Hsiu Wen

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays, in a flashback sequence, the nameless mother of Xiaoman (Lisa Chiao Chiao), who burned the martial arts manual her husband died protecting, then tried to make sure that her daughter wouldn’t fall in love with a swordsman.

Chui Chung-Hok

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays one of the Law brothers, the band of ruffians who are employed by Smiling Tiger (Tang Ti) to help kill the disciples of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng). He’s the only one who differentiates himself from this group, by being the one who speaks, and who has his topknot cut off by Fang Gang (Wang Yu) before he kills them all at the roadside tavern.

Chieh Yuen

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Lu Zhen, a former student of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng). Traveling to his master’s birthday party with Deng Chong (Cheng Lui) is fatally wounded by the villains, but manages to live long enough to tell Fang Gang (Wang Yu) what’s happening.

Cheng Lui

Square, solid early Shaw Brothers star who appeared in many of their best films in the 60s. He reminds me of a Western actor, but I haven’t been able to figure out which one.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Deng Chong, apparently the toughest and most-respected of the former students of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng). Knowing that someone is following him and Lu Zhen (Chieh Yuen) on the way to their master’s birthday, intentionally slows down to let them catch him at the inn, in hopes of learning their identities and tactics. Is the only person besides Qi and Fang Gang (Wang Yu) to put up a fight against the villains, but is ultimately killed when Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing) decides to step in and help his followers (Liu Chia-Liang and Tong Gaai).

Lau Gong

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays one of the former students who come to the school to celebrate the 55th birthday of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) and are subsequently killed by Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing) and his followers.

Hsu Hsia

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays one of the former students who come to the school to celebrate the 55th birthday of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) and are subsequently killed by Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing) and his followers.

Cliff Lok

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays one of the former students who come to the school to celebrate the 55th birthday of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) and are subsequently killed by Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing) and his followers.

Huang Chung-Hsin

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Wei Xuan, who seems to be senior among the former students who gather to celebrate Qi Rufeng’s (Tien Feng’s) birthday. He is the first to die when Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing) and his followers attack.

Mars

A member (I think of him as THE member) of Jackie Chan’s stunt team. A childhood friend and rival of Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao who appeared in several movies with them, usually as a stunt man but occasionally as a real character. That’s what he’s remembered for, but when he was a child it seemed that every time Shaw Brothers needed a little boy for a scene they would call him in, and he’s always easy to spot. You can’t possibly mistake that face.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays the little boy Fang Gang (Wang Yu) steals the mask from at the temple fair to hide his face from Qi Pei-er (Violet Pan).

Lau Kar-Wing

AKA Liu Chia-Rong, Liu Chia-Yung, Bruce Lau
Brother of Liu Chia-Liang (AKA Lau Kar-Leung). Frequently appeared in and/or co-choreographed his brother’s films.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays the last student of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) killed during the mid-movie montage where we see how deadly the sword-lock is, the one who tries to escape and gets whipped into the river by Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing).

Tam Bo

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Not 100% sure about this, but I think he plays one (with Yuen Cheung-Yan) of a pair of former students of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng), who are killed together during the mid-movie montage where we see how deadly the sword-lock is. We don’t get to see much of him, so it’s hard to be certain.

Yuen Cheung-Yan

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays one (with Tam Bo) of a pair of former students of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng), who are killed together during the mid-movie montage where we see how deadly the sword-lock is.

Yau Lung

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays a nameless (and shirtless) former student of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng), the second killed during the mid-movie montage where we see how deadly the sword-lock is.

Wang Kwang-Yu

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Pei Xun, a former student of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng), and the first killed during the mid-movie montage where we see how deadly the sword-lock is.

Liu Chia-Liang

AKA Lau Kar-Leung
A real-life martial arts master, from a film family, grew up working on the classic Huang Fei-Hong films and is also a master-to-student descendant of the great hero. Shaw Brother’s greatest fight choreographer who went on to become second only to Chang Cheh as a director for the studio, and also served as an actor in several good roles. I kind of think of him as the studio’s real renaissance man.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Ba Shuang, one (along with Tong Gaai) of the followers of Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing), who kill several of the disciples of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng). He and Tong were also the film’s fight choreographers.

Tang Ti

AKA Tong Dik

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Cheng Tian-Shou, the Smiling Tiger. Little brother to the main villain, Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-Hing), and a significant villain on his own. Master of Guo Sheng (Fan Mei-Sheng) and Chin Dachuan (Wong Sai-Git) whose pleasant, not to say fawning, smile tricks people into thinking that he can be trusted, or at least poses no threat.

Wong Sai-Git

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Chin Dachuan, one (along with Fan Mei-Sheng) of the two disciples of Smiling Tiger (Tang Ti) who bully the freshly-maimed Fang Gang (Wang Yu) and sexually...harrass? Assault? Well, they are ungentlemanly towards Xiaoman (Lisa Chiao Chiao). Later they kill Sun Hao (Chang Pei-Shan) and Xi Yi-Fei (Fan Dan) and are themselves maimed by Fang Gang as they attempt to rape the captured Qi Pei-er (Violet Pan).

Fan Mei-Sheng

Big, jolly-looking but physically-capable actor, adept both at fearsome (but entertaining) villains and Little John-style comic relief. One of my favorite Shaw Brothers supporting actors.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Guo Sheng, one (along with Wong Sai-Git) of the two disciples of Smiling Tiger (Tang Ti) who bully the freshly-maimed Fang Gang (Wang Yu) and sexually...harrass? Assault? Well, they are ungentlemanly towards Xiaoman (Lisa Chiao Chiao). Later they kill Sun Hao (Chang Pei-Shan) and Xi Yi-Fei (Fan Dan) and are themselves maimed by Fang Gang as they attempt to rape the captured Qi Pei-er (Violet Pan).

Chiu Hung

AKA Chao Hsiung, Lam Kin-Chuen, Zhao Xiong

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Shun, the muscular peasant who carries the wounded Fang Gang (Wang Yu) from Xiaoman’s (Lisa Chiao Chiao’s) boat to her house on the night he loses his arm. Later he gets beaten up by Guo Sheng (Fan Mei-Sheng) and Chin Dachuan (Wong Sai-Git), the disciples of Smiling Tiger (Tang Ti), causing Fang Gang to, for the first time, win a fight as a one-armed man.

Hao Li-Jen

AKA Ho Lee-Yan, Kok Lee-Yan

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays “Grampa” Wang, the wise elder who helps Xiaoman (Lisa Chiao Chiao) save the injured Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu).

Lisa Chiao Chiao

AKA Chiao Li Na, Lisa Chiu Gaau, Lisa Chiu Kao, Jiu Kau

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Xiaoman, the selfless young woman who saves the life of Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu) on the night he loses his arm. Subsequently she is both instrumental in the recovery of his martial skills and determined in her efforts to make him renounce the martial world once and for all. In the movie it isn’t as inconsistent as it sounds here.

Chen Yan-Yan

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays the wife of Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng), who is never named in the film so we must just call her Mrs. Qi.

Fan Dan

AKA Faan Daan, Fan Tan

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Xi Yi-Fei, one (with Chang Pei-Shan) of the two senior current students of master Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) who look down on and try to bully Fang Gang (Wang Yu). He’s the scheming, cowardly one.

Violet Pan

AKA Angela Pan, Pan Yingzi, Pan Yan-Tze, Pan Yin-Tse, Pan Ying-Tzu, Poon Yin-Chi

A stylish beauty, a true 60s It Girl who could have been dropped seamlessly into an episode of The Mod Squad. After Shaw Brothers folded, became among the most-respected television actresses in Taiwan.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Qi Pei-er, the girl who cuts off Fang Gang’s (Jimmy Wang Yu’s) arm, turning him into the title character. Despite this, apparently believes right up to the end of the film that she’s got a shot at romance with him.

As Qi Pei-er in The One-Armed Swordsman.

Chang Pei-Shan

AKA Cheung Pooi-Saan

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Sun Hao, one (with Fan Dan) of the two senior current students of master Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) who look down on and try to bully Fang Gang (Wang Yu). He’s the one who’s a bit dumb and easily manipulated, brave, but with an exaggerated idea of his own abilities and importance. Or, if you prefer, the one who wears leopard skins.

Wang Yu

AKA Jimmy Wang Yu

The first of the Shaw’s great martial arts stars. In the words of David Chute, “charismatic but limited.” Never a personal favorite but certainly a compelling watch.

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Fang Gang, the one-armed swordsman of the title, one of the legendary characters in all of Hong Kong cinema.

Chow Siu-Loi

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Chief Ma, one (with Chai No) of the two bandit leaders who attack Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) in the film’s opening scene, dying in the attempt but along the way killing Fang Cheng (Ku Feng). Specifically he’s the one with the axe whose murderous attack is first repelled by Fang.

Chai No

AKA Chak Lok

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Chief Ma, one (with Chow Siu-Loi) of the two bandit leaders who attack Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) in the film’s opening scene, dying in the attempt but along the way killing Fang Cheng (Ku Feng). Specifically he’s the one who delivers the threatening speech before the fight begins, and the one who strikes the actual death blow against Fang.

Tien Feng

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays Qi Rufeng, the Magic Swordsman, master of a martial arts school. After his servant Fang Cheng (Ku Feng) is killed saving his life, he takes Fang’s son Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu) and raises him, training him to be the hero of the film.

Tung Tsai-Po

AKA Deng Choi-Bo

The One-Armed Swordsman (1967):
Plays the first person who appears on-screen, the messenger who brings the poisoned message to Master Qi Rufeng (Tien Feng) in the opening scene and is immediately killed by him.

Tony Tam

Crippled Avengers (1978):
Plays Luo, the master of “light style,” a guest and henchman of Du Tian-Dao (Chen Kuan-Tai). Wan (Johnny Wang) enlists his aid in fighting the blind Avenger Chen Shuen (Philip Kwok), for the excellent reason that Luo’s silent movements will render Chen helpless against him. But nothing much is made of this in the film: Wei (Lo Meng), the deaf-and-dumb blacksmith, keeps Luo off of Chen, and eventually kills him in a street fight for which Chen isn’t even present.
The Flag of Iron (1980): Plays one of the goons who carry the kidnapped Lan Xin (Lam Sau-Kwan) into the brothel in the opening scene.

Specifically the one in the rear.

Tam Wai-Man

The Flag of Iron (1980): Plays one of the goons who carry the kidnapped Lan Xin (Lam Sau-Kwan) into the brothel in the opening scene.

Specifically the one in front.

Cheung Hei

Life Gamble (1979):
In a bit part, plays the doctor who examines the thief Cui (Lam Fai-Wong) and complains to Qiu Zi-Yu (Philip Kwok) that, although Cui claims to be near death, he appears to be the healthiest man in the place.