Moon Over Malaya (1957)
Image courtesy of the family of Ho Kian-ngiap
Amongst the Chinese movie moguls to have emerged from Singapore after the Second World War, Run Run Shaw of Shaw Organisation and Loke Wan Tho of Cathay Organisation are the most frequently cited examples. Few have heard about the glorious journey of the Ho family’s Kong Ngee Company Limited, started by two Singaporean brothers. This company went on to become a trailblazer in the Cantonese film industry.
Kong Ngee Company Limited had its humble beginnings in film distribution in Southeast Asia. The company went on to own cinema halls across the region, and in 1955, the Ho brothers made their first foray into filmmaking, under the Kong Ngee Film Company. Kong Ngee’s Cantonese films were instant hits and soon dominated the Cantonese film circuit.
From detective mysteries to melodramas and romantic comedies, Kong Ngee films reflected an exuberant modernity, and are sophisticated yet candid reflections of urban life in the 1950s and 1960s. The films dealt with universal themes such as vengeance (The Rouge Tigress, 1955) and interracial love (Blood Stains the Valley of Love, 1957) in a style and manner ahead of its time, telling stories and building characters that the masses could relate to. The studio was also famed for its trademark Hollywood-inspired (Dial 999 for Murder, 1956 and The Seventh Heaven, 1956) and “odd-couple” (The Quarrelsome Couple, 1959 and My Intimate Partners, 1960) films.
The National Museum of Singapore is proud to present the films of the Kong Ngee Film Company in a special programme series called The Story of Kong Ngee. From 10 to 20 October 2013, 15 iconic Cantonese films from the 1950s and 1960s will be screened, celebrating the glorious journey of the Kong Ngee Film Company. Charting the studio’s rise and fall, the films demonstrate Kong Ngee’s unique artistic heritage through films that were wildly popular with the growing middle class and launched the careers of many movie stars like Patrick Tse Yin and Patsy Kar Ling.
Here's the programme schedule:
8.00pm | Blood Stains the Valley of Love / 血染相思谷 (1957) by Chun Kim 秦剑 & Chor Yuen 楚原
Saturday 12 October 2013
2.00pm | China Wife / 唐山阿嫂 (1957) by Chan Man 陈文
4.30pm | Moon Over Malaya / 椰林月 (1957) by Chun Kim 秦剑 & Chor Yuen 楚原
Sunday 13 October 2013
2.00pm | The Rouge Tigress / 胭脂虎 (1955) by Chun Kim 秦剑
4.30pm | Dial 999 for Murder / 九九九命案 (1956) by Chun Kim 秦剑
Tuesday 15 October 2013 (Hari Raya Haji)
2.00pm | The Seventh Heaven / 七重天 (1956) by Ng Wui 吴回
4.30pm | The Quarrelsome Couple / 欢喜冤家 (1959) by Chun Kim 秦剑
Wednesday 16 October 2013
8.00pm | My Intimate Partners / 难兄难弟 (1960) by Chun Kim 秦剑
Thursday 17 October 2013
8.00pm | How to Get a Wife / 追妻记 (1961) by Chun Kim 秦剑
Friday 18 October 2013
8.00pm | Spring Appears / 春到人间 (1963) by Ng Wui 吴回
Saturday 19 October 2013
2.00pm | Ungratefulness / 原来我负卿 (1965) by Chor Yuen 楚原
4.30pm | The Dreadnaught / 铁胆 (1966) by Chan Man 陈文
8.00pm | The Prince of Broadcasters / 播音王子 (1966) by Patrick Lung Kong 龙刚
Sunday 20 October 2013
2.00pm | Story of a Discharged Prisoner / 英雄本色 (1967) by Patrick Lung Kong 龙刚
4.30pm | Incredible Rumour / 红鸾星动 (1968) by Ho Kian-ngiap 何建业
More details can be found directly on the National Museum's website.
Incredible Rumour (1968)
Image courtesy of the family of Ho Kian-ngiap
- 20% discount for members of the National Museum of Singapore.
- S$7.40 (includes SISTIC handling fees) for students (with valid student pass), seniors (aged 60 and above, with valid identity pass showing proof of age), NSFs (with valid 11B pass), National Museum volunteers and staff of the National Heritage Board.
- Group bookings of five or more tickets enjoy a special price of S$6 per ticket (includes SISTIC handling fees).
Tickets are available at www.sistic.com.sg, SISTIC hotline (65) 63485555, SISTIC counters islandwide or National Museum Stamford Visitor Services Counter open from 10am – 7.30pm.