The Singing Thief

The Singing Thief

Dir: Chang Cheh
Scr: Chiu Kang-chien
Cast: Jimmy Lin Chong, Lily Ho, Lo Lieh, Essie Lin Chia, Mui Yan
1969 / Colour / D Beta / Mandarin / Chi & Eng Subtitles / 87min

After completing Return of the One-armed Swordsman, Chang Cheh took a break from the martial arts genre and experimented with this action musical. After the ethnic Japanese singer Jimmy Lin Chong caused a storm in Hong Kong, he was cast by Shaw Brothers to star in a Hong Kong film for the first time as the diamond thief Pan. Pan quit six years ago to become a singer, but is now blamed for a series of robberies in town. He seeks help from his friend (Lo Lieh) and the latter's wife (Essie Lin Chia) to clear his name, but a top diamond collector (Lily Ho) gets in his way. The handsome Jimmy Lin Chong had both effeminate and childish manners, and was boldly and fashionably dressed like Elvis Presley. He was just as eye-catching as Lily Ho with her hundred guises. The song Diamonds composed by Wang Fulin with lyrics by Chang Cheh is impressively performed. The screenplay by Chiu Kangchien was inspired by Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1956), while the dance and action choreography drew on the musical film West Side Story (1963). Even today, this film is striking for its modern style.

© Licensed by Celestial Pictures Limited. All rights reserved.


Date Time Venue
25/12/2014 (Thu) 7:30pm Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive
18/1/2015 (Sun) # 4:30pm Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

# Post-screening talk with Joyce Yang


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