Huang Yuet-chu (born November 16, 1939), known professionally by her stage nameIvy Ling Po, is a retired actress and Chinese opera singer from Hong Kong. She gained widespread fame during the 1960s for her roles in several popular Huangmei opera films; most notably The Love Eterne (1963), which made her famous across Asia. This role was lauded as an inspiring performance in Asian culture, solidifying her status as a cultural icon.[2][3][4]
Huang Yu-Chun was born on November 16, 1939, in Shantou, Guangdong. As a child, she was sold to a family in Xiamen. She was given the name Jun Haitang (Chinese:君海棠; Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Kun Hái-tông) and worked as a domestic maid. After reaching preadolescence, her adoptive mother forced her to enter the movie industry in Hong Kong.[1] Ling Po claimed she did not have a childhood and was often scolded and physically punished by her adoptive mother.[5] Before Ling Po turned 18 years, her adoptive mother sold her to Filipino-Chinese businessman Shi Weixiong, with whom Ling Po had a son, Shi Yonghui.
In 1957, Shi Weixiong funded the establishment of the Huasha Film Company,[6] which specialized in producing Mandarin-language films. Wu Baoxi and Ling Po—who starred in most of Huasha's productions under the name 'Xiao Juan'—served as producers. During the filming of The Love Eterne,[7] Ling Po—unwilling to meet her adoptive mother's request to attend Weixiong's dinner—moved into the Shaw dormitory with the protection and support of director Li Hanxiang, who freed her from the control of her adoptive parents.[8]
Career
1950s–1960s
Ivy Ling Po resided in Xiamen before moving to Hong Kong. Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People (1951) at the age of twelve, under the name of Xiao Juan.[citation needed] In addition to appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she was dubbed for other movie companies, particularly Huangmei operas for Shaw Brothers.[9][10]
While Ling Po was dubbing the Shaw Brothers' opera Dream of the Red Chamber, she caught the attention of Li Han-hsiang, who cast her as Liang Shanbo in The Love Eterne (Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai, also known as Liang Zhu or The Butterfly Lovers) in 1962 with Betty Loh Ti.[11] The judges at the second Golden Horse Awards were so impressed by her performance that they created a special award for her, citing her Outstanding Performance.[12] In 1963, a publicity appearance brought traffic in Taipei to a halt, as thousands of women came to see Ivy Ling Po.[13]
In 1964, Ling Po received the coveted title of Asian Movie Queen, when she won the Best Actress award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her performance in Lady General Hua Mulan.[14] The following year, she would win the Most Versatile Talent award at the 12th Asian Film Festival, for her role as a young prince in The Grand Substitution and a scholar in The Mermaid.[citation needed]
She became the leading figure in the Huangmei opera genre and was usually cast in male roles. Every year, without fail, Ling Po would make lists of the top ten stars in Hong Kong, based on polls conducted by magazines and newspapers.[citation needed]
To avoid being typecast, she auditioned for various roles in both wuxia and contemporary genres. For playing the ill-fated wife of Kwan Shan in Too Late for Love,[15] one of her contemporary outings, she won the Golden Horse Best Actress award.[citation needed]
1970s–1980s
In 1975, Ling Po won the Golden Horse Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's The Empress Dowager, despite limited screen time in the sprawling epic. After her contract with Shaw Brothers Studio ended in 1975, she went on to appear in other films and television series with her husband. She won another Golden Horse for Best Actress, for My Father, My Husband, My Son, in which she aged from a teenager to an old woman. Her last screen appearance was in the movie Golden Swallow (1987), playing an evil witch.[10] She then retired after the movie and emigrated with her husband, Chin Han, and her three sons to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1989.[citation needed]
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Ivy Ling Po had a career revival in 2002 when she partnered with another veteran Shaw actress, Hu Chin, to stage Butterfly Lovers. Two original cast members, Li Kun, and Jen Chieh, reprised their respective roles. She toured extensively with this stage version of her signature movie, bringing it to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. This stage version was successful, and Ivy Po restaged it two years later in Taiwan. A double DVD set was released in 2003 by Rock Records.
Ivy Ling Po has staged numerous concerts in Taiwan, the United States, and Malaysia. Her two concerts at Genting Malaysia in 2005 included Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang Lin, and Yueh Hua.
In 2006, Ivy Ling Po returned to the Hong Kong Coliseum as part of a large group of singers for the Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She sang her signature songs from The Love Eterne, duetting with Lisa Wang, who sang the part of Zhu Yingtai. She also performed her version of "Jiao Dao" from The Crimson Palm. A three-CD set was released in Hong Kong by Kinston Entertainment, and a DVD/VCD release followed a few months later.
In April 2004, Ivy Ling Po was among the first Hong Kong celebrities invited to open the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Her handprints and signature are now prominently displayed there. In January 2006, Ivy Ling Po was awarded the WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award, with the re-release and screening of the remastered The 14 Amazons movie at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. In October 2006, Ivy Ling Po, Hu Chin, and Xie Lei performed at Star City in Sydney, Australia. Ivy Ling Po was also the special guest star at the Frances Yip S.U.C.C.E.S.S. concert, held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on October 30, 2006.
Dream of the Red Chamber – 18 May 1978 (R on LD & VCD in 1993; OUT OF PRINT)
The Imperious Princess (Jin Hsi Yu Ye) – 25 July 1980 (R on LD & VCD in 1990; OUT OF PRINT)
Imperial Matchmaker – 1982 (R on VCD in Malaysia by Zestbase)
Butterfly Lovers 40 – 2002 [Stage] (RR – 2003)
The Lute (Pi Pa Ji) – TV movie release date unknown (RR on DVD in Taiwan without English subs)
Notes:
The Dream of the Red Chamber and The Imperious Princess have been remastered by Warner Bros and screened on Celestial Channel. Both remastered prints are in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles.
Imperial Matchmaker marked the only pairing on film of two famed male impersonators: Ivy Ling Po and Yang Lihua.
The Imperious Princess marked the final Huangmei dubbing of Ivy Ling Po & Tsin Ting together on film. Tsin Ting is billed as Kwok Tsin Ting in the credits.
Wuxia/martial arts films
The Chinese Amazons (Women Soldiers) – 11 February 1975 (R on Tai Seng VHS in USA; OUT OF PRINT)
The Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho – 18 October 1977 (R on LD & VCD; OUT OF PRINT)
A Rescue From Hades (Mulian Saves His Mother) – release date unknown
15 Female Warriors of the Sa Family – 1981
Long Nuu Xin Fan (Dragon Girl Descends From Heaven) – 1982
New Pilgrims to the West – 1986
Liu Zhu Hui Nen Zuan (Legend of Liu Zhu Hui Nen Buddha) – 1987
Golden Swallow – 16 December 1987 (RR – 2002)
Notes:
The Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho was retitled The Great Chase for its LaserDisc and VCD release. The LaserDisc version features an English soundtrack which is not available on VCD.
Ivy Ling Po has cameos in both A Rescue From Hades and New Pilgrims to the West as Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
A Rescue From Hades has been remastered in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles and screened on Celestial Channel.
15 Female Warriors of the Sa Family reunites Ivy Ling Po with ex-Shaw stars Ching Li & Chiao Chiao. This movie also co-stars Kue Ya Lei as the eldest sister, Tang Lan Hua and Han Hsiang Chin. The villain is played by Chen Hsing.
Drama films
Father, Husband, Son – 1974
Crossroad – 1976
Mother – 1982 (R on Tai Seng VHS in USA dubbed in Cantonese)
The Lost Generation (Chinese:風水二十年; pinyin:fēngshuǐ èrshí nián) – 1983
Notes:
Crossroad has been remastered by Warner Bros in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles and screened on Celestial channel.
↑ Laikwan Pang, Day Wong Masculinities and Hong Kong cinema – Page 21 – 2005 "Ivy Ling became the Shaw Brothers' top star thereafter, all the while playing the male roles in opera-derived films or overtly ... He specialized in opera films and historical dramas, scripting a number of films for Ivy Ling, but also for Li Li-hua and ..."
↑ Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross-cultural View -Kar Law, Frank Bren, Sam Ho – 2004 Page 264 "IVY LING PO (BORN IN 1939) Ivy Ling Po is a star whose stardom must count as one of the most curious in world film history. She is a screen goddess who made her mark playing men. In 1962, when Shaw Bros. was casting for the hung mei ..."
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