Death of the Kung Fu Movie in Hong Kong-Box Office Thread.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

I was donating a few of my Cathay custom DVD's to the Berkeley Film Archives. There were a few books that were English and Chinese from HK on different eras. It was interesting to see, but by 1974 only one martial arts film cracked the top ten. There was another year where only Spiritual Boxer was in the top ten. No venoms films made the top ten. throughout the 80's. You could really see the decline, and also, we assumed that these films were more popular over there then we thought. I only had 20 minutes, but next time I will copy the top ten lists, unless someone can, hint hint, post it for 1970 to 1985....

Also noteworthy, it seems only Golden Harvests comedies were doing any real business after 1974. Anyway, more to follow over the holidays when I can take a few hours off and do some research. Also, on a different note, two of the films to make the Wu Xia film festival were Deaf Mute Heroine (which we can thankfully see) and Cold Blade, which we cannot. Oh well. Please support your local film archives! If you want to watch something when you visit the San Francisco bay area at the film archive (only open Wed thru Sunday and I would call ahead for library) you need 6 weeks notice. Ask for Jason in the library. Tons of rare Japanese 35mm samurai films and Judo films, but look first. As I mentioned before, they have The Black Panther and To Kill A Rover, though the reality is my customs are now in better shape. I also donated Iron Bones as it had the Huang Mei translated by my friend Meng.

https://bampfa.org/visit/hours

[Killer Meteor]

I have a British book from 1974, Kung Fu Cinema of Vengeance, and that mentions the downturn in interest in HK.

Given the films were popular in the West, and that the Mandarin film circuit was far bigger than just HK, I can see why they carried on making them, if on the cheap. But 1975 is definetly a weak year for such films, only DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN comes to mind as a bona fide classic.

[DragonClaws]

13 hours ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

There were a few books that were English and Chinese from HK on different eras. It was interesting to see, but by 1974 only one martial arts film cracked the top ten.

 

Jackie Chan mentioned this in his first biogrpahy, giving him a good reason to move to Australia. Though I cant recall if he moved there in 74?. He said the death of Bruce Lee pretty much killed the makret for Martial Arts films at the box-office in Hong Kong. Is this why Golden Harvest switched to making more comedies and dramas for their home market?.

[Killer Meteor]

Seems to be connected, combined with over saturation. The craze for Bruceploitation flicks was more from Taiwan and South Korea.

There was also a backlog of unreleased films at Shaws. In 1975, they were releasing some wu xia that has been sitting on the shelf for sometime.

Here are the GH films over the first five years. Martial arts titles are in bold - in fact, for the first two years, they did nothing BUT martial arts films! Notice by 1976, they are making a more varied palette of genres.

	The Invincible Eight (1971)
	The Chase (1971)
	The Invincible Sword (1971)
	The Comet Strikes (1971)
	The Fast Sword (1971)
	The Angry River (1971)
	The Blade Spares None (1971)
	The Big Boss (1971)
	Lady Whirlwind (1972)
	Fist of Fury (1972)
	Bandits from Shantung (1972)
	The Hurricane (1972)
	The Way of the Dragon (1972)
	One-Armed Boxer (1972)
	Hap Ki Do (1972)
	Stormy Sun (1973)
	Seaman No. 7 (1973)
	When Taekwondo Strikes (1973)
	Back Alley Princess (1973)
	The Queen Bee (1973)
	The Tattooed Dragon (1973)
	A Man Called Tiger (1973)
	Springtime in Pattaya (1973)
	The Devil's Treasure (1973)
	The Fate of Lee Khan (1973)
	Bruce Lee, the Man and the Legend (1973)
	Beach of the War Gods (1973)
	Enter the Dragon (1973)
	None But the Brave (1973)
	Thunderbolt (1973)
	The Manchu Boxer (1974)
	Stoner (1974)
	The Skyhawk (1974)
	Naughty! Naughty! (1974)
	Whiplash (1974)
	Games Gamblers Play (1974)
	Supremo (1974)
	The Tournament (1974)
	Chinatown Capers (1974)
	Yellow Faced Tiger (1974)
	The Last Message (1975)
	All in the Family (1975)
	The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
	The Bedevilled (1975)
	My Wacky, Wacky World (1975)
	The Association (1975)
	No End of Surprises (1975)
	The Seven Coffins (1975)
	The Young Dragons (1975)
	The Dragon Tamers (1975)
	The Himalayan (1976)
	Tiger of Northland (1976)
	Princess Chang Ping (1976)
	The Hand of Death (1976)
	The Private Eyes (1976)
	Elmo Takes a Bride (1976)
	A Queen's Ransom (1976)
	Gonna Get You (1976)
	The Double Crossers (1976)
	The Lucky Bumpkin (1976)
	Chelsia My Love (1976)

[Killer Meteor]

And here are the Shaw releases from the same period

 

And from the same period, the Shaw releases     Mission Impossible (1971)   The Golden Seal (1971)   The Swift Knight (1971)   The Venus' Tear Diamond (1971)   The Eunuch (1971)   Village of Tigers (1971)   We Love Millionaires (1971)   The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)   The Oath of Death (1971)   The Duel (1971)   The Anonymous Heroes (1971)   The Devil's Mirror (1971)   The Protectors (1971)   The Lady Hermit (1971)   Vengeance of a Snowgirl (1971)   The Silent Love (1971)   The Crimson Charm (1971)   King Eagle (1971)   Duel of Fists (1971)   Six Assassins (1971)   Lady of the Law (1971)   The Lady Professional (1971)   Ambush (1971)   The Shadow Whip (1971)   The Rescue (1971)   Boxer from Shantung (1972)   Man of Iron (1972)   King Boxer (1972)   The Thunderbolt Fist (1972)   The Deadly Knives (1972)   The Yellow Muffler (1972)   The Imperial Swordsman (1972)   The Young Avenger (1972)   Four Riders (1972)   Let's Go to Bed (1972)   The Brutal Boxer (1972)   The Water Margin (1972)   The Black Tavern (1972)   Delightful Forest (1972)   The Human Goddess (1972)   The Fugitive (1972)   Pursuit (1972)   The 14 Amazons (1972)   Angry Guest (1972)   The Lizard (1972)   Trilogy of Swordsmanship (1972)   Young People (1972)   The Master of Kung Fu (1973)   All Men Are Brothers (1973)   Sexy Girls of Denmark (1973)   Illicit Desire (1973)   The Blood Brothers (1973)   The Pirate (1973)   The Bamboo House of Dolls (1973)   The Delinquent (1973)   The Savage 5 (1973)   Police Force (1973)   The Sugar Daddies (1973)   Tales of Larceny (1973)   The Bastard (1973)   The House of 72 Tenants (1973)   The Generation Gap (1973)   The Bloody Escape (1973)   Shaolin Martial Arts (1974)   The Golden Lotus (1974)   Women of Desire (1974)   Men from the Monastery (1974)   Friends (1974)   The Tea House (1974)   Sex, Love and Hate (1974)   Five Shaolin Masters (1974)   Sex For Sale (1974)   Na Cha the Great (1974)   The Rat Catcher (1974)   Gossip Street (1974)   Young Lovers on Flying Wheels (1974)   The Killer Snakes (1974)   Five Tough Guys (1974)   The Drug Addict (1974)   Sinful Confession (1974)   Heroes Two (1974)   Ghost Eyes (1974)   Hong Kong 73 (1974)   The Imposter (1975)   The Happy Trio (1975)   Carry on Con Men (1975)   Salina (1975)   The Super Inframan (1975)   Black Magic (1975)   Two Con Men (1975)   Marco Polo (1975)   Big Brother Cheng (1975)   The Big Holdup (1975)   Lover's Destiny (1975)   The Spiritual Boxer (1975)   Disciples of Shaolin (1975)   The Taxi Driver (1975)   The Empress Dowager (1975)   That's Adultery! (1975)   The Fantastic Magic Baby (1975)   The Young Rebel (1975)   The Criminals (1976)   The Condemned (1976)   Boxer Rebellion (1976)   The Web of Death (1976)   Bruce Lee and I (1976)   Challenge of the Masters (1976)   Big Bad Sis (1976)   The Dragon Missile (1976)   Oily Maniac (1976)   Killer Clans (1976)   The New Shaolin Boxers (1976)   Shaolin Temple (1976)   Big Times for the Crazy Bumpkins (1976)   Homicides - The Criminals, Part II (1976)   King Gambler (1976)

[Killer Meteor]

	Mission Impossible (1971)
	The Golden Seal (1971)
	The Swift Knight (1971)
	The Venus' Tear Diamond (1971)
	The Eunuch (1971)
	Village of Tigers (1971)
	We Love Millionaires (1971)
	The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
	The Oath of Death (1971)
	The Duel (1971)
	The Anonymous Heroes (1971)
	The Devil's Mirror (1971)
	The Protectors (1971)
	The Lady Hermit (1971)
	Vengeance of a Snowgirl (1971)
	The Silent Love (1971)
	The Crimson Charm (1971)
	King Eagle (1971)
	Duel of Fists (1971)
	Six Assassins (1971)
	Lady of the Law (1971)
	The Lady Professional (1971)
	Ambush (1971)
	The Shadow Whip (1971)
	The Rescue (1971)
	Boxer from Shantung (1972)
	Man of Iron (1972)
	King Boxer (1972)
	The Thunderbolt Fist (1972)
	The Deadly Knives (1972)
	The Yellow Muffler (1972)
	The Imperial Swordsman (1972)
	The Young Avenger (1972)
	Four Riders (1972)
	Let's Go to Bed (1972)
	The Brutal Boxer (1972)
	The Water Margin (1972)
	The Black Tavern (1972)
	Delightful Forest (1972)
	The Human Goddess (1972)
	The Fugitive (1972)
	Pursuit (1972)
	The 14 Amazons (1972)
	Angry Guest (1972)
	The Lizard (1972)
	Trilogy of Swordsmanship (1972)
	Young People (1972)
	The Master of Kung Fu (1973)
	All Men Are Brothers (1973)
	Sexy Girls of Denmark (1973)
	Illicit Desire (1973)
	The Blood Brothers (1973)
	The Pirate (1973)
	The Bamboo House of Dolls (1973)
	The Delinquent (1973)
	The Savage 5 (1973)
	Police Force (1973)
	The Sugar Daddies (1973)
	Tales of Larceny (1973)
	The Bastard (1973)
	The House of 72 Tenants (1973)
	The Generation Gap (1973)
	The Bloody Escape (1973)
	Shaolin Martial Arts (1974)
	The Golden Lotus (1974)
	Women of Desire (1974)
	Men from the Monastery (1974)
	Friends (1974)
	The Tea House (1974)
	Sex, Love and Hate (1974)
	Five Shaolin Masters (1974)
	Sex For Sale (1974)
	Na Cha the Great (1974)
	The Rat Catcher (1974)
	Gossip Street (1974)
	Young Lovers on Flying Wheels (1974)
	The Killer Snakes (1974)
	Five Tough Guys (1974)
	The Drug Addict (1974)
	Sinful Confession (1974)
	Heroes Two (1974)
	Ghost Eyes (1974)
	Hong Kong 73 (1974)
	The Imposter (1975)
	The Happy Trio (1975)
	Carry on Con Men (1975)
	Salina (1975)
	The Super Inframan (1975)
	Black Magic (1975)
	Two Con Men (1975)
	Marco Polo (1975)
	Big Brother Cheng (1975)
	The Big Holdup (1975)
	Lover's Destiny (1975)
	The Spiritual Boxer (1975)
	Disciples of Shaolin (1975)
	The Taxi Driver (1975)
	The Empress Dowager (1975)
	That's Adultery! (1975)
	The Fantastic Magic Baby (1975)
	The Young Rebel (1975)
	The Criminals (1976)
	The Condemned (1976)
	Boxer Rebellion (1976)
	The Web of Death (1976)
	Bruce Lee and I (1976)
	Challenge of the Masters (1976)
	Big Bad Sis (1976)
	The Dragon Missile (1976)
	Oily Maniac (1976)
	Killer Clans (1976)
	The New Shaolin Boxers (1976)
	Shaolin Temple (1976)
	Big Times for the Crazy Bumpkins (1976)
	Homicides - The Criminals, Part II (1976)
	King Gambler (1976)

[ShawAngela]

That's strange that for the Shaws' releases you didn't write in bold some movies that, at least for me, are also martial arts movies, such as Lady of the law, Big brother Cheng, The eunuch and a few other ones...

[Killer Meteor]

I hadn't seen those, so couldn't comment.