Wikipedia

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (Chinese: 一招半式闖江湖) is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chen Chi-hwa, and starring Jackie Chan, who also wrote the screenplay with Tang Ming-chi. The film co-stars Dean Shek, James Tien, Doris Lung, and Wu Ma. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 1 July 1978. Chan plays a bumbling kung fu student who becomes involved in a series of adventures[1] in one of his first forays into the kung fu acrobatic slapstick comedy style that would become his signature.[2]

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu
Original Hong Kong poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese一招半式闖江湖
Simplified Chinese一招半式闯江湖
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYī Zhāo Bàn Shì Chuǎng Jiāng Hú
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingJat1 Ziu1 Bun3 Sik1 Cong2 Gong1 Wu4
Directed byChen Chi-hwa
Written byJackie Chan
Tang Ming-chi
Produced byLo Wei
Hsu Li-hwa
StarringJackie Chan
Dean Shek
James Tien
Doris Lung
Wu Ma
CinematographyChen Chin-kui
Edited byLeong Wing-chan
Music byFrankie Chan
Tomita Isao
Winston Sharples
Sammy Lerner (Popeye theme song)
Distributed byLo Wei Motion Picture Company
Release date
  • 1 July 1978 (1978-07-01)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeUS$8.3 million (East Asia)
49,652 tickets (France)

In the film, the martial arts student is caught spying on an evil witch. He is later attacked by the witch, but is rescued by his next kung fu teacher. The film is a parody of the stoic depictions of martial artists in "serious" martial arts films.[3]

Plot

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A bumbling long-haired acrobat named Jiang desires to practice kung fu. He finds an advertisement for work at the Mansion as a body guard. Jiang does not get the body guard position, but cons his way into a job using his kung fu skills, and gets himself into the middle of some shady business.

Jiang is told not to go near the "guest room" where the special guest is staying. A fellow employee tells Jiang that there is an evil witch who lives in the guest room and is not to be disturbed. Jiang of course is caught spying on her and is run off the land.

He then encounters two kung fu masters fighting in the woods. He watches one kill the other, and when he leaves Jiang takes the body into town to collect the reward. Using the money from the reward, Jiang tries to fulfill his kung fu dreams and find a master. He is suddenly attacked by the crazy witch and is about to lose until a mystery master shows up and beats her. The master turns out to be a bum, and teaches Jiang kung fu. He then goes on a journey with a princess to find a special jade plant.

Cast

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  • Jackie Chan as Jiang
  • Dean Shek as Man with crane
  • James Tien as Mater Mao
  • Doris Lung as Fung's daughter
  • Wu Ma as Urinating man
  • Kam Kong as Ying Fu
  • Kim Jeong-nan as Miss Lu
  • Ma Ju-lung
  • Miao Tian as Mr. Wan
  • Lo Chao-hsiung
  • Julie Lee as Snake woman
  • Lee Man-tai as Old beggar
  • Ko Keung as Man wearing a gold cap
  • Kam Sai-yuk as Man wearing leopard skin
  • Chiang Chi-ping
  • Chui Yuen
  • Miu Tak-san
  • Ho Kong
  • Yu Bong
  • Li Min-lang as Man fighting with Whip Hero
  • Wong Yiu
  • Lam Kwong-wing
  • Woo Hon-cheung
  • Yeung Lit
  • Che Tei
  • Chan Kam-chu
  • Man Lee-pang
  • Lam Man-cheung
  • Peng Kong

Box office

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In Hong Kong, the film grossed HK$1,526,871.50[4] (US$326,255)[5] upon release in 1978. In Japan, it was the 16th highest-grossing film of 1983, earning ¥1.89 billion[6] (US$7.96 million).[7] Combined, the film grossed a total of US$8,286,255 (equivalent to $39,000,000 in 2023) in East Asia.

Originally made in Hong Kong in 1978, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu was released in the U.S. in 1985.[8] In France, the film sold 49,652 tickets upon release there in 1987.[9]

Reception

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Silver Emulsion Film Reviews says, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu is not a traditional kung fu film, it is an active attempt to parody and make light of the stoic seriousness that the genre is generally built upon.[10]

See also

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References

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  • Chan, Jackie with Jeff Lang. I am Jackie Chan: my life in action. New York: Ballantine, p. 222 and pp. 228–235.
  • Thomas, Brian. Videohound's Dragon: Asian Action and Cult Films. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, p. 294.
  1. ^ "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu". Hong Kong Movie Database. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu". The Criterion Channel. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu". Silver Emulsion Film Reviews. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  4. ^ Half a Loaf of Kung Fu at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
  5. ^ "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)". World Bank. 1978. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  6. ^ "【ジャッキーチェン興行成績】 第12回：日本での興行収入". KungFu Tube (in Japanese). 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) - Japan". World Bank. 1983. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  9. ^ Soyer, Renaud (4 February 2014). "Jackie Chan Box Office". Box Office Story (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu". Silver Emulsion Film Reviews. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
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