Dirty Ho
Encyclopedia
Dirty Ho is a 1979
Hong Kong
martial arts
-comedy film
directed by Lau Kar-leung
and starring Gordon Liu
and Wong Yue
.
in disguise. Posing as a sophisticated jewellery dealer and connoisseur of fine art and wine, the prince is trying to determine which of the other 14 heirs to the throne is trying to assassinate him. A jewel thief, Dirty Ho (Wong Yue) runs afoul of the prince, who uses Wong Yue to help him flush out his enemies.
Wang is a martial arts expert, but in order to conceal his identity he systematically hides his skills, even as he deploys them.
In the opening sequence of the film proper (after a title sequence which already features two highly abstract fight sequences by the principals) Wang encounters a jewel thief named Dirty Ho at a brothel. They come into conflict by vying with one another for the attentions of the courtesans. Dirty Ho, who is not too bright, can't figure out why his efforts to fight with the seemingly cowardly, effete Wang inevitably result in clumsy disaster. It is Wang, of course, who skillfully deflects Ho into tripping over chairs and so forth.
In a later confrontation with Ho, Wang pretends that a female musician is his "bodyguard", invisibly manipulating the bewildered woman's arms, legs and musical instrument in order to make her fight with Ho and eventually to graze him in the forehead with a poisoned blade.
It is, however, all part of Wang's scheme: he is secretly protecting Ho from the police, and is training the bumbling Ho as his disciple and bodyguard. Ho eventually seeks out Wang in order to discover the antidote for the poison, which Wang administers to him in return for Ho's becoming his disciple.
Ho is initially puzzled at this since he has not detected any kung fu prowess in his master at all, and he remains initially a clueless bystander during two attempts on Wang's life: first, an attack at a wine-tasting, and then a visit to an antique-dealer's shop. Wang manages to defend himself admirably while maintaining the fiction that he is simply having a friendly aesthetic conversation with his opponents. Only at the end of the antique-shop attack does Ho figure out what's going on and intervene, but Wang receives a wound in the leg through a stratagem of the antiques dealer.
The master and his disciple sequester themselves in their residence – Wang for recovery, Ho for some kung fu lessons. But it is nearly time for the princes to assemble for the announcement of the heir to the throne, and so Wang and Ho undertake the dangerous journey to Peking
with Wang in disguise, being pushed in a wheelchair by Ho.
Defeating an army of assassins in a ruined city, they manage to extract from the assassins' leader the identity of the Prince (Number Four) who is targeting Wang. The heroes then encounter their most formidable enemy, General Liang plus two other bad guys, and a climactic fight sequence follows.
They manage to defeat their enemies just in time for the prince to enter the throne room in time for the Emperor's appearance. Ho, outside the door, passes his master his necklace of beads on the pole they've used during the fight; the Prince takes them and deftly uses the pole to send Ho flying outside the room. The film ends with a freeze-frame on Dirty Ho in mid-air.
Dirty Ho does not follow the usual revenge plot of Shaw Brothers kung fu films at the time. Also, another one of the film's unusual features is having a Manchu character as the film's hero, instead of the villain.
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
-comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Lau Kar-leung
Lau Kar-leung
Lau Kar-Leung is a famous Hong Kong martial arts filmmaker, choreographer, and actor.Lau Kar-Leung is best known for his movies which he made during the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio...
and starring Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
and Wong Yue
Wong Yue
Wong Yue was a Hong Kong martial arts film actor. He starred in many Shaw Brothers Studio films and is known for his comic roles in films with Gordon Liu, such as Dirty Ho, Spiritual Boxer II, 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter.He is sometimes credited as Wong Yu and as...
.
Plot
Master Wang is actually the 11th prince of ManchuriaManchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in disguise. Posing as a sophisticated jewellery dealer and connoisseur of fine art and wine, the prince is trying to determine which of the other 14 heirs to the throne is trying to assassinate him. A jewel thief, Dirty Ho (Wong Yue) runs afoul of the prince, who uses Wong Yue to help him flush out his enemies.
Wang is a martial arts expert, but in order to conceal his identity he systematically hides his skills, even as he deploys them.
In the opening sequence of the film proper (after a title sequence which already features two highly abstract fight sequences by the principals) Wang encounters a jewel thief named Dirty Ho at a brothel. They come into conflict by vying with one another for the attentions of the courtesans. Dirty Ho, who is not too bright, can't figure out why his efforts to fight with the seemingly cowardly, effete Wang inevitably result in clumsy disaster. It is Wang, of course, who skillfully deflects Ho into tripping over chairs and so forth.
In a later confrontation with Ho, Wang pretends that a female musician is his "bodyguard", invisibly manipulating the bewildered woman's arms, legs and musical instrument in order to make her fight with Ho and eventually to graze him in the forehead with a poisoned blade.
It is, however, all part of Wang's scheme: he is secretly protecting Ho from the police, and is training the bumbling Ho as his disciple and bodyguard. Ho eventually seeks out Wang in order to discover the antidote for the poison, which Wang administers to him in return for Ho's becoming his disciple.
Ho is initially puzzled at this since he has not detected any kung fu prowess in his master at all, and he remains initially a clueless bystander during two attempts on Wang's life: first, an attack at a wine-tasting, and then a visit to an antique-dealer's shop. Wang manages to defend himself admirably while maintaining the fiction that he is simply having a friendly aesthetic conversation with his opponents. Only at the end of the antique-shop attack does Ho figure out what's going on and intervene, but Wang receives a wound in the leg through a stratagem of the antiques dealer.
The master and his disciple sequester themselves in their residence – Wang for recovery, Ho for some kung fu lessons. But it is nearly time for the princes to assemble for the announcement of the heir to the throne, and so Wang and Ho undertake the dangerous journey to Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
with Wang in disguise, being pushed in a wheelchair by Ho.
Defeating an army of assassins in a ruined city, they manage to extract from the assassins' leader the identity of the Prince (Number Four) who is targeting Wang. The heroes then encounter their most formidable enemy, General Liang plus two other bad guys, and a climactic fight sequence follows.
They manage to defeat their enemies just in time for the prince to enter the throne room in time for the Emperor's appearance. Ho, outside the door, passes his master his necklace of beads on the pole they've used during the fight; the Prince takes them and deftly uses the pole to send Ho flying outside the room. The film ends with a freeze-frame on Dirty Ho in mid-air.
Cast
- Gordon LiuGordon LiuGordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
as the 11th prince/Mr. Wang - Wong YueWong YueWong Yue was a Hong Kong martial arts film actor. He starred in many Shaw Brothers Studio films and is known for his comic roles in films with Gordon Liu, such as Dirty Ho, Spiritual Boxer II, 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter.He is sometimes credited as Wong Yu and as...
as Dirty Ho - Wang Lung WeiWang Lung WeiWang Lung Wei , also known as Johnny Wang, is a Chinese actor, director, producer, and action choreographer, who has starred in over 80 kung fu films, mainly for Shaw Brothers Studios. Wang's first Shaw Brothers film role was as the traitor Ma Fu Yi in the Chang Cheh-directed film Five Shaolin...
as Fan Chin-Kong (the wine merchant) - Lo LiehLo LiehLo Lieh was a Hong Kong actor in martial arts films. His real name is Wang Lap Tat. After his parents sent him back to China he attended acting school in Hong Kong. He began his martial arts training in 1962 and joined the Shaw Brothers Studio in the same year and went on to become one of the...
as General Liang - Kara HuiKara HuiKara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances...
as Choi Hung - Hsiao HoHsiao Ho (actor)Hsiao Ho, is a Hong Kong martial arts film actor, stunt performer and action choreographer. He has acted in many films directed by Lau Kar-leung, including Mad Monkey Kung Fu and Legendary Weapons of China...
as Hsia Liu - Chan Lung as Bitter Face
Dirty Ho does not follow the usual revenge plot of Shaw Brothers kung fu films at the time. Also, another one of the film's unusual features is having a Manchu character as the film's hero, instead of the villain.