to how much of a Bodybuilder he was.

 

 

Edited by DragonClaws
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I would not call him champion bodybuilder type(at least kind of people you see in pro competition) but he definitely had more power in upper body than many other kung fu actors and seems body fat% extremely low...

 

 

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TibetanWhiteCrane

Still would like to see or hear just one single snippet on him being a bodybuilder.

Edited by TibetanWhiteCrane
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Graeme Of Death

Lee Hoi San has to be in my top 3 always a baddie along with Fung Hark On and Dick Wei.

I wouldn't say he has anywhere near a bodybuilder physique. He's just a lot bulkier than most of the people around him. Has he ever claimed to be a bodybuilder? 

Last Hurrah For Chivalry is probably my favourite LHS film, but he's class in the likes of Magnificent Butcher and Project A as well. 

One of the Hong Legends DVDs has an interview with him, think it might be Project A and also the Dragon Dynasty DVD of Last Hurrah For Chivalry might have one as well. 

Edited by Graeme Of Death
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7 hours ago, paimeifist said:

Your second point is true too, before I was more knowledgeable about old school fu, I did always recognize him, as “the monk from the 36th Chamber.”

Lol, me and my friends refered to him exclusively as "the monk from Game of death 2" back in the days. Even though I learned his name later on, my friends could never get i to stick, so we just went on with it! :D

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all this talk about bodybuilders in Kung Fu films made me think of the Taiwanese veteran Shaw Brothers actor, Yang Hsiung. Do you guys think he had a body builder background as he appeared pretty big for the era.

 

 

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TibetanWhiteCrane

Since no one provided any proof, I had to go digging myself.... which isn't easy when everything is in flippin' Chinese. But judging from the pictures shown in this interview  (I don't know what's being said) it appears that LHS was indeed a competitive bodybuilder.... so, case closed.

 

 

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DragonClaws
9 hours ago, Yihetuan said:

all this talk about bodybuilders in Kung Fu films made me think of the Taiwanese veteran Shaw Brothers actor, Yang Hsiung. Do you guys think he had a body builder background as he appeared pretty big for the era.

 

Yes he was, he wasnt the only Taiwanese bodyuilder in the Hong Kong film industry at the time either.

 

 

Edited by DragonClaws
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2 hours ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

Since no one provided any proof, I had to go digging myself.... which isn't easy when everything is in flippin' Chinese. But judging from the pictures shown in this interview  (I don't know what's being said) it appears that LHS was indeed a competitive bodybuilder.... so, case closed.

 

 

This is awesome. I’ll definitely be checking this out later, thanks for digging this up brother.

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DragonClaws
2 hours ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

Since no one provided any proof, I had to go digging myself....

 

All the proof you ever needed, was there on screen in his multiple movie roles.

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TibetanWhiteCrane
18 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

All the proof you ever needed, was there on screen in his multiple movie roles.

No it wasn't.

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Graeme Of Death

Hmm I would never have thought to call LHS a bodybuilder. Suppose it's just subjective as to what you consider body building though.

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