Morning Matinee — Love Without End: The Screen Diva Lin Dai
Introduction
Linda Lin Dai (1934–1964), born Cheng Yueh-ju, rose to instant fame in 1953 with Singing Under the Moon. Although her film career lasted a mere decade, she garnered the Best Actress prize four times at the Asian Film Festival. Her extraordinary achievements make her one of the most enduring and legendary stars of Hong Kong cinema.
This December marks the 90th anniversary of Lin Dai’s birth. To commemorate this special occasion, we will be celebrating her career via a four-part programme: ‘Maiden Love’, ’City Girl’, ‘Fatal Beauty’, and ‘Glory of Life’. The programme offers a comprehensive overview of Lin’s superb acting as well as her exceptional accomplishments.
‘Maiden Love’ highlights Lin’s work in romantic melodramas. Exhibiting extraordinary range, she plays lovely, affectionate village maidens in The Fisherman’s Daughter (1956) and Golden Phoenix (1956), takes on the dual role of headstrong performer and gentle daughter from a wealthy family in Golden Lotus (1957), and shows off her youthful vivacity in Humiliation for Sale (1958). Later in her career, she plays the tragic heroine in Love Without End (1961), captivating audiences with her subtle, soulful performance.
Aside from these well-known classics, Lin also excelled at comedy. In ‘City Girl’, we assemble some of her best comedic performances, such as The Battle of Love (1957), Lady on the Roof (1959), and Bachelors Beware (1960). In these roles, we see another kind of Lin Dai heroine: youthful, clever, and modern city girls who take on a more active stance in matters of love—in some ways echoing the beautiful, fun-loving maiden in Laughter and Tears.
‘Fatal Beauty’ sees Lin tackling the tumultuous life stories of legendary women in history, including the titular character of Diau Charn (1958) and Wang Zhaojun in Beyond the Great Wall (1964), two of the Four Great Beauties in Chinese history. While The Kingdom and the Great Beauty (1959) is an undisputed classic of Huangmei opera, also unmissable is the opportunity to see the Archive’s digital scan of the rarely screened Meng Lisi, Maid of the Jungle (1961), one of Lin’s few roles as martial heroine.
‘Glory of Life’ features two glamorous, spectacle-filled musicals: Les Belles (1961) and Love Parade (1963). Not only are Lin’s dance talents on full display, but she also uses her impeccable comedic timing to show how she was equally charming and at ease with different film genres.
The programme will screen alongside four documentaries on Lin, which feature valuable footage of happy private moments at her wedding and during her travels, as well as the heart-breaking occasion of her funeral.
One of the silver screen's most unforgettable presences, the memory of Lin will live on forever in the minds of her fans.
The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter. The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.