Chapter Seventy-five: The Golden Statue Awards (Part One)

“The Fourth Hong Kong Film Awards Ceremony is now beginning. Please welcome our master of ceremonies, Miss Yu Zheng.”

Guided by a male voice and a spotlight piercing the darkness, Yu Zheng, the event’s MC, strode quickly onto the awards stage. She wore her signature androgynous style—short, parted hair, a black suit, a white shirt, and those ever-present round black glasses perched on her face. If not for her voice, many in the audience would have mistaken her for a man based solely on her appearance. In fact, many did; her reputation for charming women was second to none in the industry.

Yu Zheng stood on stage, her rapid-fire jokes drawing bursts of laughter from the crowd. As a renowned radio personality, she could keep any room lively, even without a co-host.

“The first award at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards is Best Action Choreography. The kung fu film genre originated in Hong Kong; it’s a unique cinematic gift to the world. The role of an action director is highly specialized and irreplaceable—they are the soul behind bringing a director’s vision to life in martial arts movies. Without further ado, let’s look at the nominees.”

The awards at this time were still rather modest—there were no grand stages or huge screens, and no clips introducing the nominated films. Everything was narrated by Yu Zheng herself.

“The nominees for Best Action Choreography are: The Hung Family Stunt Team for ‘Spooky Encounters’ by Bo Ho Film Company; The Jackie Chan Stunt Team for ‘Wheels on Meals’ and ‘Project A’ by Golden Harvest; Chen Wai-Yi for ‘Long Arm of the Law’ by D&B Films; and Lau Kar-Leung for ‘Eight Diagram Pole Fighter’ by Shaw Brothers.”

“Every movie is so captivating and all are major productions from major studios. Who will win?” Yu Zheng mused aloud. “The award for Best Action Choreography goes to the Jackie Chan Stunt Team for ‘Project A.’ Congratulations to the Jackie Chan team!”

With the first award revealed, Jackie Chan, as the core member of his team, rose from his seat. Amid the congratulations of his peers, he led the principal members of his team onto the stage: Fung Hak-On, Yuen Biao, Tang Yat-Kan, Cheung Yiu-Wah, Lai Keung-Chuen, Huo Hing, and Tai Bo. For many, this was their first time standing on such a stage. Anyone familiar with Jackie Chan’s films would recognize these faces, and even those less versed would often see them in other movies.

The trophy itself had changed once again. Unlike the metallic figure of the first ceremony, the ball-raising man of the second, or the blue crystal of the third, this year’s trophy was later dubbed by insiders as the “two-headed monster” for its indescribably odd appearance.

A group of stuntmen who feared nothing while risking life and limb on set now stood on stage, gripped by nerves and excitement. Taking the trophy from Yu Zheng’s hands, they shouted together, “We did it!” before embracing tightly.

After Sammo Hung in the second year and Yuen Biao in the third, it was finally their turn. Despite calling each other brothers, they were fierce competitors when making films—vying to be Hong Kong’s best stunt team. They crashed cars, leapt from buildings, always daring one another to take on more dangerous stunts. Every film was forged with their blood and sweat; injuries were routine, lifelong disabilities not uncommon, and yet their pay was meager.

Following the Best Action Choreography award, the next honor was also significant: Best Supporting Actress. This was one of two new categories introduced that year, both soon to become staples alongside Best Supporting Actor.

The competition for this inaugural Best Supporting Actress award was especially fierce. There was Anita Mui, a sensation in the music world. Despite the controversy surrounding her fifth album, “Bad Girl”—which pushed boundaries with its performance and style and was even banned by some radio stations—she remained hugely popular, earning eight platinum records. She became the top-selling artist in Hong Kong and cemented her status as the queen of Cantopop.

Her achievements in film, however, paled in comparison to her musical triumphs. At twenty-two, Anita Mui had only appeared in three films since her debut—one a cameo, another a minor role, and only last year’s “Behind the Yellow Line” saw her take on a larger part, earning her this nomination.

Compared to Anita Mui’s brilliance, Lam Kai-Ling, nominated for “The Amorous Woman of Tang Dynasty,” seemed insignificant. She was a fleeting figure in the entertainment world, graced with beauty and a fine figure, but vanished from the scene after just two films—her only lasting legacy being the steamy scenes she shared with Summer Wenxi in that same movie.

Another nominee was Loletta Lee for “Shanghai Blues.” The future queen of Category III films, a Golden Horse Best Actress winner, and a woman known for her scandalous love affairs, was at this time a sweet nineteen-year-old newcomer. The previous year, she had starred in three well-received movies, becoming Hong Kong's beloved “student sweetheart.”

But Yan Xu knew that her youthful charm would only take her so far; she would remain stuck in a lukewarm career until the 1990s, when she embraced more daring roles, revived her popularity, and finally shed her “flower vase” persona to win two best actress awards at major film festivals.

Anita Mui’s strongest competitors were Chiao Chiao from “Love in a Fallen City” and Yu Qian from “Waiting for Dawn”—both veteran actresses with impressive credentials and acting chops, making them formidable candidates for Best Supporting Actress.

Particularly Chiao Chiao—not only a martial arts star at Shaw Brothers and leading lady in many films, but once one of the most successful Taiwanese actresses to make it big in Hong Kong. Even into the new century, Yan Xu would often see her in various film and television productions. At this time, she had yet to marry the seasoned actor Tseng Jiang, raising her children alone.

Yu Qian, meanwhile, had a wide acting range—leading lady, supporting roles, servant girls, young mistresses, swordswomen, and even a stint as an erotic film star. She had previously won the Golden Horse for Best Supporting Actress.

So, speculation centered on Anita Mui, Chiao Chiao, and Yu Qian. All three had strong chances. In terms of current fame, Anita Mui was the obvious favorite, but in terms of acting skill and experience, Chiao Chiao and Yu Qian had the edge.

“The winner of the Fourth Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress is Anita Mui for ‘Behind the Yellow Line,’” Yu Zheng announced, leading the applause that swept through the audience.

Anita Mui walked slowly onto the stage, her face radiant with joy. Her attire was strikingly unconventional—short hair, a purple outfit, a streak of gold dyed at the front, a single earring on her right ear shaped like a large blue triangular sticker.

After a brief speech, she performed the song “Years Flow Like Water.” Her deep, magnetic voice and commanding stage presence drew Yan Xu’s admiration. Though Vivian Chow was now a rising star in the music scene and handled the stage with ease, compared to Anita Mui, she was still a novice. Her stage control needed improvement—something Yan Xu knew he would have to work on with her.

ps: Another round of review. I’ve checked several times and found no issues. Please wait for chapter seventy-four; I’ll post chapter seventy-five first.