It was a delight and honour to welcome Mr. Yueh Hua on his visit to AS 325 to speak about his experience as a star of cinema and TV. Mr. Yueh, born in Shanghai, joined the Shaw Brothers’ studio in Hong Kong in 1965, starring in his first role as the Monkey King soon after. Mr. Yueh went on to star in King Hu’s (Hu Jinquan) pioneering 1966 martial arts film Come Drink With Me, as the Drunken Beggar or Drunk Cat. The class had just seen this film and had plenty of questions for Mr. Yueh about his work on that film and later successes in film and television. Mr. Yueh described his experience as a martial arts performer and what it was like to work with King Hu whom he described admiringly as a meticulous perfectionist who would wait a long time for the right conditions under which to film. The director initially thought Mr. Yueh was too young for the role of Drunken Cat but helped ensure what was already a standout performance from Mr. Yueh by filling the character’s drinking gourd with strong Chinese liquor to add extra veracity to the inexperienced drinker’s speech and actions. Mr. Yueh brought along the original script book he had worked with on Come Drink With Me that was passed around reverently in the class.
Mr. Yueh stressed that while he and other martial arts performers of his generation such as his co-star Cheng Pei-pei were trained by choreographers primarily working in Chinese opera traditions the actors did their own stunts without the help of special effects. He also talked about working within the Shaw studio system and the salaries of the time. Having a reputation as “Mr. Nice Guy” in the industry, Mr. Yueh nonetheless noted that he enjoyed the challenge of playing villains as well as heroes.
Mr. Yueh and his family moved to West Vancouver in 1989 and delighted his large audience by telling them he used to drive his daughter every day to and from elementary and high school and eventually UBC where she gained a degree in Psychology. Many of the students in the class were familiar with Mr. Yueh’s illustrious Hong Kong TV career, including his most recent series “The Gem of Life” (2008) and “Overachievers”(2014). After his talk Mr. Yueh generously posed for photos with a long line of students and signed autographs. It was a great pleasure to hear such a talented star speak so modestly and informatively about his impressive career and the Hong Kong film and entertainment industry.
Mr. Yueh’s visit was arranged with the help of Ms Wai Lam Cheung, MA, Asian Studies.
– C. D. Alison Bailey
