Lan Kwong Comedies

Woman’s Affairs

Dir: Mok Hong-si
Scr: Yang Shih-ching
Prod: Wong Cheuk-hon
Prod Co: Lan Kwong
Cast: Ting Ying, Lam Kar-sing, Carrie Ku Mei, Paul Chu, Man Oi-lan, Auyeung Kim
1961 | B&W | Digital File | Cantonese | 105min

In 1959, Wong Cheuk-hon re-established Lan Kwong Film Company, specialising in Cantonese films. This film was made in commemoration of the anniversary of Lan Kwong’s re-establishment. Mok Hong-si used light and humorous comedy techniques to describe the various tenants of a sub-divided flat, refracting age-old differences in societal values. Factory girl Chui (Ting Ying) moves into a sub-divided flat and runs into former co-worker Lee (Man Oi-lan), who has been forced to leave her fiancé (Paul Chu) to become the concubine of company manager (Auyeung Kim) in order to repay her family’s debts. Meanwhile, Chui gets into an argument with another tenant, Tong (Lam Kar-sing), over a trivial issue that quickly spins out of control. They later discover that they are each other’s pen pal ‘soulmates’. In numerous scenes in the film, Ting Ying and Lam Kar-sing engage in verbal battles of wit and insults, exchange physical mischief, and prank each other. Their expressions are lively and natural, and with a vivacious music score, there is a strong comic-book feel. The dialogue is also witty and funny. And with humorous performances by character actors such as Cheng Kwan-min, Auyeung Kim and Sai Kwa Pau, the comic effect is doubled.

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