Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Pai Piao

AKA Jason Piao, Jason Pai Piao, Baak Biu.
One of the more interesting Shaw Brothers actors. Never a great dramatic lead, but often a memorable villain, and a great comic performer when given the chance.

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays the Ninth Prince, Iron Fingers, who kills the king (Ai Fei) and puts a puppet (Ku Kuan-Chung) on the throne, and is subsequently killed by the king’s sons (Ti Lung and Derek Yee). A bit of a low-rent Pai Mei in appearance, really, with white hair and bushy white eyebrows. Has an iron hand including two extended fingers which can catch and break an enemy’s blade, and which give him his nickname.
Shaolin Intruders (1983):
In perhaps his best part, and certainly my own favorite, plays Qiao Yidou, a gambler and wayfarer who is drawn into the story by a bet, but sticks around to help out a friend. The friend is played by Derek Yee, who I suppose is the lead in this, but Pai Piao is the star.

Yuen Bun

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays the Water General, one of the two principal assassins working for Iron Fingers (Pai Piao). Can swim underwater faster than a man can run, and carries two...I don’t know whether they’re swords with a lot of smaller blades sticking out, or maybe weird maces. Anyway, very dangerous objects.

Chiang Tao

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays the Fire General, one of the two principal assassins working for Iron Fingers (Pai Piao). Carries a staff and sword that can spontaneously spring into flame and throw fireballs, and can also just make things explode whenever he feels like it, apparently.

Wong Pau-Gei

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays the nameless, traitorous general who leads Iron Fingers’ (Pai Piao’s) army to murder the king (Ai Fei) at the beginning of the film. Manages to get to the king and hold his sword to his throat, but the king cuts his own throat on the general’s sword to avoid being taken hostage, and the general is subsequently killed by Gu Long (Kwan Feng).

Yuen Wah

Another guy that I know mostly from his work with Jackie Chan, particularly Supercop where he plays Panther, the bad guy that Jackie breaks out of prison so he can infiltrate his gang. But he got his start with the Shaws!

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays Li Chang, who rescues the elder prince (played as an adult by Ti Lung) from the clutches of Iron Fingers (Pai Piao) and eventually delivers him along with the royal seal to the three Holy Fools (Ma Chao, Alan Chan, and Lam Fai-Wong).

Ai Fei

AKA Ngaai Fei

Shaolin Prince (1982):
Plays the King in the opening sequence, father of the two brothers who are spirited away from the evil Ninth Prince, Iron Fingers (Pai Piao).
Shaolin Intruders (1983):
Plays Chief Fang, head of the Tianfeng (Wind) Clan, one of the Four Big Families whose leaders are being murdered by unknown assailants. He’s the one who first draws Lei Xun (Derek Yee) into the story, by betting that Qiao Yidou (Pai Piao) can’t find him within three days.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Lin Ke-Ming

AKA Ku Ming, Lam Hak Ming, Lam Hark Ming.

Clan of the White Lotus (1980):
I am not absolutely sure about this one, but I think he plays one of the two men sent to follow Hung Wei-Ting (Gordon Liu) after he’s defeated at Lotus Mountain the first time, in hopes of finding where he and his friends live. He’s fooled by Wei-Ting’s trick of masquerading as a waiter.