Shanghai Lil & the Sun Luck Kid (Shaws?)

[shukocarl]

Can anyone here tell me something about this film? (aka The Champion or Karate King -1973). Supposedly a Shaw film - it looks like a Taiwanese basher from the period, it's got Lung Fei as the bad guy for instance! Sure, Chin Han and Shih Szu are the stars but they look kind of out of place in it.
More info anyone?
Thanks

[venoms5]

I'll be getting a copy of this one soon. It's a Shaw movie. It was listed as being available from celestial on one of the discs but never made it out. I have a promotional flyer for it. I'll scan it when I get a little time.

[Markgway]

It was a Shaw Bros/Taiwanese co-production.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Does the flyer have screenshots? Here's some from my rip of the Australian VHS:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/shanghai1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/shanghai3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/shanghai4.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/shanghai2.jpg

I think we had this conversation before here. Either that or I have a bad case of deja vu.

[venoms5]

Yeah, there's one or two pics but under the title THE CHAMPION.

[Markgway]

Oops. Actually I was thinking about THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS which also starred Chin Han. That one's the Taiwanese co-production. Sorry!

[venoms5]

Oops. Actually I was thinking about THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS which also starred Chin Han. That one's the Taiwanese co-production. Sorry!

How is that one Mark? I have a copy of this coming as well.

[magicpoe]

venoms5,

I got you covered. The least I can do given the great stuff you've posted from your collection. Sorry about the watermarks, but hey you know the history.

Front Page
http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/imagehosting/911480a03f824967.jpg
Page 2
http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/imagehosting/911480a03f85b05a.jpg
Page 3
http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/imagehosting/911480a041f1387d.jpg
Back Page
http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/imagehosting/911480a03f7d9fcc.jpg

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Very nice! But I was kind of hoping for the Celestial flier so I can see what it looks like in WS.

[venoms5]

Hey cool, thanks Poe. I bought one of these off you in the past. I bought for a friend of mine, though. I got a different one. It's just a flyer for the film under the CHAMPION title. I should be able to scan it this evening.

[zakato]

Is avaible in Germany as a VHS Version in Widescreen with the German Cinema Titel :KARATE KING!!

[Markgway]

The German version is reportedly cut (big shock!)

[venoms5]

Here's the flyer displaying a small pic for the film. An ad for DEADLY DUO is on the back of this...

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9809/31655250wu3.jpg
By venoms5 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/venoms5) at 2008-04-19

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Here's the typically uninformative and misleading VHS cover:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/misterdeeds/smallshanghailil.jpg
"Starring Bruce Ly and Jackie Chih"... heh.

[Markgway]

Is the original title CHAMPION or THE CHAMPION?

I see just one word on that Chinese flyer.

Anyone got the original theatrical poster?

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Bruce Ly and Jackie Chih.... seriously, who do they think they're fooling??!!

[Markgway]

Is the SUN LUCK version of film cut? I ask because I don't remember seeing Ko Hsiang Ting as Chin Han's father? Was this a flashback? Did I fall alseep?

[venoms5]

I haven't watched it yet but the version I have Mark, runs 87 minutes 15 seconds.

[Markgway]

I haven't watched it yet but the version I have Mark, runs 87 minutes 15 seconds.

Same here. Presumably the USA version.

The German dub is a few mins shorter.

According to those promos Ko Hsiang Ting is fifth billed playing Chin Han's father but I really don't remember his character being seen.

Anyone shed any light...?

[venoms5]

Watched this over the past two nights. Like Mark said, this doesn't resemble a Shaw Brothers movie at all. Even the sound effects are different. Although it did appear to utilize the village seen in THE SAVAGE FIVE (1974). The dubbed voices are the same though. The fights are really good save for one shot of a guy leaping over Shi Szu who kicks upward at him and doesn't come close to hitting him yet there's a kicking sound effect. The actor you mentioned Mark, plays the owner of the restaurant. He tells Chin Han what happened to his parents while he was in prison. No flashback is shown. This version which matches the title card above has no credits apart from said title card so that much is missing.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

I don't think it's a Shaw production at all, i think they just picked it up for distribution.

[Markgway]

The actor you mentioned Mark, plays the owner of the restaurant. He tells Chin Han what happened to his parents while he was in prison.

Ah, thanks. I forgot about him. I guess those credits on the promo material were incorrect.

Any idea who plays the fat bloke who sacrifices himself? I've seen him before but damned if I know his name.

[Markgway]

I don't think it's a Shaw production at all, i think they just picked it up for distribution.

Shaws did make some on-location low budget movies in Taiwan (eg. THE BOXERS, CRAZY NUTS OF KUNG FU, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, etc) so this could have been one of those?

Also both Shih Szu and Chin Han were contracted to Shaws at this time.

I checked the TWMDB and there's no listing for THE CHAMPION (mind you, it's not at the HKFA either!)

I guess it could've been a co-production like THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS (also starring Chin Han).

[venoms5]

What about FLIGHT MAN? Was it a co-pro as well? That was about as odd a basher as I've seen and it, too, didn't resemble any Shaw movies aside from some of the cast and the sound effects. Gorgeous locales though. I don't think there were any interiors here save for maybe that cave sequence.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Shaws did make some on-location low budget movies in Taiwan (eg. THE BOXERS, CRAZY NUTS OF KUNG FU, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, etc) so this could have been one of those?

Also both Shih Szu and Chin Han were contracted to Shaws at this time.

I checked the TWMDB and there's no listing for THE CHAMPION (mind you, it's not at the HKFA either!)

I guess it could've been a co-production like THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS (also starring Chin Han).

Wow. Chin Han really must have had a thing going with SB in Taiwan - I had no idea CRAZY NUTS OF KUNG FU was a Shaw's production. It really doesn't look like one.

I forgot Shih Szu was still making SB movies up until the late seventies, too.

[Markgway]

What about FLIGHT MAN? Was it a co-pro as well?

Doesn't appear to be. (At least no record of it). I think Shaws gave money to Taiwanese producers to shoot bashers on the cheap. They made quick money that could then be ploughed into the more prestigious HK-studio set productions. Some of these films (ie. Flight Man) weren't even released in HK. I hate to say it: but Linn knew more abut this than me. :(

Wow. Chin Han really must have had a thing going with SB in Taiwan - I had no idea CRAZY NUTS OF KUNG FU was a Shaw's production. It really doesn't look like one.

Yeah, there were quite a few Shaw films shot in Taiwan. Mostly they look like indies due to the differing conditions. If you take away the studio sets and costumes...

I forgot Shih Szu was still making SB movies up until the late seventies, too.

I love her. :)

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Anyone wondering what the fuss is all about can now check out the entire film on Youtube. Here's part one:

qfeZzUMWMIs

I'm not going to post all the movie in here directly as it'll eat up the whole page, so here are the links to the rest of it:

Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpRq3rk6ams)
Part 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5z_DP3cp2k)
Part 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94UKYzgceY)
Part 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h41zFm3yV1s)
Part 6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO-pd0tSRdk)
Part 7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kdlElJQSJw)
Part 8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YriiT9Ihj44)
Part 9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0pGHlucUaU)
Part 10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33lorX7fqas)
Part 11 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptrE9fcywdQ)
Part 12 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8F6RqLwkzA)
Part 13 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwAWeVOfoY)
Part 14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wwWFj2JXIg)
Part 15 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSobRixsD7Y)
Part 16 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82AGUqqpcOo)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Thanks. I'll see what it's all about.

[Markgway]

Actually that's a great idea, VHF: posting rares on Youtube (even if it's for a limited time). I've obviously just watched THE CHAMPION but I'm sure many fans will get a kick (ahem) out of this.

[Shinobi]

I want to see this apart from youtube. where would I be able to get a dvd copy of this? Is that possible?!

[Markgway]

Been a while... so bumping this to see if anyone has any new info or images?
Would dearly love to see a Chinese language poster.
I'm now quite confident that THE CHAMPION is a Shaw-Taiwanese co-production.
Question is: Which company co-produced it?
One of the producers, YEN Wu-Tung, ran Fortuna Films (HK).
As they were based in Taiwan it could have been them... but finding evidence for or against is (currently) nigh impossible.

[whitesnake]

I want to see this apart from youtube. where would I be able to get a dvd copy of this? Is that possible?!
fareastflix.com has it on DVD. If you search that website for Shanghai Lil, rather than the whole title, it will show up in the results.

[bobo]

i'm pretty sure you can find a copy of this from most of the regular online bootleg outlets. i believe that fareastflix and flashlegs both sell it-- but don't expect celestial quality. i'm actually surprised that pan media never got hold of this one---surprise, surprise. :nerd: