Director:
Lo Chen, Sit Kwan Year: 1964
Rating: 6.0
A cross-dressing farce with a source that
may predate Shakespeare. It is per Wikipedia "a Chinese comedy from the 1627
short-story anthology Stories to Awaken the World by Feng Menglong. An earlier
and much shorter version titled "They Become a Couple Thanks to Their Brother
and Sister" is found in Luo Ye The Drunken Man's Talk from the 13th century."
It makes for a sweet Hungmei Diao aka Chinese opera from the Shaw Brothers.
The dubbing for the singing is performed by two of the most popular who often
were teamed up in the Huangmeis. Tsin Ting and Kiang Hung. Tsin in particular
became a big star, not only dubbing for opera but also films such as Hong
Kong Nocturne and Hong Kong Rhapsody. She dubbed for Betty Loh Ti in Love
Eterne, the most famous of the Huangmeis.
It seems to be mating season in ancient
China and the parents want to marry off their children. Love is in the air.
Yulang (Chin Feng) spots Weiliang (Pat Ting-hung) in the temple praying for
a good match to marry. He is quickly in love. She returns the affection but
only in shy glances. At the same time another couple come into the temple
(Carrie Ku-mei and Mao Wei) and they too through looks fall in love. But
in a mix-up the couples who are unaware of the other's name get the wrong
names and the matchmaker sets them up to be married. To the wrong person.
Love Chinese Style.
If that isn't enough confusion, Weiliang's
brother (Feng Kueng) is engaged to Yulang's sister (Li Hsiang-chun), but
have never met. He is in a coma, but the marriage must go forth. Weiliang
decides to pretend she is her brother and get married to the sister. Everyone
recognizes her at the ceremony but just go, ok why not. When the bride pulls
off her veil in the bedroom, it is of course Yulang standing in for his sister
who doesn't want to marry a man who may soon be dead. It is Shaw brothers
and Huangmeis were enormously popular at the time before martial arts came
about and so the sets and costumes are fine and the music is enjoyable. I
have adapted to some degree to this styled music and enjoy the watered down
versions. Lots of familiar faces - Lydia Shum as the big-mouthed maid looking
very young and as parents Yang Chi-ching, Kao Pai-shu, Ou-Yang Sha-fei, Ching
Miao and practically stealing the show at the end as the Magistrate is Yiu
Kwang-chao.
