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As a tribute to those who made huge off-stage contributions to the film industry, the "Behind the Glamorous Scene - 80th Anniversary of Cathay" exhibition, organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is being held from today (December 11) to March 20 next year at the HKFA's Exhibition Hall. Admission is free.
Motion Picture and General Investment Ltd (MP & GI), later renamed Cathay, was one of the most significant film enterprises in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 60s, producing over 100 modern metropolitan movies. The company groomed numerous movie stars and filmmaking talents and realised the dreams of many film buffs. Celebrating the 80th anniversary of Cathay, the exhibition features 24 elite individuals of various positions in the filmmaking industry including management, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, film editors, set designers, arts directors and musicians. On display are valuable work photos, letters, handbills and magazines, along with selected footage of cinematic classics produced by MP & GI, enabling audiences to learn about the filmmaking contribution of these behind-the-scenes professionals.
With a profound interest and vision in film business, MP & GI founder Loke Wan Tho modelled the company on the Hollywood studio system and heavily invested in management, production and star names, making its films enormously popular. He recruited the best talents of the period, ranging from management and scriptwriters to directors and technical crew. Renowned movie stars such as Grace Chang, Lucilla You Min, Julie Yeh Feng, Linda Lin Dai, Jeanette Lin Tsui, Chang Yang, Kelly Lai Chen and Peter Chen Ho also worked under MP & GI. Successive executives helped to manage the company with finesse. Albert Odell was a central figure in helping MP & GI to establish a foothold in Hong Kong, setting up the Cantonese film unit and a script editorial committee; Robert Chung led the company to new heights by introducing new equipment for colour film production and employing innovative publicity approaches, bringing much fame to the enterprise; Choo Kok Leong took over as president in 1964, renaming MP & GI as the Cathay Organisation (Hong Kong) Ltd and focusing on the production of coloured panoramic Mandarin films as well as establishing acting lessons to recruit and train potential newcomers.
"Mambo Girl" (1957), "Her Tender Heart" (1959), "Cinderella and Her Little Angels" (1959) and "Sun, Moon and Star" (1961) were all MP & GI masterpieces. The production department rigorously selected the film scripts and set the production strategy. Production manager Stephen Soong oversaw script selection and casting, and also co-ordinated among scriptwriters and directors to strike a balance between creative freedom and quality control. The scripting and directing talent at MP & GI offered a variety of expertise including Nellie Chin Yu and Eileen Chang for their famous feminist scripts; Tang Huang for capturing the unique charm of the actors under his directorship; and other versatile scriptwriter-directors like Tso Kea, Griffin Yue Feng, Doe Ching and Evan Yang. In addition, technical specialists also contributed to the success of MP & GI's films with their creation of finely made sets, logical yet dramatic cinematography and wonderful movie soundtracks.
For enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or browse the website of the HKFA at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/en_US/web/hkfa/programmesandexhibitions/evecal/evecal12.html#.
Ends/Friday, December 11, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:10
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