Golden Harvest
Encyclopedia
Golden Harvest is a film
production, distribution, and exhibition company
based in Hong Kong
. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee
and Jackie Chan
. At the same time, it dominated HK box office sales from the 1970s to 1980s.
(鄒文懐) and Leonard Ho
(何冠昌). Chow and Ho were executives with Hong Kong's top studio Shaw Brothers, but left in 1970 to form their own studio. They succeeded by taking a different approach from the highly centralized Shaws model. Golden Harvest contracted with independent producers and gave talent more generous pay and greater creative freedom. Some filmmakers and actors from Shaws defected. But what really put the company on the map was a 1971 deal with soon-to-be martial arts
superstar Bruce Lee
, after he had turned down the low-paying, standard contract offered him by the Shaws.
In 1973, Golden Harvest entered into a pioneering co-production with Hollywood for the English-language Lee film Enter the Dragon
(龍爭虎鬥), a worldwide hit made with the Warner Brothers studio.
Golden Harvest supplanted Shaw Brothers as Hong Kong's dominant studio by the end of the '70s and retained that position into the '90s. Its greatest asset for years was that from the 1980s until very recently, it produced almost all of the films of Jackie Chan
, Asia's top box office star. Golden Harvest has also produced a number of films for Jet Li
and Donnie Yen
.
The Company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
in 1994. Li Ka-shing and EMI
became shareholder of the company in 2004.
Golden Harvest's activity has declined in recent years. In 2003, they withdrew from film-making to concentrate on film financing, distribution and cinema management in Hong Kong and in Mainland China
.
In 2007, Raymond Chow sold the company to Chinese businessman Wu Kebo, who owns the China-based Orange Sky Entertainment Group. In early 2009, Golden Harvest merged with Orange Sky and was renamed Orange Sky Golden Harvest (橙天嘉禾娛樂集團有限公司).
In 2009, Golden Harvest announced their relaunch and previewed a new trailer set for movies in 2010.
It has cinemas not only in Hong Kong, but in Mainland China, Taiwan
, Malaysia and Singapore
. Most of these are joint ventures. Golden Village
is a joint venture with Village Roadshow and there is a Gold Class cinema and Asia's first multiplex. In Malaysia, the group has two brands. One is Golden Screen Cinemas
a joint venture with Malaysia's PPB group. The other is TGV Cinemas (formerly Tanjong Golden Village), which is a joint venture between Tanjong plc and GEMS of Malaysia. It has recently acquired Warner Village in Taiwan
.
Golden Harvest Cinemas in Hong Kong
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
production, distribution, and exhibition company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
based in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
. At the same time, it dominated HK box office sales from the 1970s to 1980s.
History
Notable names in the company include its founders, the veteran film producers Raymond ChowRaymond Chow
Raymond Chow Man-Wai is a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter and was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage...
(鄒文懐) and Leonard Ho
Leonard Ho
Leonard Ho was a Chinese movie producer. He formed Golden Harvest in 1970, with Raymond Chow, after leaving Shaw Brothers. The first movie he produced was A Man Called Tiger from 1973. In 1989, he was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for best picture for the movie Painted Faces, which was...
(何冠昌). Chow and Ho were executives with Hong Kong's top studio Shaw Brothers, but left in 1970 to form their own studio. They succeeded by taking a different approach from the highly centralized Shaws model. Golden Harvest contracted with independent producers and gave talent more generous pay and greater creative freedom. Some filmmakers and actors from Shaws defected. But what really put the company on the map was a 1971 deal with soon-to-be martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
superstar Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
, after he had turned down the low-paying, standard contract offered him by the Shaws.
In 1973, Golden Harvest entered into a pioneering co-production with Hollywood for the English-language Lee film Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
(龍爭虎鬥), a worldwide hit made with the Warner Brothers studio.
Golden Harvest supplanted Shaw Brothers as Hong Kong's dominant studio by the end of the '70s and retained that position into the '90s. Its greatest asset for years was that from the 1980s until very recently, it produced almost all of the films of Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Asia's top box office star. Golden Harvest has also produced a number of films for Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
and Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
.
The Company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
in 1994. Li Ka-shing and EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
became shareholder of the company in 2004.
Golden Harvest's activity has declined in recent years. In 2003, they withdrew from film-making to concentrate on film financing, distribution and cinema management in Hong Kong and in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
.
In 2007, Raymond Chow sold the company to Chinese businessman Wu Kebo, who owns the China-based Orange Sky Entertainment Group. In early 2009, Golden Harvest merged with Orange Sky and was renamed Orange Sky Golden Harvest (橙天嘉禾娛樂集團有限公司).
In 2009, Golden Harvest announced their relaunch and previewed a new trailer set for movies in 2010.
Cinemas
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Most of these are joint ventures. Golden Village
Golden Village
Golden Village is a cinema operator based in Singapore which is a joint venture by Golden Harvest of Hong Kong and Village Roadshow of Australia. It operates nine multiplexes and cineplexes in the country including a largest cineplex at VivoCity. It joined hands to open a cinema at Great World...
is a joint venture with Village Roadshow and there is a Gold Class cinema and Asia's first multiplex. In Malaysia, the group has two brands. One is Golden Screen Cinemas
Golden Screen Cinemas
Golden Screen Cinemas is the largest chain of cinemas in Malaysia. The biggest cinema is located at Mid Valley Megamall. It houses 18 screen cinemas and has 2899 seats which is the largest in Malaysia.- History :...
a joint venture with Malaysia's PPB group. The other is TGV Cinemas (formerly Tanjong Golden Village), which is a joint venture between Tanjong plc and GEMS of Malaysia. It has recently acquired Warner Village in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Golden Harvest Cinemas in Hong Kong
- Grand Ocean, at Ocean Centre, 3 Canton RoadCanton RoadCanton Road is a road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It starts from the junction with Salisbury Road in the south and ends in the north at the...
- Golden Gateway, at The GatewayThe Gateway, Hong KongThe Gateway , part of Harbour City, is the office buildings with shopping arcade at lower level in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.-Tenants:...
, 25 Canton Road - GH Mongkok, at Grand Century Place, 193 Prince Edward Road West
-
GH Hollywood, at Plaza HollywoodPlaza HollywoodPlaza Hollywood is one of the largest shopping centres in the Diamond Hill area, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Featuring four floors surrounding a central atrium, its main advertising scheme involves everything similar to Hollywood. It was developed by the Wharf Holdings.-Facilities:The main...
. Closed on March 31, 2011. Became Broadway Hollywood - GH Tsing Yi, at Maritime SquareMaritime SquareMaritime Square is a 4-storey shopping centre located on Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. It was built and is owned by the MTR Corporation Limited in conjunction with the opening of Tsing Yi station...
- GH Citywalk, at CitywalkCityWalk, Hong KongCitywalk is one of the largest shopping centres in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is located at Yeung Uk Road, beneath Vision City and opposite to Nina Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Hong Kong. It is jointly developed by Sino Land and Urban Renewal Authority...
2 - GH Whampoa, at Whampoa Plaza, Whampoa GardenWhampoa GardenWhampoa Garden is the largest private housing estate located in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was built on the site of the former Whampoa Dockyards under Hutchison Whampoa Property's "garden city" concept and completed in 1991.-Features:...
Films produced
- Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and...
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the OozeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the OozeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American live-action film, It is the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, being the direct sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Secret of the Ooze was then followed by a third film in 1993, and a fourth...
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIITeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIITeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American live-action film, the second sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
- Shaolin Temple
- Once Upon a Time in ChinaOnce Upon a Time in ChinaOnce Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung...
- Once Upon a Time in China IIOnce Upon a Time in China IIOnce Upon a Time in China II is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li returning as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the second film and first sequel in the Once Upon a Time in China film series...
- Once Upon a Time in China IIIOnce Upon a Time in China IIIOnce Upon a Time in China III is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.-Plot:...
- Police StoryPolice Story (film)Police Story is a 1985 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan and written by Chan and Edward Tang. It is the first of the Police Story series featuring Chan as a Hong Kong police detective named "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui.Chan began work on the film after a...
- Police Story 2Police Story 2Police Story 2 is a 1988 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan...
- Police Story 3Police Story 3Police Story 3: Super Cop , also known as Super Cop in North America, is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action crime comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh. Jackie reprises his "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui character, a Hong Kong cop from Police Story and Police Story 2...
- Police Story 4: First StrikePolice Story 4: First StrikePolice Story 4: First Strike , , is a 1996 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film made in the typical humorous style of Jackie Chan....
- Crime Story
- Dragons ForeverDragons ForeverDragons Forever is a 1988 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Sammo Hung. Film stars Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. The three actors, known colloquially as the Three Brothers, had attended the famous China Drama Academy together, and became members of the Seven Little Fortunes...
- Project AProject AProject A is a 1983 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written and directed by Jackie Chan, and starring Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao....
- Project A Part IIProject A Part IIProject A Part II is a 1987 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by and starring Jackie Chan which serves as a sequel to his massive Asian hit film Project A...
- The Big BossThe Big BossThe Big Boss, previously known by its U.S. title Fists Of Fury is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action crime thriller film. The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first major film. It was written to star James Tien; however, Lee's strong performance relegated Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, to second...
- Fist of FuryFist of FuryFist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...
- Way of the DragonWay of the DragonThe Way of the Dragon is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced, directed by and starring Bruce Lee.- Plot :Tang Lung is sent from Hong Kong to Rome to help his friend's niece Chen Ching Hua, and family friends, whose restaurant is being targeted by the local Mafia, which has been...
- Enter the DragonEnter the DragonEnter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
- Game of DeathGame of DeathThe Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
- Bruce Lee, The Legend
- Wheels on MealsWheels on MealsWheels on Meals is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Sammo Hung. Starring in the film are Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao...
- The Cannonball Run
- Cannonball Run 2
- MegaforceMegaforceMegaforce is an action film made in 1982 directed by former stuntman Hal Needham. The film starred Barry Bostwick, Persis Khambatta, Michael Beck, Edward Mulhare, Evan C...
- High Road to ChinaHigh Road to ChinaHigh Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by...
- LassiterLassiterLassiter, also known as The Magnificent Thief, is a 1984 adventure film part-caper and part-espionage, set in 1930s London, starring Tom Selleck and Jane Seymour that was made to cash in on Selleck's popularity as the character Thomas Magnum in the show Magnum, P.I. but failed to ignite the...
- Speed Zone
- One Armed BoxerOne Armed BoxerOne Armed Boxer is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film starring Jimmy Wang Yu. It is about a skilled Chinese martial artist who loses an arm and must exact revenge on his rival school....
- Last Hurrah for ChivalryLast Hurrah for ChivalryLast Hurrah for Chivalry is a 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film directed and written by John Woo, starring Damian Lau and Wei Pai. The film is a precursor to Woo's heroic bloodshed films.-Plot:...
- The Storm RidersThe Storm RidersThe Storm Riders is a 1998 Hong Kong film based on the manhua series Fung Wan by artist Ma Wing-shing. Directed by Andrew Lau, it starred Ekin Cheng as Wind and Aaron Kwok as Cloud. The plot involves two children, Whispering Wind and Striding Cloud, who become powerful warriors under the evil Lord...
- Rumble in the BronxRumble in the BronxRumble in the Bronx is a 1995 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Anita Mui. Released in the US in 1995, Rumble in the Bronx had a successful theater run, and brought Chan into the American mainstream...
- Dragon LordDragon LordDragon Lord is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by and starring Jackie Chan. It was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Young Master and even had the name Young Master in Love until it was changed to Dragon Lord...
- Summer SnowSummer Snow (film)Summer Snow is a 1995 Hong Kong comedy-drama film directed by Ann Hui. It stars Josephine Siao and Roy Chiao in leading roles.-Plot:Summer Snow tells the story of the relationship between a widower with Alzheimer's disease and his daughter-in-law, May Sun,, who is a housewife in her forties...
- The BladeThe BladeThe Blade may refer to:* The Blade , a 1995 martial arts film directed by Tsui Hark* The Blade , a 1997 album by British neo-folk band Sol Invictus* The Blade, a stage name of Brian Gamble, an American professional wrestler and martial artist...
- Viva EroticaViva EroticaViva Erotica is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung.-Plot:Viva Erotica is a sex-comedy film, though with a serious subject of how an artist has to compromise with his talents for living...
- When I Fall in Love... with BothWhen I Fall in Love... with BothWhen I Fall in Love... with Both is a 2000 Hong Kong anthology film consisting of three separate stories. Directed by Samson Chiu, the film stars Hong Kong actresses Michelle Reis and Theresa Lee together with Singaporean actress Fann Wong....
- From Beijing with LoveFrom Beijing With LoveFrom Beijing With Love is a 1994 Hong Kong action and comedy film directed by Lee Lik-Chi and Stephen Chow. It's a very direct spoof of James Bond movies and stars Stephen Chow, Anita Yuen and Law Ka-Ying.- Synopsis :...
- When Taekwondo StrikesWhen Taekwondo StrikesWhen Taekwondo Strikes is a 1973 martial art film directed and written by Feng Huang, produced by Raymond Chow. The exception with this film is the collective martial arts experience of the cast and the high quality fight choreography...
- HapkidoHapkido (film)Hapkido aka Lady Kung Fu is a 1972 Hong Kong film directed by Huang Feng, starring Angela Mao, Carter Wong and Sammo Hung. It was released by Golden Harvest.-Plot:...
See also
- Cinema of Hong KongCinema of Hong KongThe cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
- Hong Kong action cinemaHong Kong action cinemaHong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
- List of cinemas in Hong Kong
- Mei Ah EntertainmentMei Ah Entertainment-History:The company was established in 1984 in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. A number of TVB TV series were redistributed by Mei Ah after airing nightly on national broadcasts. Movies distributed by the company are also branded in the film and on the boxes. The company continued to expand until it...
External links
- http://www.goldenharvest.com