A Fool in the Army

Dir: Chiang Wai-kwong
Scr: Lo Yu-kei
Prod Co: Chung Kwong
Co-starring: Law Yim-hing, Yiu Kwang-chao
1959 | B&W | D Beta | Cantonese | 94min

The title may suggest that Sun Ma Si-tsang is flying solo as the singular ‘fool' here, but he's actually joined once again by his fellow ‘fool' Tang Kei-chen in this comedy. When a warlord falls for a beautiful woman in the village, he gets rid of her scrawny boyfriend, Fuk (Sun Ma), by forcing him and his best friend (Tang) into the army. To get the girl back, the two heroes must do everything they can to escape. While the two stars are as funny as ever, Yiu Kwang-chao steals the show as a plump commander who creates a hilarious visual contrast opposite the stars.

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