Naughty, Naughty
Director: Lo Wei
Year: 1974
Rating: 6.0
Before becoming a
film star in his brother Michael’s films, Sam Hui had already established
the film persona that was to remain his for many years afterwards. Sam made
four films for director Lo Wei from 1973 to 1974 beginning with Back Alley
Princes and then Tattooed Dragon, Chinatown Capers and this film Naughty,
Naughty. In the three films I have seen – Back Alley Princes, Chinatown Capers
and Naughty, Naughty – Sam takes on the role of an irresponsible and irrepressible
charmer with a touch of larceny in his heart. In the end though he always
does the right thing.
Lo Wei was of course also responsible for bringing Bruce Lee and Jackie
Chan to the screen, but his directorial abilities have often been criticized
for their lack of innovation and flair – in other words he has been labeled
as a hack. Still, he was clearly someone who could recognize talent even
if he wasn’t necessarily the best at utilizing it. Both Back Alley Princes
and Chinatown Capers are enjoyable films in my mind – the two co-stars, Sam
and Polly Shang Kwan are extremely ingratiating, but the films do feel poorly
paced and unfocused at times. This film is more of the same.
The main pleasure of this film is simply getting to see a large number of
actors on the screen – some in the early part of their career, others that
I have not seen enough of from this time period and others whose faces are
familiar but that I can’t put a name to. Otherwise, the film wanders about
like a stray dog in search of a meal. There is a bit of charm to the film,
but very little structure or energy and one eventually continues watching
only to see who will show up next.
Sam is living by his wits on the island of Macau – trying by various means
to come up with the money for his over due rent at the hotel he is living
at. He scams a wealthy businessman into buying his “hotel” and intends to
pay him back after winning at the casinos with his sure-fire gambling method.
Needless to say he is soon broke, skipping town and leaving behind his girlfriend,
Nora Miao.
In Hong Kong he soon comes across a chap trying to kill himself because
he doesn’t think his young wife, Tanny (Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of
Gold), loves him anymore. He would be right – as she takes his money and
leaves him for another man. He and Sam begin commiserating with one another
but eventually figure out a way to scam tourists by selling them fake antiques.
After one big sucker goes down they retire to a hostess bar where Sam leaps
upon the stage and belts out three songs – one an impersonation of Tom Jones
and another an Elvis grinding hips take off. Sam was of course a big singing
star at the time and he sings in a couple of his early films. He also falls
into the clutches of another Bruce Lee connection, Betty Ting Pei, and goes
back to her apartment for a little fun and frivolity. Shades of Bruce! Here
he hides from some of her other paramours – Wu Ma and Lo Wei – in the bathroom.
Sam continues to con and scam his way around Hong Kong until he finally
scams the wrong people – triads – and is on the run again – with about six
hoodlums in close pursuit. Out of nowhere comes Angela Mao playing herself
to save the day by knocking them about in a less than well-choreographed
action sequence. Afterwards though, Sam goes “They say you fake your kung
fu” to which Angela replies “Not me”. It is the little bits like this and
Sam’s singing that make this a painless if not particularly rewarding viewing
experience.
My rating for this film: 6.0
Bruce Long - webmaster of the terrific Angela Mao
site - sent in these identifications
of actors in this film - thanks very much.
The suicidal guy is Lee Quin aka Li Quin aka
Lee Kwan aka Li Kun He was in tons of 70's films including The Big Boss,
Fist of
Fury, The Invincible Eight (the cook), Thunderbolt,
Back Alley Princess (car driver), Fearless Hyena, Skyhawk (weak gambler)
etc.
The suicidal guy's wife, whom you call Tanny,
is Tien Ni aka Tien Niu. She was also in The Association (the widow) and
A Queen's Ransom (Wang Yu's sister, the bar girl).
Sam's skinny landlord at the beginning is Wei
Ping-Ao aka Ngai Ping Ngo He usually plays a slimy collaborator (Fist of
Fury, Hapkido,
Duel with Devils).
The wife's boyfriend is Tony Liu, aka Lau Wing
He was in The Big Boss (the villain's son), all 3 other Bruce Lee films,
and Back Alley Princess (the lawyer).
The stout gambler boss is Fung Yi, aka Fung Ngai
He was in Fist of Fury (karate instructor), Back Alley Princess (one of the
2 henchmen), Police Woman (police superintendent). He almost always
wears thick glasses or sunglasses.
When Sam and Lee move into the place where other
people live, the other tenants include:
Dean Shek
Wang Lai aka Wong Loi (Angela's mother in When
Taekwando Strikes, foster mother in Broken Oath, kidnapped girl's mother
in Back Alley Princess).
Tien Feng (Lee Khan, head of household in Back
Alley Princess, Jackie Chan's father in Young Master and Dragon Lord)
Chin Ti (Sammo's friend in Hapkido, military
bully in Fate of Lee Khan, Bruce's co-worker in Way of the Dragon, he's a
squinty chubby-faced guy).