The Black Tavern

The Black Tavern
Theatrical poster
Traditional Chinese	黑店
Simplified Chinese	黑店
Hanyu Pinyin	Hēi Diàn
Directed by	Teddy Yip
Written by	Yeh I-fang
Produced by	Run Run Shaw
Starring	Shih Szu
Cinematography	Yau Kei
Edited by	Chiang Hsing-lung Lee Yim-hoi
Music by	Frankie Chan Wu Dajiang
Production company	Shaw Brothers Studio
Distributed by	Shaw Brothers Studio
Release date	16 December 1972 (1972-12-16)
Running time	83 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

The Black Tavern is a 1972 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Teddy Yip and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring Shih Szu. ^{[1] [2]}

Cast

• Shih Szu as Zhang Caibing
• Tung Li as Zha Xiaoyu
• Ku Feng as Zheng Shoushan
• Kong Ling as Jinglu
• Kwok Chuk-hing as Jinghong
• Barry Chan as Jinghu
• Yeung Chi-hing as Hai Gangfeng
• Dean Shek as wandering monk
• Wang Hsieh as Gao Sanfeng
• Yue Fung as Sanniang, a robber and daughter of the inn owner ^[3]
• Situ Lin as Doggie
• Law Hon as tavern cook
• Lee Ho as Iron Arm Liu Tong
• Wu Ma as leader of Xiangxi Five Ghosts
• Yau Ming as Three-headed Cobra
• Chiang Nan as skilled robber
• Liu Wai as Hu
• Chan Chan-kong as Hu's partner
• Yeung Chak-lam as robber
• Chu Gam as Tai'an
• Unicorn Chan as Three-headed Cobra
• Yuen Wah as Xiangxi Ghost
• Sa Au as Xiangxi Ghost / constable
• Ho Kei-cheong as constable
• Mars as Official Hai's servant
• Jackie Chan as Official Hai's servant
• Ling Hon as restaurant book keeper
• Yi Fung as waiter
• Cheung Hei as restaurant guest
• Wong Yuet-ting as restaurant guest
• Gam Tin-chue as restaurant guest

Reception

Hayley Scanlon wrote: "[...] the incredibly fast-paced action sequences and the dark humour that accompanies them lend the film an epic quality despite its tight duration along with an ironic kind of cynicism that insists this world is simply too silly to be evil but that the scum of the martial arts world will pay all the same. ^[4]

References

1. Teo, Stephen (2015). Chinese Martial Arts Cinema. Edinburgh University Press. p. 115. ISBN   9781474403887. ...in many subsequent wuxia films produced by Shaw Brothers, most notably Heidian (The Black Tavern, 1972), directed by Ye Rongzu, a film with discernible Hu influences...
2. Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (May 2014). "Little Shoppe of Horrors". Little Shoppe of Horrors. No. 32. Elmer Valo Appreciation Society. When she was sixteen, [Shih Szu] joined Shaw Brothers Studio and began appearing in films such as... Teddy Yip's The Black Tavern (1972)...
3. Hiramoto, Mie; Teo, Cherise Shi Ling (16 September 2014). "I Am the Invincible Sword Goddess: Mediatization of Chinese Gender Ideology through Female Kung-Fu Practitioners in Films". Societies. 4 (3): 477–505. doi: 10.3390/soc4030477 . ISSN   2075-4698. Typical examples of such "dishonorable or unvirtuous behavior" can be seen in ruthless robber characters, like San Niang (Black Tavern 黑店, 1972)
4. Scanlon, Hayley (24 June 2025). "The Black Tavern (黑店, Teddy Yip Wing-Cho, 1972)". Windows on Worlds. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.

External links

• The Black Tavern at IMDb  
• The Black Tavern at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
• The Black Tavern on Hong Kong Cinemagic