The First Films Filmography

[Markgway]

If anyone knows of any errors or omissions please don't hesitate to post. Thanks.

1933
Mui Xing Zhi Guang

1935
Goddess

1947
Huan Xiang Ri Ju

1950
Dreams of Reunion
Who is the Real Tycoon?

1962
The Flaming Mountain

1968
Crazy Swordsman
The Swordsman
The Terrible Killer

1969
The Flying Swordgirl
The Young Avengeress
Man Ghost Fox

1970
Tigeress is Coming
Million Dollar Bride
The Infatuated Persons
Hate Me Not
The King and Queen
Fairy Fox and Ghost
Way Ching Killed the Dragon
Paid With Blood

1971
Magnificent Chivalry
Struggle Karate
Husband, Wife, Maid
The Extreme Enemy
The Deceiver

1972
Furious Slaughter
Impetuous Fire
Dangerous Game
Chow Ken
Ma Su Chen
Funny Girl
Black List

1973
Knight Errant
A Gathering of Heros
One By One
Seven to One
Black Panther
The Boxer From Kwongtung
A Girl Called Tigeress
The Two Cavalier

1974
Brother Two
The Rangers
The Marriage
Empress Dowager's Agate Vase
Four Real Friends
The Dumb Ox
Ghost of the Mirror
The Furious Monk From Shaolin
News Hum
Girl Friend
Gold Snatchers
Girl of the Problem

1975
Hong Kong Superman
Tiger Force
Thou Shall Not Kill... But Once
He Loved One Too Many
Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain
A Cookbook of Birth Control
Sup Sap Bup Dup
The Story of Four Girls

1976
The Ming Patriots
A Happy Affair
Green Garden
One-Armed Boxer Vs the Flying Guillotine
Victory
Tiger & Crane Fists
King of Kung Fu
Shaolin Death Squads
Shocking Asia

1977
Confused Love
The Hot, the Cool and the Vicious
One-Arm Chivalry Fight Against One-Arm Chivalry
The Green Jade Statuette
There's No Place Like Home
Eagle's Claws

1978
Autumn Memories
Edge of Fury
The Tattoo Connection
Love of the White Snake

1979
The Kung-Fu Master
Mission Kiss and Kill
Budo Wing
Legend of the Mountain
Eighteen Fatal Strikes
Upstairs and Downstairs
The Crippled Masters
The Four Invincible
Manhunt

1980
Master Killer
The Killer in White
Pathetic Heart
House For Rent
Tao Yan Gui
The Prince Love Story
The Partner

1981
The Taxi Driver
Kung Hai Fa Choy
The King and the Eunuch
The Devil
Play Con Game
Big Brother
A Maiden and Wanderer
The Casino
The Clan of Righteousness
Prohibited Area
The Story of Jane
The Big Boss Big
The Country of Beauties
Funny Soldier

1982
Playboy
Four Encounters
The Man From Viet Nam
Ninja Avenger

1983
Shaolin Drunkard

1984
My Memories of Old Beijing
The Last Night of Madam China
Duel of the Master
Fast Moves
Raiders of the Shaolin Temple
Romance On the Highway

1985
Trial Marriage

1986
The Story of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen I

1988
Shocking Asia II
Operation Pink Squad

1989
Thunder Cops II
Jungle Heat

1990
Forbidden Imperial Tales

1991
Caged Beauties

1994
Red Rose, White Rose

1996
The Great Jetfoil Robbery

1999
The King of Debt Collecting Agent
The Lord of Amusement

2000
True Love
Eternal Love
Durian Durian

2001
Bakery Amour

Unknown
Gui Men Guan
Hi Di Nu Lang
The War and the Girl-Teacher

[Chinatown Kid]

You can add Edge of Fury and The Tattoo Connection, both from 1978. That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Markgway]

Re. Tattoo Connection & Edge of Fury

Can you tell me where you saw that they are FIRST FILMS releases? I checked and they're listed under a different production company. But that doesn't mean you're wrong. Just that FIRST isn't mentioned. Have you seen the films with the FIRST FILMS logo? If so that would be good enough.

Thanks for your contribution.

[Chinatown Kid]

Well Mark, the DVD I have of Edge of Fury has the First Films logo at the beginning with a big #1 in gold writing. Now the DVD of the Tattoo Connection has the exact same intro music as Edge of Fury intro but it says First Distributers H.K. Assuming they had the same logo music I presummed First Distributers is the same company as First Films. Might be wrong though, wouldn't be the first time.:)

[falkor]

Edge of Fury is definitely First Films, but not sure about Tattoo Connection.

[falkor]

http://www.rarekungfumovies.com/new/first1.jpg
http://www.rarekungfumovies.com/new/first2.jpg
http://www.rarekungfumovies.com/new/first3.jpg

[zhunaid]

dont forget eagle's claw

[Markgway]

Edge of Fury is definitely First Films, but not sure about Tattoo Connection.

The production company listed for both these films is the same. I can't remember what is but I'll check again later. I don't doubt your certainty. Just want to make sure. :)

[Markgway]

There's no English titles for posters 16, 20, 22.

EDIT: #1 was FURIOUS SLAUGHTER & #27 BIG BOSS BIG, which I already had.

If you could supply them, Falkor, I'll check (saves me looking them up). ;)

Otherwise got them all except ONE ARMED CHIVALRY, CRIPPLED MASTERS, THE DUMB OX, BROTHER TWO, BOXERS REBELLION, which I'll add later.

EDIT: I already have THE DUMB OX, BOXERS REBELLION and BROTHER TWO under alternate titles. I've added these.

And Zhunaid, EAGLE'S CLAW. Thanks.

What about THE HOT, THE COOL, AND THE VICIOUS then?

EDIT: Confirmed by Chinatown Kid.

[Chinatown Kid]

On my Eastern Heroes dvd of Hot,Cool, and Vicious it has the First Distributers(H.K.) Limited logo at the beginning just like Tattoo Connection. Even though Edge of Fury's logo is different it has the same theme music as First Distributers does. The question is are these companys one and the same.:\

[Markgway]

Falkor is definate about Edge of Fury and you're definate about Cool and Vicious and Tattoo Connection so I'll add them. If it turns out later you're wrong I can always remove them. ;)

[Markgway]

I can't find any reference to BOXERS REBELLION. Do you know the original Chinese title? I may have it listed under that.

EDIT: It's DRAGON FIST. AKA: Fury of the King Boxer.

To add to the confusion Dragon Fist is also an AKA for KNIGHT ERRANT from the following year.

The HKMDB list THIS film as CHOW KEN, but they seem to be confusing it with a similar work entitled FAST FISTS with same star and director, but released a few months later.

Is FAST FISTS also a FIRST FILMS release?

[Jesse Smooth]

I could have sworn that falkor? posted the THUNDERKICK poster a while back and had the First Films logo in there.

[falkor]

BOXERS REBELLION = CHOW KEN = FURY OF KING BOXER
DRAGON FIST = KNIGHT ERRANT
FAST FISTS

Don't know what the English titles are for those posters; might want to try asking in the Classic Kung Fu section.

[dbtb]

Looks like there may be a First Films connection



http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/6284/tattoo0lz.jpg

[Markgway]

BOXERS REBELLION = CHOW KEN = FURY OF KING BOXER
DRAGON FIST = KNIGHT ERRANT
FAST FISTS

Damn, now I'm REALLY confused. Why do the HKFA list Fury of the King Boxer as an AKA for Dragon Fist? And Knight Errant as coming out a year after Dragon Fist if it's the same film? Unless there's TWO films known as Dragon Fist or it's one film released twice? A real head scratcher.

[Markgway]

Here's the info I gathered and see how confusing it is(!)


THE FAST FISTS aka Da dao, Wang Yu da dao, Huan ming xiong di.
2/8/72
(via HKFA)
Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Kuo Hsiao Chuang.
>>>

DRAGON FIST aka Qiu Jin, Jing tian dong di (FURY OF KING BOXER) , Da mo ying hao.
29/3/72
(via HKFA)
Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Kuo Hsiao Chuang.
>>>

KNIGHT ERRANT aka Dragon fist, Ying xiong ben se
10/2/73
(HKFA)
Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Yasuaki Kurata.
>>>

DRAGON FIST aka KNIGHT ERRANT
(via Falkor's poster)
Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Yasuaki Kurata.
>>>

BOXERS REBELLION aka CHOW KEN
(via Falkor's & HKMDB posters - artwork matches)
>>>

CHOW KEN aka The Fast Fists, The Fury of King Boxer, Dragon Fist, Da mo ying hao.
7/6/72
(HKMDB)
Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Kuo Hsiao Chuang

[falkor]

Fast Fists has no AKA!
http://www.rarekungfumovies.com/new/FastFists.jpg

Dragon Fist = Knight Errant!
http://www.rarekungfumovies.com/new/knight.jpg

[Markgway]

Trust me..Fast Fists has no AKA!

That corresponds with what the HKFA say as they list it as a film seperate to the others. But the HKMDB have obviously got it wrong.

EDIT: I forgot: Is FAST FISTS a First Film release?

Why do the HKFA list TWO films with the title DRAGON FIST?
One from 1972 and another from 1973 (as KNIGHT ERRANT)? Could the first one be a lost film?

Or...

Is the HKFA's DRAGON FIST......... aka Qiu Jin, Jing tian dong di (FURY OF KING BOXER) , Da mo ying hao.
29/3/72 (via HKFA) Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Kuo Hsiao Chuang........... the same films as...... CHOW KEN aka The Fast Fists, The Fury of King Boxer, Dragon Fist, Da mo ying hao. 7/6/72 (HKMDB) Dir: Ting Shan Si. Cast: Wang Yu, Kuo Hsiao Chuang......?

Note the HKFA doesn't recognise the title CHOW KEN and if FAST FISTS isn't an AKA for that film it could be what the HKFA refer to as DRAGON FIST, no? Although the dates differ by three months. Hmmm....?

[Markgway]

Had a look at the Database of Taiwanese Cinema and they only list three films as directed by Ting Shan Si in 1972

1. Dragon Fist (2770)
2. Show Down (2750)
3. The Fast Fists (2600)

Note that at both the DBTW and the HKMDB the cast credits for DRAGON FIST are the same as each other BUT NOT the same as those given elsewhere for KNIGHT-ERRANT.

Alas, I couldn't find a seperate entry for Knight-Errant.

What was the title on the Chinese print? Knight-Errant or Dragon Fist?

It seems that we have two options here:
That either there are TWO films called Dragon Fist (one of which is better known as Knight Errant) ...OR... Knight-Errant was originally released in 1972 NOT 1973.

:rollin

[Linn1]

That corresponds with what the HKFA say as they list it as a film seperate to the others. But the HKMDB have obviously got it wrong.

This is an entry HKMDB has had wrong for years. It's driven many fans nuts! Falkor is correct. Fast Fists is a complete different film.

Why do the HKFA list TWO films with the title DRAGON FIST? One from 1972 and another from 1973 (as KNIGHT ERRANT)? Could the first one be a lost film?

I can at least say that Knight Errant was avertised in mags at the time as being Dragon Fist. I THINK I even have a clipping around here of it. Here's some titles froma list I got from First Films when Pathfinder was working on the Jimmy Wang Yu discs.

BLACK LIST
RETURN OF THE PANTHER
THE RANGERS
DUEL WITH DEATH
LOVE OF THE WHITE SNAKE
SHANGHAI MASSACRE
ISLAND WARRIORS
RAIDERS OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE
36 SUPERKIDS
DUEL OF THE MASTER
CAGED BEAUTIES

[Markgway]

From your additionals list Linn:

BLACK LIST - No
RETURN OF THE PANTHER - As 'Dumb Ox'
THE RANGERS - Yes
DUEL WITH DEATH - No
LOVE OF THE WHITE SNAKE - Yes
SHANGHAI MASSACRE - No
ISLAND WARRIORS - No
RAIDERS OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE - No
36 SUPERKIDS - No
DUEL OF THE MASTER - No
CAGED BEAUTIES - Yes

It's possible I have these "No" title under alternates so will check.

Thanks.

[Markgway]

OK. So we're certain now that FAST FISTS has no relation to either CHOW KEN or KNIGHT ERRANT. Let's rule FAST FISTS out of the equation.

DRAGON FIST (1972) as listed by both the HKFA and the TWDB do NOT have the same cast as KNIGHT ERRANT or the same release year even though we KNOW that KNIGHT ERRANT has been called DRAGON FIST. Obviously I could be wrong but it seems to me like there may be TWO films out there that have used the name DRAGON FIST at one point or another. Could the 1972 DRAGON FIST be an AKA for CHOW KEN? It would make sense of everything bar the actual release dates for which there's some discrepancy.

The investigation continues...

[Markgway]

OK, I'm now fairly certain that the film the HKFA have listed as DRAGON FIST (1972) is in fact CHOW KEN, even though the March 29th release date is possibly wrong. The HKFA filmography has the film listed as CHOW KEN on 7th June.

Part of the confusion was in the Chinese titles and it wasn't until Falkor posted the original poster for CHOW KEN than I realised why I was going round in circles. The original Chinese title for CHOW KEN ("Chiu Chin") is listed at the HKFA (under DRAGON FIST) but NOT on the HKFA filmography or the HKMDB. They both use an entirely different title which I'm not sure about at present. Whether CHOW KEN even was back-in-the-day known as DRAGON FIST or it's a recording error I'm not sure. The same goes for the release date. I'm sure one of them is correct. The TWDB only specifies year and not month so that's no help.

But anyways... a Miss Marple mystery solved. :D

[Markgway]

BLACK LIST - Added to 1972
RAIDERS OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE - Added to 1984
DUEL OF THE MASTER - Added to 1984

SHANGHAI MASSACRE - Listed as THE BIG BOSS BIG
ISLAND WARRIORS - Listed as THE COUNTRY OF BEAUTIES

Couldn't find anything on these:
DUEL WITH DEATH
36 SUPERKIDS

Any alternate titles?

[falkor]

Dai Yat (First Films)


Filmography

Production Company
Love Forever Severed (1950)
Million Dollar Bride (1970)
Infatuated Persons, The (1970)
Hate Me Not (1970)
Way Ching Killed the Dragon (1970)
Struggle Karate (1971)
Husband, Wife, Maid (1971)
Extreme Enemy (1971)
Deceiver, the (1971)
Impetuous Fire (1972)
Furious Slaughter (1972)
Ma Su Chen (1972)
Chow Ken (1972)
Knight Errant (1973)
Gathering of Heroes, A (1973)
Seven to One (1973)
Two Cavaliers, The (1973)
Black Panther (1973)
Gold Snatchers (1973)
Brother Two (1974)
Rangers, The (1974)
Marriage, The (1974)
Empress Dowager's Agate Vase (1974)
Four Real Friends (1974)
Dumb Ox, The (1974)
Ghost of the Mirror (1974)
Furious Monk from Shaolin, The (1974)
Girl Friend (1974)
Tiger Force (1975)
Hong Kong Superman (1975)
Thou Shall Not Kill ... But Once (1975)
Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain (1975)
Cookbook of Birth Control, A (1975)
Ming Patriots, The (1976)
Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)
Savage Killers (1976)
He's a Legend; He's a Hero (1976)
Confused Love (1977)
Shaolin Death Squads (1977)
There's No Place Like Home (1977)
Love of the White Snake (1978)
Mission Kiss and Kill (1979)
Budo Wing (1979)
Operation Pink Squad II (1989)
He Loved Once Too Many (1975)

Distributor
Operation Pink Squad II (1989)

[Linn1]

while you're doing this research,remember the HKMDB is a database created by fans and scholars from around the world. As such, the data there is subject to MUCH more mistakes when compaired to places like the HKFA database, which is put together using actual info from companies and local newspapers. It's been my experience over the years that the HKMDB's release dates have to be double and triple checked for being correct. To be honest, I haven't been on the database for at least two years, so maybe they've gotten better. It's better than the IMDB for accuracy, but I would trust the HK Film Archives and others first.

[Markgway]

Normally I do go by the HKFA first, but Falkor's poster used the title Chow Ken rather than Dragon Fist, and I think on this occasion the HKFA DB might be incorrect. I checked the HKFA filmography and it uses Chow Ken as does the HKMDB, who in this particular regard may be correct (I know the Chinese title and at least one of the alternates they use for Chow Ken are wrong). I honestly don't know if Chow Ken ever was called Dragon Fist or the HKFA DB has mistakenly used the alternate for Knight Errant, it's probably the latter, because they also list Dragon Fist correctly as an alternate for Knight Errant in their listings. Sorry if this is becoming a bit dense. Anyway it seems to be pretty much sorted... until someone disagrees!! lol

[Markgway]

Linn,

Anymore on these films?

DUEL WITH DEATH
36 SUPERKIDS

Can't find any trace of them under those titles.

[Markgway]

Falkor, where did you get your filmography from?

As it's a lot shorter than mine....

Are some of my titles incorrect or is yours an abridged list?


Love Forever Severed (1950) -- is listed as 'Dreams of Reunion'

Deceiver, the (1971) -- I didn't have this one. Cool.

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976) -- is listed as 'One-Armed Boxer Vs the Flying Guillotine'

Savage Killers (1976) -- is listed as 'Tiger & Crane Fists'

He's a Legend; He's a Hero (1976) -- is listed as 'King of Kung Fu'

There's No Place Like Home (1977) -- Didn't have this one either.

[Linn1]

Anymore on these films?

DUEL WITH DEATH
36 SUPERKIDS

Can't find any trace of them under those titles.

I've got 36 Superkids setting in front of me. It's a legit title. Came out I think in 81 or 82. I check, as for Duel with Death, not sure yet.

[Jesse Smooth]

isn't this a First Film as well?

[Markgway]

Point the Finger of Death... isn't this a First Film as well?

See One-Armed Chivalry. :)

[killer meteor]

Hey Mark, this is GREAT stuff! Any chance of a Hong Hwa filmography - I quite like a lot of their stuff

[Markgway]

The problem with Hong Hwa is that it's a Taiwanese-based company and thus a lot of their films don't show up at the HKFA. The TWDB isn't as thorough and has no English options at all. But that's not a definate 'no'. :p

[killer meteor]

Fair enough. I didn't know Hong Hwa was Taiwanese.

[The Dragon]

Any idea which First Films MA release was it's biggest grossing film? I'd like to know if I have it in my collection.

[venoms5]

There's another film I don't see on here. NINJA STRIKE (198?). It stars Chen Hui Min, Casanova Wong and Wang Li in the opening 1940s segment before the film switches to modern times.