Is this Hwang Jang-lee in Shaolin Wooden Men?

[DragonClaws]

 

Tommy Lee(Gam Ming) worked with Hwang-Jang Lee on Secret Rivals(1976). He was a bit player and co-choreographer, while Hwang Jang-Lee was the main villain. Tommy Lee followed up his work on Secret Rivals. With co-choreography duties with Jackie Chan on Shaolin Wooden Men(1976). Did Tommy Lee approach Hwang Jang-Lee to appear as an extra in Shaolin Wooden Men?. Did Jackie Chan first get to know Hwang Jang-Lee during the making of this Lo Wei produced flick?.

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by DragonClaws

[J.J. Hayden]

They both have a look of him (assuming it's the guy in dark blue who throws a few kicks and gets his leg locked), but I'm not convinced of either I'm afraid.

[DragonClaws]

8 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

They both have a look of him (assuming it's the guy in dark blue who throws a few kicks and gets his leg locked), but I'm not convinced of either I'm afraid.

 

Is it just coincidence, that Tommy Lee worked with Hwang Jang-Lee on the set of Secret Rivals?. Before he worked on Shaolin Wooden. Or was Shaolin Wooden Men made before Secret Rivals?.

[J.J. Hayden]

49 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

Is it just coincidence, that Tommy Lee worked with Hwang Jang-Lee on the set of Secret Rivals?. Before he worked on Shaolin Wooden. Or was Shaolin Wooden Men made before Secret Rivals?.

It could be coincidence, but also entirely possible that Tommy could've brought Hwang to the set and he did a cameo especially with the Tommy connection and he year of both films. Wooden Men could've been first as you suggest or could've been filming at same time even. But from the clip and the pick I'm not convinced either are Hwang, part of it is the guy in the clip's height, I think he's too tall and the way he moves and notably the lack of high kicks.

[DragonClaws]

8 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

I think he's too tall and the way he moves and notably the lack of high kicks.

 

Look how Yuan Biao looks poor in the same scene also, no sign of his later kicking/acrobatic talents here. Maybe it was a similar case with Hwang Jang-Lee?, the scene just didnt require him to do a kick fest and outshine the lead.

[J.J. Hayden]

I think Yuen Biao got one or two of his beautiful kicks in there. I agree it's possible that they'd give Hwang some action with no high kicks, but I think it's less likely with Hwang being a TKD guy and that's usually what they used Koreans for. Also you make your hero look better by having a skillfull villain but that could just be hindsight talking.

After my food I'm gonna look at my copy of Wooden Men, see if I can get a better look at that guy.

I've watched the appropriate sceens and I'm 99% sure the monk isn't him. The other guy is trickier, somethimes he looks very much like him, sometimes not so much. There's a night scene which I believe is the same guy, but don't get enough of a look to be sure. Overall I'm about 85% sure it's not him. I took some decent screenshots if anyone wants me to post em.

Cheers

I was on HKMDB checking something, but I thought I'd have a look at their Shaolin Wooden Me page and found something interesting. They have a pic from that fight scene saying that he guy in question is a stuntman called Goo Leng. So I checked his pictures and it corresponds with what I was seeing, a guy who at times very much ressembles Hwang Jang Lee and sometimes not. I'm at 99% sure it's him rather than Hwang, I'll post the link for anyone else to check and make up your minds on it.

http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/image_detail.mhtml?id=5747&image_id=378652&display_set=eng

He did make Bruce Lee's Secret in Taiwan in '76.

What I don't see is him being principle villian in Secret Rivals and Bruce Lee's Secret, then a anonymous thug in SWM. Plus whoever that is in the teahouse fight is very floppy swingy arm, whilst Hwang always fought with finesse.

The Mike Leeder commentary on the BD, which doesn't mention Hwang, repeatedly insisits the film was made in Korea, but there are no Korean actors and the main temple used is definetly in Taiwan.  By the time Leeder says "not a lot of Koreans in this movie", I was about ready to throw something at the TV screen!

Plus, since Mike Leeder got Kam Kong mixed up with Lee Man-Tai on his Spiritual Kung Fu commentary, maybe he is the new Ric Meyers...

[DragonClaws]

22 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

What I don't see is him being principle villian in Secret Rivals and Bruce Lee's Secret, then a anonymous thug in SWM. Plus whoever that is in the teahouse fight is very floppy swingy arm, whilst Hwang always fought with finesse.

 

Great points @Dredderick_Tatum.

If Shaolin Wooden Men was made before Secret Rivals, and Bruce Lee's Secret, then it would make more sense that he only has a bit part?. I just dont have enough information to confirm this theory.

Then again, its hard to prove what order these films were made in, unless we were actually involved with the productions. Many of Jackie Chan's early films were held back, sometimes for years before seeing a release. When Lo Wei saw the Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, he was said to have hated it and refused to release it. That was until Jackie Chan had big success with Drunken Master and Snake in The Eagles Shadow. Then he quickly changed his mind and gave it a theatrical release.

 

22 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

I was on HKMDB checking something, but I thought I'd have a look at their Shaolin Wooden Me page and found something interesting. They have a pic from that fight scene saying that he guy in question is a stuntman called Goo Leng.

 

It looks like the HKMDB page has solved the mystery?.

[J.J. Hayden]

Erm...I've no idea why the below section is included in my last post, it appears to be someone else's earlier post added to mine. Does anybody know why that is?

 

He did make Bruce Lee's Secret in Taiwan in '76.

What I don't see is him being principle villian in Secret Rivals and Bruce Lee's Secret, then a anonymous thug in SWM. Plus whoever that is in the teahouse fight is very floppy swingy arm, whilst Hwang always fought with finesse.

The Mike Leeder commentary on the BD, which doesn't mention Hwang, repeatedly insisits the film was made in Korea, but there are no Korean actors and the main temple used is definetly in Taiwan.  By the time Leeder says "not a lot of Koreans in this movie", I was about ready to throw something at the TV screen!

Plus, since Mike Leeder got Kam Kong mixed up with Lee Man-Tai on his Spiritual Kung Fu commentary, maybe he is the new Ric Meyers...

[DragonClaws]

8 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

Erm...I've no idea why the below section is included in my last post, it appears to be someone else's earlier post added to mine. Does anybody know why that is?

 

I'm not sure why it's done that, I just thought you were quoting other people in your previous post.

 

A few more connections between The Secret Rivals and Shaolin Wooden Men. Yeun Biao, Lee Fat Yuen and To Wai-Wo all appeared in both movies as stunt guys/extras. The two productions also share the same music composer in Stanley Chow Fook-Leung.

[J.J. Hayden]

yeah it's strange, I can understand my two separate posts before and after my food being merged, but I've no idea why the rest is there. I just wanted to clarify the point as I don't like words being put in my mouth. If somebody added it to my post, please don't do that.

Anyway @DragonClaws It's funny you mention Yuen, Lee and To as they're all in the fight in question. Some people think To looks a bit like Hwang Jeong-ri, I can see that a little, but I don't think I'd mistake them for each other.

Edited December 30, 2022 by J.J. Hayden

[DragonClaws]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:40 AM, Dredderick_Tatum said:

Also you make your hero look better by having a skillfull villain but that could just be hindsight talking.

 

True, but they tend to build up the main villain as being the most skilled. It's not for the lackeys and lesser thugs to outshine either the lead villian or hero.

 

8 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

If somebody added it to my post, please don't do that.

 

No idea whats going off there, maybe its the forum gremlins?.

 

8 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

Anyway @DragonClaws It's funny you mention Yuen, Lee and To as they're all in the fight in question. Some people think To looks a bit like Hwang Jang Lee, I can see that a little, but I don't think I'd mistake them for each other.

 

The stunt guy looks like Hwang Jang-Lee, during the time he was making his earlier minor Korean movie appearences. When he didnt have the facial hair, he was known for in his later Hong Kong film roles. Enjoyed discussing this topic with you @Dredderick_Tatum.

Edited December 9, 2020 by DragonClaws

[J.J. Hayden]

Yep, it was an interesting discusion.

Cheers

[Killer Meteor]

3 hours ago, Dredderick_Tatum said:

Erm...I've no idea why the below section is included in my last post, it appears to be someone else's earlier post added to mine. Does anybody know why that is?

 

He did make Bruce Lee's Secret in Taiwan in '76.

What I don't see is him being principle villian in Secret Rivals and Bruce Lee's Secret, then a anonymous thug in SWM. Plus whoever that is in the teahouse fight is very floppy swingy arm, whilst Hwang always fought with finesse.

The Mike Leeder commentary on the BD, which doesn't mention Hwang, repeatedly insisits the film was made in Korea, but there are no Korean actors and the main temple used is definetly in Taiwan.  By the time Leeder says "not a lot of Koreans in this movie", I was about ready to throw something at the TV screen!

Plus, since Mike Leeder got Kam Kong mixed up with Lee Man-Tai on his Spiritual Kung Fu commentary, maybe he is the new Ric Meyers...

Hmm, all that is my post from last month. How strange!

[tantao3-son of tantao2]

btw Secret Rivals was shot in late 1975 (it is in Cinemart mag then)...

and the guy who attacks Jackie looks like Ku Ling...

[DragonClaws]

9 hours ago, tantao3-son of tantao2 said:

btw Secret Rivals was shot in late 1975 (it is in Cinemart mag then)...

 

Thanks for sharing this @tantao3-son of tantao2, now we just need to find out when Shaolin Wooden Men was filmed?.

[tantao3-son of tantao2]

Shaolin Wooden Men is in Cinemart September 1976 ....was filmed after New Fist Of Fury ( Cinemart May 1976)....

 

[Killer Meteor]

Shaolin Wooden Men is mostly if not all filmed in Taiwan...not Korea despite what you might here from certain sources!

[DragonClaws]

23 hours ago, tantao3-son of tantao2 said:

Shaolin Wooden Men is in Cinemart September 1976 ....was filmed after New Fist Of Fury ( Cinemart May 1976)....

 

Thanks for this, so Secret Rivals was completed before Shaolin Wooden Men went into production.

 

23 hours ago, Killer Meteor said:

Shaolin Wooden Men is mostly if not all filmed in Taiwan...not Korea despite what you might here from certain sources!

 

Do you think some scenes may have been filmed in Hong Kong?.

[Killer Meteor]

3 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

 

Thanks for this, so Secret Rivals was completed before Shaolin Wooden Men went into production.

 

 

Do you think some scenes may have been filmed in Hong Kong?.

Doesn't look like it. I don't think any of the JC/Lo Wei films were made in Hong Kong.