Kodak/Atlab Cinema Collection

Inspector Fang Sing-Ling (Jimmy Wang Yu) and Jack Wilton (George Lazenby)

The Man From Hong Kong (1975)

A new 35mm print of this feature and trailer are now available on request. Courtesy of Brian Trenchard-Smith and Kodak (Australasia) and Atlab Australia.

National Film and Sound Archive National Collection
Title Number 4498.

Classification: R rating

Comments about the film by the director, Brian Trenchard-Smith

For a review of The Man From Hong Kong, please visit
Heroic Cinema - The Man From Hong Kong

Synopsis

A martial arts thriller which begins with a spectacular opening sequence of a kung-fu fight on top of Uluru and a car chase scene in the desert nearby. True to its genre, the film is complete with numerous fight scenes and action sequences. Starring Jimmy Wang Yu as Inspector Fang, a detective and kung-fu fighter from Hong Kong to crack a drug syndicate run under the cover of a martial school in Sydney managed by Jack Wilton (played by George Lazenby, the one-time James Bond).

Background

Wang Yu was himself a director and star of many martial arts films made in Hong Kong. Trenchard-Smith uses the exotic backdrop of the Australian landscape to create an action packed comic strip style feature, with impressive stunt work and stunning cinematography by Russell Boyd. In July 1975, the film was released in the United States by Twentieth Century Fox under the title,The Dragon Flies.

Director
Brian Trenchard-Smith

Year of Production 1975
Duration 103 minutes
Format 35mm, Anamorphic, Colour
Optical Soundtrack Mono, remastered to Dolby® Digital

Production Company
The Movie Company/Golden Harvest Co-production

Producer
John Fraser, Raymond Chow

Screenplay
Brian Trenchard-Smith

Director of Photography
Russell Boyd

First Assistant Director
Hal McElroy, Chu Yut-hung

Camera Assistant
John Seale

Art Design
David Copping, Chien Shun

Editor
Ron Williams

Sound Recordist
Cliff Curll

Music
Noel Quinlan

Martial Arts Instructor
Hung Kam-Po (Sammo Hung)

Stunt Coordinator
Peter Armstrong, Grant Page

Title Song
'Skyhigh' by British Jigsaw

Cast
Jimmy Wang Yu (Inspector Fang Sing-Ling)
George Lazenby (Jack Wilton)
Ros Spiers (Caroline Thorne)
Rebecca Gilling (Angelica)
Frank Thring (Willard)
Hugh Keays-Byrne (Morrie Grosse)
Roger Ward (Bob Taylor)
Grant Page (assassin)
Bill Hunter (Peterson)
Sammo Hung (Win Chan)

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Director's Comment

'I am proud to have been the architect of Australia's first co-production with Asia. The time is ripe for more of them. Taking a fresh look at The Man From Hong Kong now 28 pictures wiser and still learning, I wince a little at my errors in judgement, but on balance feel it has a lot of entertainment value for action fans with a retro sense of humour. I grew up on early James Bond, so I have always been amused by the crypto-fascist superhero who causes enormous destruction of property and loss of life in the name of justice. So I set out to blend the conventions of the thud-and-blunder thriller with the delirious excesses of the Kung Fu genre. Perhaps it is fortunate that there are only 18 minutes of my dialogue in 106 minutes of non-stop action. I think the picture's energy and sense of fun made it a success across the world. I want to thank the cast and crew for all the support they gave to help me through my first picture.'

'Everyone else, switch off your politically-correct inhibitors, settle back for a couple of hours of laughs and gasps.'

Brian Trenchard-Smith, Director - January 2001

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