Film Archive's selected films pay tribute to Cantonese opera master Sit Kok-sin (with photos)

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     To commemorate the Cantonese opera master Sit Kok-sin on the 60th anniversary of his passing, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will screen 10 films featuring Sit or adaptations of his renowned stage works in September and October in the "Morning Matinee" series, which is held at 11am on Fridays, as a tribute to this towering figure of opera. Details are as follows:

"The White Gold Dragon, Part Two" (1937)
Pak Kam-lung (Sit Kok-sin) neglects his fiancée (Tong Suet-hing) due to his business and the two become alienated by a wealthy lady (Lam Mui-mui). The evil scheme is luckily thwarted by the fiancée’s cousin (Wong Man-lei).

     An additional screening will be held on October 29 at 2pm at the HKFA Cinema, followed by the seminar "Sit Kok-sin's Trend-setting Contribution to Cantonese Opera" at 4.30pm with Cheng Yee-man, Li Ki-fung and Dr Chan Sau-yan as speakers. The seminar is in Cantonese with free admission.

"New White Golden Dragon" (1947)
Hotel owner Pak Kam-lung (Sit Kok-sin) disguises himself as a waiter to approach the girl Cheung Yuk-neong (Cheang Mang-ha) whom he loves at first sight. He later rescues the girl from a gang, along with his servant, Ah Shui (Yee Chau-shui) and wins her heart. The story is close to the opera originally premiered in 1929.

"Love with No Result" (1947)
The movie follows a bitter romance between lovers played by Sit Kok-sin and Hung Sin Nui, who in desperation finally commit suicide due to social and family pressures.

"The Song of Chan Yuen-yuen, Kaleidoscope" (1950)
Three operatic giants, Sit Kok-sin, Hung Sin Nui and Ma Si-tsang take part in this precious filmic record. Respectively playing Lee Chi-sing, Chan Yuen-yuen and Lau Chung-man, they perform this tense story from the late Ming dynasty. The film will be shown with "Love with No Result".

"The Reunion of a Bitter Couple" (1953)
The film begins with the "Wailing-at-the Tomb" scene followed by a series of flashbacks showing how cousins of Man Ping-seng (Sun Ma Si-tsang) have tried to alienate him and his wife Pun-leung (Chow Kwun-ling). The “Wailing-at-the Tomb” scene reappears at the end, depicting the tearful Man wishing his dead wife might return. The film infuses new elements into the original opera "Why Don't You Return".

"My Kingdom for a Husband" (1957)
The film tells of the marriage between the Queen of Snow State (Law Yim-hing) and the handsome singer Ah Lei (Cheung Ying). The married Ah Lei feels he is losing his freedom and leaves the palace. In order to win her husband back, the Queen is willing to abdicate. This is the film version of a Cantonese opera of the same title which premiered in 1930 and was adapted from an American film. Infused with Chinese and Western elements, the opera was hailed as a bold innovation at the time, with the cast is decked out in Western costumes but performing traditional Cantonese operatic singing, speech and percussion patterns.

"A Scholar Becomes Rich" (1958)
The story follows a proposal between a scholar (Yam Kim-fai) and an artiste (Mui Yee) which is opposed by the scholar's stepmother. His sister (Yam Bing-yee) and buddy (Leung Sing-po) plot to change the stepmother's mind by any means.

"Swallow the Poison with a Smile" (1959)
The stepmother of Peach (Fong Yim-fun) forces her to marry a wealthy heir. In their misery Peach and her scholar lover (Yam Kim-fai) plan to swallow poisonous wine together, but accidentally the heir drinks it and dies. Peach is arrested and later the Commissioner orders Peach and the scholar to drink poisonous wine to prove their unflinching love.

"The Love Quadrangle" (1960)
A scholar (Law Kim-long) is appointed to marry the Emperor's sister, but falls in love with heiress Chow Gwai-lan (Tang Bik-wan). The ugly imperial uncle (Poon Yat On) coerces Chow to marry him - or he will report the scholar's marriage fraud to the Emperor.

"Refoundation of Kingdom Qi" (1964)
Tao Yet-ching (Yu So-chow), a general of the Wei army but originating from Qi, decides to betray Wei after falling in love with the Princess of Kingdom Qi (Fung Wong Nui). He disguises himself as a woman to seduce the constable of Wei (Leung Sing-po) to help him. A former Qi courtier's daughter (Connie Chan Po-chu) also helps convince Wei general Lee Fu (Kwan Hoi-shan) to betray Wei.

     Sit Kok-sin began his operatic training in 1921. He established the Kok Sin Sing Opera Troupe in 1929, becoming a superstar of both Cantonese opera and cinematic films in the 1930s. He premiered more than 500 stage operas and starred in about 40 films. Sit was also the mentor of many veteran operatic artists like Chan Kam-tong, Sun Ma Si-tsang, Ho Fei-fan, Pak Suet-sin and Lam Kar-sing. He died in 1956 at the age of 52.

     All films are in Cantonese without subtitles. The programme is guest-curated by Yuen Tsz-ying.

     Tickets priced at $30 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2011mm/film.html, or call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900.

Ends/Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:00

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Photo

A film still of "The White Gold Dragon, Part Two" (1937).

A film still of "The Song of Chan Yuen-yuen, Kaleidoscope" (1950).

A film still of "The Reunion of a Bitter Couple" (1953).

A film still of "A Scholar Becomes Rich" (1958).

A film still of "The Love Quadrangle" (1960).