In a career which has evolved over nearly four decades, Sammo Hung has risen from his humble beginnings as a stunt-player and extra at the famous Golden Harvest Studios to become the most influential and prolific innovator the Hong Kong Film Industry has ever known, constantly discovering new stars and creating new trends in Action-Cinema.
Sammo’s groundbreaking career, as actor, director, writer and producer has given birth to some of the most creative daring and exiting action-adventures ever made. His creative genius can be felt in over 160 motion pictures, and for many fans and industry critics, his intricate hi-impact action choreography and fluid hi-energy camerawork is almost without equal.
Born in Hong Kong on January 7th 1952 one of four children of famed Shanghainese actress Chin Chi-ngan, Sammo was enrolled at the infamous Beijing Opera School when he was only 9 years old. From five in the morning to midnight Sammo and the other pupils were subjected to an arduous training program, covering all the disciplines of Beijing Opera. Under the constant threat of severe corporal punishment, the students were taught acrobatics, a variety of martial arts, singing, dancing, mime and acting. Yu Jim-yuen, the draconian disciplinarian in charge of the school was extremely impressed by young Sammo’s talent and integrated the youngster into his elite student performance group, called “The Seven Little Fortunes”. It was while performing for the troop during his 7 year term that Sammo began his lifelong association with future martial arts luminaries Jackie Chan and Yuan Biao. The three “brothers” have each contributed to some of the most thrilling innovative and technically difficult martial arts sequences ever recorded on camera. The best of their projects together are “Project A”, “Wheels on Meals” and “Dragons Forever”.
Sammo’s first appearance before the camera was in the 1961 picture “Education of Love”. His career as a child actor continued with roles in “Big and Little Wong Tin Bar” alongside Jackie Chan in 1961 in Father and Son” in 1963 and in “Princess and the Seven Little Heroes” in 1964. After discovery by legendary director King Hu, Sammo appeared in his first supporting role in 1968’s “A Touch of Zen”, the first Chinese filme ever to receive an award at the Cannes Film Festival.
King Hu became a cherished mentor to Sammo and introduced him to many influential figures in the rapidly emerging Hong Kong Film Industry, including prolific filmmaker Huang Feng, the man most responsible for launching the career of female fighting fury Angela Mao-ying. Sammo’s outstanding knowledge and dynamic versatility so impressed director Feng, that he gave him the much sought after role of fight choreographer on his 1971 picture “The Fast Sword” before signing him up as the regular action-director for all of his new movies. Sammo’s exceptional work both on and off screen can be seen in such classic fare as “Hapkido”, “Bandits from Shantung” and “Lady Whirlwind”, all produced by Golden Harvest in 1972. After his memorable input in the 1973 classic “When Taekwondo Strikes”, Sammo worked once again with King Hu on the “The Fate of Lee Khan”, before getting his first taste of international acclaim, when he squared up to Bruce Lee in the opening scene of the historic Warner Brothers/Golden Harvest collaboration “Enter the Dragon”.
Sammo made his own directorial debut in 1977’s “The Iron Fisted Monk”. Taking the action-choreography to a new level, Sammo excels as leading man, director and fight arranger in this heard-hitting and emotive tale of real life Kung Fu legend Miller Six and his fight against the Manchus. Co-starring Kung Fu impressario Chen Sing “The Iron Fisted Monk” is one of the most memorable movies of the period, combining lucid storytelling, a poignant emotional subtext and outstanding camerawork with some of the most explosive and intricate fight sequences of the seventies Kung Fu Era. In the same year Sammo was tasked by Golden Harvest Chairman Raymond Chow to direct and choreography additional fight scenes for the unfinished Bruce Lee swansong “Game of Death”, scheduled for release in 1978. Using a variety of doubles, including his old classmate Yuen Biao, Sammo had the unenviable task of re-creating a number of hi-impact fight sequences in the style of the late great Bruce Lee. Having become good friend with Lee since their memorable collaboration on “Enter the Dragon”, it was an honour to Sammo to work on the project, which would help showcase the amazing pagoda fight sequences, which Bruce shot back in 1972, with Hapkido expert Hon Joi Chi and Jeet Kune Do studenst Dan Inosanto and Abdul Kareem Jabbar.
Now making waves amongst the Hong Kong filmmaking fraternity Sammo embarked on his own tribute to Bruce Lee with the comically titled “Enter the Fat Dragon”, also produced in 1978. Despite the obvious differences in physique between Sammo and Hong Kong’s number one fighting legend, this affectionate tribute captures the spirit of Bruce Lee beautifully, and Sammo’s explosive combination punching and kicking techniques are all delivered with the same emotional intensity which characterized Lee’s performances. Sammo’s skills with the deadly nunchaku is one of the movie’s major talking-points and even though he had only learned the skill a few weeks before principal photography, he manipulates the weapon like a seasoned veteran.
Always determined to raise the bar, 1978 turned out to be a turning point of the evolution of Sammo’s trademark martial arts choreography, for it was during this year that he gathered together a host of martial arts talent, including Casanova Wong, Leung Kar Yan, Fong Hak On, Liu Chia Yung and Lee Hoi San to create one of Hong Kong Cinema’s most accomplished and enduring classics, “Warriors Two”. A vivid re-telling of the legend of Leung Jaan, the creator of the Wing Chun fighting style, “Warriors Two” combines excellent training sequences, theoretical martial combat exposition and physical comedy, before gathering momentum for an earth-shattering action finale which is still regarded as one of the best ever filmed. Combat highlights include Sammo’s fight in a bamboo forest, his incredible double sword battle and the matchless power kicking techniques of Korean powerhouse Casanova Wong, whose spectacular jump-spinning-back-kick over a table in the final reels is surely the most memorable of its kind.
Moving into 1979, Sammo directed and co-starred in “Knockabout”, establishing young Beijing Opera “brother” Yuen Biao in his first leading role. This infectious blend of martial arts and comedy was another trendsetter and Yuen Biao’s acrobatic show-stopping performance seems to defy the laws of human physicality. Once again Sammo’s encyclopedic knowledge of the martial arts comes to the fore as he sets up duels using Choi Lei Fat, Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Mantis and most memorably in the final reels, Monkey Fist. His on-screen performance is as dynamic as his contribution behind the camera, as he punches, kicks and flips with a grace, speed and precision, previously only believed possible by a man half his size. The climatic two-on-one battle where Sammo and Biao take on veteran Liu Chia Yong, has to be seen to be believed and never fails to “bring the house down” whenever it is shown. For fans of martial arts weaponry, 1979’s “The Odd Couple” is right at the top of the tree. Believed by many enthusiastics to be the best weapons movie ever made the balletic duals against spear and sword are some of the most intricate and skillful ever put on film. Sammo acted as choreographer while Liu Chia Yong took up the directing reins. For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of viewing this masterpiece, do yourself a favour and beg, borrow or steal a copy. You don’t know what you’re missing!
Sammo’s last significant movie of 1979 was “The Victim”, produced by his own “Gar Bo Productions”. Under Sammo’s expert guidance, leading man Leung Kar Yan excels in the role of Lung Chueng Yo, a martial arts expert embroiled in a bitter blood feud with brother Yo Wing, played with characteristic manace by prolific veteran Chang Yi. The level of choregoraphy and martial artistry in this picture is outsanding and the climatic battle with Leung, Chang Yi, Wilson Tong and scores of hapless bodyguards is a defining moment of martial arts action cinema, which is considered amongst Sammo’s very best work.
1980’s “The Magnificent Butcher” saw the first collaboration between Sammo Hung and ace director Yuen Woo-ping, who was recently shot to fame in the West, courtesy of his stunning action choreography in both “The Matrix” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Sammo’s large physique combined with his amazing speed and agility guaranteed the definitive portrayal of Wong Fei-hung’s legendary student Lam Sai-wing. Director Yuen wanted to recast his father Yuen Siu-tin in the key role as Sam the Seed, after his outstanding success in both “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow” and “Drunken Master” opposite Jackie Chan, but the elder Yuen sadly passed away during the early stages of production and the film was completed with Fan Mei Sheng in the role. Despite this sad loss and the resultant effect on both cast and crew, “The Magnificent Butcher” is a triumph for both director Yuen and leading man Sammo Hung. The final showdown where Sammo matches his “five animals” style against Lee Hoi San’s “five elements” is one of the defining moments of contemporary Martial Arts Action Cinema.
Having now gained the reputation as one of the most reliable and creative directors at Golden Harvest, Sammo re-invented the action horror genre with 1980’s “Encounters of the Spooky Kind”. This hi-energy combination of Kung Fu, special effects and horror proved to be another outstanding success for Golden Harvest and effectively created an entire sub-genre in the world of Hong Kong Filmmaking, spawning many tributes, most notably in the form of the “Mr. Vampire” movies.
With his star now firmly in the ascendancy, Sammo next embarked on 1981’s “The Prodigal Son”, once again starring Yuen Biao and co-starring fan-favourite Lam Ching-ying and canto pop sensation turned actor Frankie Chan. A dynamic martial arts advanture with a potent message on the dangers of youthful arrogance, “The Prodigal Son” is one of the greatest Kung Fu classics ever committed to celluloid. Sammo’s groundbreaking fight choreography and direction was responsible for the new wave of Kung Fu action flicks which was to follow. The breathtaking end fight sequence will have you reaching over and over again for the rewind button. This movie duly earned Sammo a nomination for “Best Director” at the Hong Kong Film Awards and he and his team quite deservedly walked off with the award for “Best Action Choreography”.
As well as popping along to the 1982 Hong Kong Awards to pick the “Best Actor” accolade for his wonderful performance in “Carry on Pickpocket”, Sammo produced and starred in “The Dead and the Deadly” for director Wu Ma as a follow-up to his earlier success with “Spooky Encounters”, before re-inventing the contemporary action-comedy genre with “Winners and Sinners”. Also released in 1982 “Winners and Sinners” was the first film in director Hung’s incredibly successful “lucky stars” series, which would eventually run for five films, and also marks the first time that Sammo appeared on sreen with “younger brothers” Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Jackie was already established as the number one box-office star in Asia, but would soon discover that his abilities could be stretched an inch or two further under Sammo’s watchful eye. It is quite accepted that Jackie is the “King of Kung Fu Comedy” in the eyes of audiences in the West, but most hardcore fans of the genre would have to admit that Sammo directs Jackie better than Jackie directs himself. Action-wise the movie has many highlights, including the hair-raising roller-skating sequence, where Jackie weaves in and out of rush-hour traffic and skates below the under-carriage of a moving container-lorry. Also favoured amongst fans is Jackie’s high-impact restaurant fight, where he sends his opponent tumbling through a plate-glass window with a magnificently excecuted slow-motion spinning back-kick, as well as Sammo’s wonderful stick combat during the closing reels. “Winners and Sinners” proved to be a box-office smash and the chemistry between the three brothers proved to be so good, that Raymond Chow rolled out a big budget for their next collaboration “Project A”. “Project A” proved to be a godsend to Jackie Chan as many industry insiders thought his career was “going down the pan” during the early eightties, after his abortive attempt at conquering the West with “Battle Creek Brawl” and the disappointing box-office performance of “Young Master” follow-up “Dragon Lord”.
When finally released in ’84, after almost a year of production “Project A” was hailed as a genre masterpiece and quite deservedly took over HK$14.000.000 in its first week of release at the Hong Kong box-office. Once again the chemistry between the “three brothers” is superb, and their combined dramatic, comic and physical talents ensure that “Project A” is one of the most memorable action-adventure ever made. Most famous amongst all the movie’s sequences is Jackie’s show-stopping clock-tower fall, inspired by Harold Lloyd’s “Safety Last”, which had audiences clapping and cheering, and gasping in sheer disbelief at the outrageous courage required to pull off this incredible stunt. Once again Jackie, Sammo and Biao proved themselves to be true masters of their art as they kick, punch and flip their way through the amazing cavern fight sequence which rounds off the movie. The final three-on-one encounter against evil pirate king San Pao, played with gusto by veteran Dick Wei is a masterpiece of rhythm and timing, with each of our heroes taking turns to unleash varied attacks to wear down the seemingly unbeatable opponent. Even though Jackie is officially credited as director and fight choreographer, Sammo was heavily involved in putting together many of the action scenes and his influence can be felt very strongly in the showpiece climatic fight sequence.
Sammo’s next two films with kung fu brothers Jackie and Biao are generally regarded as two of the best by fight fans on both sides of the Atlantic. In the first “Wheels on Meals” (1984), principal photography took place in Barcelona, Spain, and Sammo contracted the services of formidable full-contact champ Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and forms champ Keith Vitali to play the roles of principal villains. From the amazing stunt-packed car sequence, to the breathtaking plaza fight where Jackie dislodges an attacker from his motorcycle with a perfectly executed flying kick, right through to the awesome three-way end fight scene “Wheels on Meals” is a winner from start to finish. Jackie’s incredible battle with Benny “The Jet” is often cited as one of the best fights ever recorded on film and quite deservedly so. Sammo’s hi-impact choreography and stunning camerawork is a joy to watch as these two incredible opponents kick and punch through one of the most realistic encounters ever filmed. Sammo tells us that Benny and Jackie were actually hitting each other for real on many occassions, and for many fans Jackie’s gymnastic kicking ability in this sequence has seldom been better.
For “My Lucky Stars”, Sammo’s hi-energy follow-up to “Winners and Sinners”, he took his crew to Japan, due to Jackie Chan’s amazing popularity there and began principal photography in early ’85. In true Sammo Hung style, the movie kicks off with a blistering car-chase throught the streets of Tokyo, culminated with Jackie and Biao battling ninja warriors at a theme park in the shadow of Mount Fuji. When Sammo was let down by one of the project’s principal contributors, Jackie and co-star Eric Tsang jumped on board to lend a hand with the directing duties. To make the all-important Chinese New Year release date, Jackie, Sammo and Eric filmed different sections of the movie around the clock! Not only did they make a seemingly impossible deadline, but they also broke another record, when “My Lucky Stars” took HK$10.000.000 in its first week of release, before going on to attain HK$30.000.000 by the end of its run. Golden Harvest boss Raymond Chow was so overwhelmed by the movie’s success that he hosted a gala dinner for cast and crew, including a symbolic smashing of a “thirty-million-dollar” ice-carving by all the stars.
Keen to trade on the success of the “Lucky Stars” phenomenon, Golden Harvest commissioned “Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars” for release in late ’85, and Sammo took up the directing reins with Jackie and Biao once again playing leading roles. The warehouse fight sequence which teams Jackie with Yuen Biao and Andy Lau is regarded as one of the many highpoints of Sammo’s modern career and contains one of the best kicks in cinematic history: Yuen Biao, coming up the side of a crate in a mid-air cartwheel landing perfectly, feigning 180 degree roundhouse kick before executing a perfect hi-impact side-kick. It’s a moment that will have you rewinding your video in disbelief. For the finale, Sammo really comes to the fore, as a martial artist, director and fight choreographer, as he kicks, flips and punches through a range of challenging opponents. For many fans his stunning display of martial artistry with two tennis rackets is a moment of creativity and skill which very few other performers could match.
For 1985’s “Heart of the Dragon” a.k.a. “The First Mission”, Sammo appeared in his first truly dramatic role. In a brave departure from the parts that had made him a legend in Hong Kong, he plays the mentally retarded older brother of leading man Jackie Chan. As you would expect Sammo approaches the role with both sensitivity and humor and the interplay between both men generates many genuinely touching moments, and as a result, Sammo also received another nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards, this time for “Best Director”, as a tribute for his excellent work on the film. As well as the drama, the movie also delivers on action front. Choraographer Yuen Biao went for a very fast, direct and more street-realistic style, and leading man Jackie Chan excels with his execution of technique in each of the three principal fights. Of particular not is the finale showcase which unfolds in a multi-storey construction site, where Jackie takes on gun-toting gangsters, axe-wielding construction workers and a formidable super-villain, played again with relish by the ubiquitous Dick Wei. This scene is a genuine master-class in editing, action-choraography and fight-choreography, and is a testament to a director, choraographer and lead-actors on top form.
