Lau Kar-leung

2 Collaborations with Gordon Liu

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lau.

Laus most frequent collaborator is likely his god

brother Gordon Liu a.k.a. Chia Hui Liu, and he worked
with Liu on a number of lms, directing him as a star
in the now classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978),
as well as directing Liu as either a star or cast member
in Dirty Ho (1976), Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1983),
Executioners from Shaolin (1977), Return to the 36th
Chamber (1980), Heroes of the East (1978), Legendary
Weapons of China (1982), Disciples of the 36th Chamber
(1985), Tiger on Beat (1988), Tiger on the Beat 2 (1990),
Shaolin Warrior (1980), Spiritual Boxer II (1979), Cat vs
Rat (1982), The Lady is the Boss (1983), My Young Auntie
(1981), Challenge of the Masters (1976), Shaolin Man1 History
tis (1978), The Martial Club (1981), and Drunken Monkey (2003). They also appeared together as themselves
Before becoming famous, Lau worked as an extra in the Italian documentary Dragonland (2009, directed
and choreographer on black and white Wong Fei-hung by Lorenzo De Luca).
movies. He teamed up with fellow Wong Fei-hung choreographer Tong Gaai on the 1963 Hu Peng-directed wuxia
lm South Dragon, North Phoenix. Their collaboration 3 Screenplays
would continue on until the mid-1970s. His rst appearance in a lm was in Brave Lad of Guangong (1950).[1]
Throughout his career, Lau only wrote four screenplays,
In the 1960s he became one of Shaw Brothers main but they were all for lms that he himself directed. Those
choreographers and had a strong working relationship screenplays/lms are My Young Auntie (1981), Legendary
with director Chang Cheh, working on many of Changs Weapons of China (1982), The Lady is the Boss (1983)
lms as a choreographer (often alongside Tong Gaai) and Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1983). All of the lms
including The One-Armed Swordsman, as well as other also starred or featured Gordon Liu in some role or caShaw Brothers wuxia lms, such as The Jade Bow. After pacity.
a split with Chang on the set of Marco Polo, Lau evolved
into a director during the sudden boom of martial arts
lms in the early 1970s. He occasionally did choreogra4 Awards and nominations
phy work for non-Shaw lms as well, such as Master of
the Flying Guillotine.
In 2005, Lau won a Best Action Choreography award
After Shaw Brothers collapsed in the 1980s, Lau moved at the Golden Horse Award for his action choreography
on and continued directing and choreographing lms, work on Tsui Hark's Seven Swords. He also won anamong them Drunken Master II. However, the lms star other Golden Horse Award in 1994, for Best Martial
Jackie Chan and director Lau clashed over the style of Arts Direction in the lm Drunken Master II (or The
ghting, resulting in Lau leaving the set before the shoot- Legend of the Drunken Master). In 1995, Lau also won
ing of the nal ght scene, which was then taken over by a Best Action Choreography award at the Hong Kong
Chan.[2] Most recently, Lau performed acting and chore- Film Awards for his choreography in Drunken Master II
ography work for Tsui Hark's 2005 lm Seven Swords.
and in 1997, the lm won Best Film at the Fantasia
Mark Houghton opened the Lau Family Hung Kuen Film Festival. Lau was also nominated for a Best Acschool Lau Family Hung Gar academy in Hong Kong / tion Choreography Hong Kong Film Award in 2006 for
Fanling with the support of his sifu, Lau. He gave his dis- his work on Tsui Hark's Seven Swords, and nominated
ciple the permission to spread the art of Lau Family Hung in 1983 for a Best Action Choreography Hong Kong
Kuen to chosen students. There are already branches in Film Award for his work on Legendary Weapons of China
(1982), which he also directed and wrote.[3]
England, Philippines, and China.
Lau Kar-leung (28 July 1934 25 June 2013), also
known as Liu Chia-liang, was a Hong Kong-based Chinese actor, lmmaker, choreographer and martial artist.
Lau is best known for the lms he made in the 1970s
and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio. One of his
most famous works is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin which
starred Gordon Liu, as well as Drunken Master II which
starred Jackie Chan.

In 2010, Lau was honored with a Lifetime Achievement

Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his contributions to the martial arts lm genre.[3]

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

The Lady Is The Boss (1983)

Invincible Pole Fighter (1984) (also writer)
Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985) (also writer)

Personal life

Lau was the third child of Lau Cham (Lau Jaam,

),
a martial arts master who studied Hung Gar under Lam
Sai-wing, a student of Wong Fei-hung.[4] He has a
brother who makes a living in the lm industry, actor/choreographer Lau Kar-wing, as does Gordon Liu,
Laus pupil and adopted godson to Laus father, Lau
Cham. His nephew Lau Kar-yung (son of his older sister)is also an actor, choreographer and director. Another
nephew, Lau Wing-kin (Lau Kar-wings son) is also an
actor, and assisted Lau Kar-leung with action-directing
Seven Swords.

Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986)

Tiger On The Beat (1988)
Mad Mission V: The Terracotta Hit (1989)
Tiger On The Beat II (1990)
Drunken Master II (1994)
Drunken Master III (1994)
Drunken Monkey (2002)

Laus wife was Mary Jean Reimer, whom he married in

1984. One of Laus former girlfriends is Kara Hui.[5]
6.2 As a martial arts choreographer
Lau began training students Hung Gar before the age of
5 and was already quite procient in the style. Bruce Lee 6.3 As an actor
treated Lau as an elder uncle and asked him for advice in
regards to his lm career.
Story of the White-haired Demon Girl (1959)
Lau died on 25 June 2013 at Union Hospital, Hong Kong.
He had been battling leukemia for two decades.[6]

Temple of the Red Lotus (1965)

Challenge of the Masters (1976)

Selected lmography

6.1

As a director

The Spiritual Boxer (1975)

Heroes of the East (1979)

Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979)
My Young Auntie (1981)

Challenge of the Masters (1976)

Legendary Weapons of China (1982)

Executioners From Shaolin (1977)

Invincible Pole Fighter (1984)

36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)

Breakout from Oppression (1978)

Shaolin Mantis (1978)
Heroes of the East (1978)
The Spiritual Boxer II (1979)
Dirty Ho (1979)
Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979)
My Young Auntie (1980)
Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)
Martial Club (1981)

Evil Cat (1987)

Pedicab Driver (1989)
New Kids In Town (A.K.A New Killers In Town)
(1990)
The Banquet (1991)
The Twin Dragons (1992)
Operation Scorpio (1992)
Drunken Master II (1994)

Legendary Weapons of China (1982) (also writer)

Drunken Monkey (2002)

Cat vs Rat (1982)

Seven Swords (2005)

External links
Lau Kar-leung at the Internet Movie Database
Lau Kar Leungs website
Lau Family Hung Kuen in Hongkong
Hong Kong Cinemagic: Lau Kar Leung

References

[1] Todd Brown, Ten Essential Films From Lau

http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/
Kar
Leung,
ten-essential-films-from-lau-kar-leung-gallery.html
[2] Golden Shadows presents: Drunken Master 2. Sunday 1
September 2002, Melbourne
[3] Karen Chu, Hong Kong Director and Martial Arts Master
Lau Kar-leung Dies at 76, http://www.hollywoodreporter.
com/news/hong-kong-director-lau-kar-574372
[4] YesAsia.com: Feature Article: Lau Kar-leung: from
Brave Lad of Canton to Hero of the East
[5] Kara Hui Ying-Hung Biography at the Hong Kong Movie
DataBase
[6] Legendary Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang) Sifu is
dead. Shaolin Wahnam Institute Virtual Kwoon and Discussion Forum. Retrieved 2016-02-19.

9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

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Lau Kar-leung Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Kar-leung?oldid=705851441 Contributors: Kowloonese, Olivier, Gabbe, David

Sneek, RoyBoy, HunterAmor, Instantnood, LukeSurl, Sengkang, Eraser78, Behemoth, Nuge, Wisekwai, Gram123, Nate1481, Xedaf,
Nlu, Shawnc, SmackBot, Lds, Eskimbot, George Ho, Tim Pierce, Catherine breillat, JethroElfman, Beetstra, Mr Stephen, BuDi, CmdrObot, Cydebot, Objectivist-C, Doug Weller, JustAGal, El Tarantiniese~enwiki, Sspacejesus, AlexOvShaolin, Meyow, Connormah,
Kungfu531, Cal42, Jmcw37, TXiKiBoT, Pandacomics, Lau Kar Leung, AlleborgoBot, Sirlanz, Martarius, Dohe, Binksternet, Icarusgeek, Muro Bot, Lau Kar-Yung, Bleach-your-works, DumZiBoT, FrankyLau, Cmr08, Addbot, Underwaterbualo, Tasnu Arakun, Skyezx,
Marc87, Yobot, Horridhenry123, HungGarTiger, TheMovieBu, Stormedelf, Timmyshin, Date delinker, Nbagigafreak, Soangry, ZhBot,
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9.2

Images

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domain Contributors: http://www.protocol.gov.hk/flags/chi/r_flag/index.html Original artist: Tao Ho
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9.3

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