Apartment for Women

Dir: Huang Yu
Scr: Zhou Ran
Prod Co: Great Wall Pictures
Co-starring: Shek Hwei, Chang Tseng, Kung Chiu-hsia, Zhu Li, Liu Su
1956 / B&W / D Beta / Cantonese (Dubbed) / 101min

Such is the dreamy, decadent and excessively rich life the bourgeoisie leads in the glittering metropolis. Chen Bailu (Hsia Moon) is a social butterfly who has acquired notoriety for her ways with rich bankers, wealthy matrons, men who sponge off women and gangster bosses. The flicker of hope of turning her life around following an unexpected visit from her childhood sweetheart, Fang Dasheng (Fu Che), is crushed by fate. Cast as the memorable Chen Bailu in Cao Yu's classic four-act play, Hsia Moon's portrayal has less pathos than ethos and logos, which is in line with the spirit of the New Culture Movement in China. Betty Loh Ti stole the show as an orphaned girl in the two scenes she made an appearance. Sporting a headful of mousy hair and ill-fitted clothes as she climbs through the window and exchanges glances with a shocked Hsia, Loh was a vision of innocence so pure that the screen would never again witness. (The Cantonese-dubbed version will be screened)