A Chinese Opera in Cantonese by Shaw and Sons studio.
Ms Wong
"Family" (1953), which launched the Union Film legacy, "Spring" (1953) and "Autumn" (1954) are adaptations of Ba Jin's highly regarded novel "Torrent Trilogy". In "Family", director Ng Wui skilfully condenses the voluminous first part of the novel into an emotionally powerful and intellectually focused story of youngsters struggling to survive oppression and repression in a feudalistic family. This well-received film quickly established the company's reputation.
A shoe salesman and a tailor respectively fall in love with two sisters, Yuk-sin and Yuk-ling, both reputed singers on the radio. The men devise various schemes to meet the two women. Fourth Aunt, the sisters' mother, treats the two women as commodities to be traded off to the highest bidder, greedily making money off their talents by arranging lucrative concerts. The shoe salesman and the tailor disguise themselves as rich men to get close to their dream lovers. Finally, the sisters are won over by true love.
Ma Si-tsang is memorable in his comedic roles for being lively and down to earth, making a stark contrast with the tough and feisty Hung Sin Nui, and they strike gold as a team in screwball comedies. Ma is psychologist Doctor Tsui while Hung is Pearl, the feisty third daughter who is hard to get along with. The undaunted Tsui sees the virtues in Pearl and teases her to teach lessons on marital harmony. With multiple schemes, Tsui teases, coaxes and has Pearl taste her own medicine. The battle of wits and the sexes becomes a joy to watch with Ma's complacent and roguish portrayal as a refined witty scholar clashing with the energetic and bickering Hung.
