Exhibit to showcase HK film history

At the exhibition's entrance, lobby cards – small promotional posters – of Golden Harvest classics are highlighted by ‘Now Showing’ displays, using scenes of action or romance to attract viewers.
 
“We have more channels to get movie information nowadays, but lobby cards were the main channel for the audience to know what the movies were about,” the archive's programmer Cecilia Wong said.
 
“They are not as popular today as they were in the 70s and 80s, but they have become more valuable with time.”
 
Blast from the past
Twenty-nine posters, ranging from the 1970s to the 90s, are displayed in a chronological order. Twenty-two of them are relics, which need special care. Early poster were designed in a comic style, often painted by a local comic writer.
 
“At that time, watching movies was simply for fun and excitement for the general audience, so a poster in a comic style was a way to attract them.”
 
The studio published the Golden Movie News magazine monthly from 1972 to 1982. The archive has five issues on display, including the first, and those with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan as the cover story.
 
“We want visitors to turn the pages, read the contents, and see the photos of the movie stars in the old days. So these are not the originals but copies, and we have prepared about 10 copies of each magazine,” Ms Wong said.
 
Nurturing talent
The studio mentored numerous international superstars and directors, such as Bruce Lee and John Woo, and produced nearly 20 Western films, taking the company to the international stage.
 
Besides action, comedy and artistic films, Golden Harvest also produced a famous Chinese opera movie called Princess Chang Ping, directed by Woo.
 
Before he was known for his action films, he honed his skills directing comedies during his 10 years at Golden Harvest, which were all box office hits and met with great acclaim.
 
He also produced a Chinese wu xia film called Last Hurrah for Chivalry in 1979, said to be a traditional costume version of his later hit A Better Tomorrow.
 
The film about brotherhood between two heroes was romantic, compared with traditional Chinese wu xia movies, which deal with adventures of martial arts heroes.
 
"The style is like A Better Tomorrow produced in 1986, which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry,” Ms Wong said.
 
These films will be shown during the exhibition period.
 
Altogether, 63 Golden Harvest films will be shown, including The Private Eyes (1976), Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982), Way of the Dragon (1972), and Centre Stage (1992).
 
Tickets for screenings are $40 through URBTIX.
 
For details, visit this website.