The Chair

Dir: Tso Kea
Scr: Lee Hang
Prod Co: Overseas Chinese Films
Starring: Cheung Ying, Mui Yee, Keung Chung-ping, Wong Man-lei, Lui Meng
1959 | B&W | D Beta | Cantonese | 105min

Reworked from a 1928 Soviet novel titled The Twelve Chairs, this whimsical farce unfolds in Macau where some gold-diggers try to outsmart each other in their relentless hunt for a diamond bracelet. To win the battle, a prodigal son Cheung Ka-po (Cheung Ying) and his seedy friends put on one disguise after another and even pose as dead bodies at the funeral parlour! The son eventually turns over a new leaf though – typical of Cantonese cinema of the day which served not only to entertain but more importantly to edify.

The Betacam tape used for this screening is a sole copy; the image and sound quality is short of ideal. We appreciate your understanding.