These are movie stills
from when she was 16
Some of the prints are no longer available
Most of the film genres were
folklore, romances
supernatural or martial arts
They say she was mostly
given casual roles
or wallflowers, as we call them now
Only after joining Lienhua in 1929
did she have a chance to be in serious films
We share similar fates then?
Ruan killed herself
over half a century ago
but people still remember her as a movie star
Maggie, would you wish to be
remembered half a century later?
That's not
so important to me
But, if people do remember me
it'll be in a different light from Ruan
As she halted her career
when she was at her most glorious
at the age of 25
She is now a legend
Miss Ruan played bad woman
to perfection
Yet I agree with Sun Yu that
she adds a fascinating flavor
the roles of noble ladies
I can't explain the fascination
Let's try
Min-wei, Lienhua is to start a new film "Reminiscences of Peking"
Ruan should have no problem playing a prostitute
Then we push her in "Wayside Flowers"
with a complete role change
She's a chaste songstress
It'd be terrific if we succeed
It means we have another superstar like Hu Tie
She must be better than Hu Tie
Lienhua aims to revive China's
movie industry with good films
But the box office is important
We must have good stars and directors
We've got good directors - Pu and Sun
We'll go to Peking to film snow scenes
for "Reminiscences of Peking"
plus the opening scenes
of "Wayside Flowers"
I'd like to have Ruan Ling-yu as the female lead
and as her own mother
in a double role
In this scene she plays a woman fleeing the famine
In the snow
her little one has nothing to eat
She bites her own finger and
feeds him with her own blood
Can Ruan Ling-yu make the grade?
It's a good film I'll play it if she can't
You'd better try your luck outside, good for you
Director Sun
Director, I'll go and take it up with them
"Reminiscences of Peking", 1930 Directed by Sun Yu. Film no longer available
You're all ingrates
I can be nasty too
Chu Chia-chieh, how dare you?
How dare you? How dare you?
Yen-yen
I'm cursing Ying, not you
Wang Hui-Ian,
you have gone too far
I'm a concubine, but I can support this family
or I can ruin it single handedly
Not good enough, once more
OK... Once more
Chu-chu
does childbirth really hurt?
Yes
I remember I kept screaming
during my first birth
I don't want to give birth!
Why? You want to have children?
No, I just want to know how it feels
Did you buy this baby piano for Hsiao-yu?
Yes
How's it going with Ta-min?
Nothing special
I wrote him yesterday
Asking him to stop dating club hostesses
I still get jealous
I've been trying prove something
Something I heard
Go on
Did you get intimate with him
when your mother was their maid?
I met him then. It happened later
I was only 16
It's been four years!
Ever thought of getting married?
His family objected to our marriage
After the death of his parents
we didn't raise the subject again
What on earth does he want?
He kept many horses
when we first met
He took me riding every morning
One day I stared at him riding away
and I realized
he wants a free and easy life
He won't get married and have children
So I adopted her as a safeguard
I'll leave the rest to fate
Chu-chu, maybe because childbirth is painful
a mother loves her children more
You adore Hsiao-yu too
I wonder if I'd love her even more
if she were my own daughter
I believe you would
"Wayside Flowers", 1930 Directed by Sun Yu. Film no longer available
Ruan favorite expressions:
Looking up to the Heaven
in forlorn wordlessness
I didn't think much of her
when I saw a few of her movies
But after having seen all her 6 movies
she struck me as outstanding and life-like
They had silent movies then
It all came down to expressions and motion
I found in her something special
something sexy
Not superficially sexy
It exuded from within
She could be all wrapped up
up to here
but you could feel her coquettish charm
I don't know how to put it exactly
The way she smiled was most enchanting
Remember that village girl in
"Weeping Peach Blossoms"? Yes
It really is soul-consuming
What was it really like between Ruan and Chang Ta-min?
Somehow I feel Chang was immature
in life and feelings
He needed her care in this respect
especially after Ruan became a movie star
with Chang gambling and
his family's dwindling fortune
I mean not just financially
Spiritually she looked after him like a child
A woman could get tired
under such circumstances
and turn to others to care for her
So Tang Chi-shan came along
a mature man, considerate to the fair sex
He readily won her favor
Thank you Don't mention it
Hsiao-yu, don't get dirty you've just taken a bath
Mummy's peeping at us
Hsiao-yu, are you nice?
Yes
Did you miss mummy?
Mummy, come in
It's cold outside, come in
Isn't this scarf beautiful?
Yes
Louder!
It's beautiful!
You only speak Shanghai dialect now No Cantonese?
You really are silly
sending me a mahjong set
I'm more than silly; I'm crazy
Chicken brewed with swallow's nest Take it hot
Thank you, mummy
I brewed something for Ta-min a few days ago
I threw it away
after waiting for him for 2 days
You could have taken it yourself
I wouldn't have wasted it if it suited me
Power failure!
Impossible, there's light in the kitchen
The bulb must've been out of order
They insisted on
Chinese goods
Japanese goods are better
Mummy, let me
Mummy, let me hold you
You hold me?
Been back long?
I knew you'd be back today
I wanted to get you something
to cheer you up
You didn't buy it?
I bought it
Chu-chu and I talked about you
Then I thought of buying something for you
So I bought a ring through Mr. Lo
It cost $80 only and they said I was lucky
Let me put it on for you
It's too tight
It doesn't look good
Why is your right finger thinner?
You like it?
It's too dear Who says you're lucky?
My change of role went well
they said I was a good protagonist
I must do better than Hu Tie
I must give you something now
for the gifts you sent me
Give me a few horses then
I still can't afford that
Give me money then but in several installments
Otherwise, I may spend it all at once
Miss Ruan
Miss Ruan, be ready for filming when you finish
Okay
Liu Chiung, shoot!
Liu Chiung, pass!
Liu Chiung
Miss Ruan, you don't know me,
I'm Chen Yen-yen
I played a minor role
when you filmed "Reminiscences of Peking"
I remember you've recently signed a contract with the company
Yes, but I've had no important role
Miss Ruan, they say it takes you one hour to paint your brow
Where did you hear it?
In Peking
I took two hours to paint a brow in Harbin
Yung-kang, Liu Chiung
come here and be introduced
How do you do?
They represent Fu Tang University's student body
Japan took Manchuria
in the "Sept 18 Incident"
Students in Shanghai are parading today
to call for a city-wide strike to boycott Japanese goods
Hope you people at Lienhua can join us
Yung-kang, Liu Chiung let's follow Nieh Erh
Okay
Mr. Li, you're a revolutionary, you lead
When I followed Dr Sun
in the North Expedition
I carried a camera, instead of a gun
But I know when the moment comes I must carry a gun
But the time is not yet now
Let me call the Nanking Government now
Nanking?
Think about it
They won't let Japan war with us
We can't wait, can we?
Today we must have a chance
to study it
We can't shoot today
Still can't shoot?
How can we shoot for this kind of audience?
Nieh Erh
we must go on with filming today, right?
But we must show our concern
Min-wei, send some men
to help Nieh and the students
Okay
Back to work
Let's have a discussion
It's settled
Back to work
"Weeping Peach Blossoms", 1931 Directed by Pu Wan-chang From original print
Kwan, how old is Lily Li this year?
76. She's 5 years younger than Ruan
What will I look like at 76?
I was going to ask you
Yesterday I asked Maggie Cheung
Do you hope to be remembered
decades later?
I absolutely do
I hope people would talk about movie stars in the 90's
with me included, whatever the number
You hope to be remembered
Yes
I feel that had Ruan not killed herself
and kept her most brilliant moment
we wouldn't be filming "Ruan Ling-yu" now
We may be interviewing her
and filming another biography
Should a movie star vanish
at the peak of her brilliance?
Don't waste time on such silly questions
I decided...
If I were to be famous...
If I were to be a legend
I had to die when I was most beautiful
I kept that memory in mind (Lily Li, 1990. Actress of the 30's)
When Ruan died and was lying in the coffin
I kept staring and staring at her
till her hair fluttered up
Then I gripped it with my hairpin
Then Hsiao-yu tugged at me saying:
Auntie, why don't you cry?
She wanted me to cry. I couldn't then
The first production between Lily Li and Ruan was "Little Toys"
In our casual chat with her
she emphasized how
Ruan taught her to act in that movie
And they became good friends as a result
Ruan didn't speak Mandarin well
and Lily taught her
Lily also stressed on the affair
between Ruan and Tsai
She did overhear her
hum that "Blue Angle" tune
I think Lily Li saw many things
That was positive
In the course of our extensive research
Not only did Lily Li mention the relationship
between Ruan and Tsai
A writer wrote about it after her death
Had Ruan and Tsai broken that barrier
and put away the mental burden
Ruan wouldn't have died
Sun Yu, 1990 Director of the 30's
We visited him in Shanghai last year
He suffered strokes
before his death
His speech and hearing was bad
He retired a long time ago
He suffered a lot during the Cultural Revolution
He made no films at all after that
When we went to Shanghai for research
this was the only book we had
And we took it back when we left
How many days did he have the book?
No, we showed him the book
on the day of the interview
to jog his memories
to tell us about affairs of the 30's
But he could not put it in words
After the interview, we returned to HK
And he died in less than a month
He was then 91
We regret not having let him
keep the album as a souvenir
Chen Yen-yen, 1991 Actress of the 30's
Ruan had said to me:
Sun, you'd better tell...
Li Min-wei the then Production Manager
who was in Peking too
You'd better tell him
not to take this child to Shanghai
Sun answered: "What difference does it make?
The Company needs someone anyway"
She said "The child would take away
half of my territory some day. "
At least she had a period of brilliant days
She was most popular in the 40's
Is Chen Yen-yen more famous than Ruan?
They were about the same
I heard my mummy say... she was very young then
Everyone only heard of Chen Yen-yen and Ruan Ling-yu
but seldom of Lily Li and Lin Chu-chu
Try to get Chu-chu to
play a Ruan Ling-yusque role
Don't turn round Your loved one is here too
Who have you brought along?
A club hostess. Never mind her
Don't forget we're going to HK tomorrow
I must return to pack up in a minute
Chu-chu, please take me to Hong Kong
Chang Chih-yun is here
Miss Ruan, I admire you
I've seen all your pictures
I don't like Hu Tie You're more sophisticated
I like Chang Chih-yun. She's decadent
Who's Chang Chih-yun?
She's a veteran. She was a big movie star 10 years ago
I know
She's Tea King Tang's mistress
They say he kept her home
smoking opium
while he went around womanizing
I really can't stand that
Is that true?
Impossible It's true he likes womanizing
He's on good terms with us
He has a wife in Canton
but they don't get along
He wooed Li Cho-cho too
Take it easy
it was only a power failure not air raid
Keep cool!
Don't panic
Power's back
Power failure, not air raid
Power failure, again?
Hong Kong, 1932
I want an ice-cream Alaska
Good, good
Queen's Road is no match to 4th Street in Shanghai
You compare the Queen
with whores in a Shanghai street?
I've been in Hong Kong for nearly 10 days
Now Shanghai's fallen and Hong Kong's thriving
It's the cycle
I really can't live in such backward places
I'm so bored in a hotel
Ruan, are you okay?
Chu-chu, so Sir Robert Hotung knows my dad
He promised to make me manager of the SS Shui An
I must really thank you and Min-wei
The Shui An only plies between Macau and Hong Kong
I like Macau
I wouldn't want to go to Africa
If the Japs keep bombing
Lienhua has to move to HK
We should be safe in the French Concession
Bombs have no eyes
Don't be afraid
Ruan, Mr. Tang's here
Miss Ruan
Ruan, are you all right?
Yes
Want to go up for a rest?
No, I was thinking of Shanghai
Shanghai's going to be OK
Your mom and daughter are there?
The government dare not wage a full war against the Japs
If the 19th Army loses
talks are the only way out
This may go down as interludes in history
You must embark at 6am tomorrow
Go to bed early
Keep accounts
Nothing to keep?
Enter $80 for Ta-min
his roulette winnings in Macau
Pay me the sum and I'll do it
You're greedy
What have you done today?
Tang Chi-shan took us
yachting around HK Island
Min-wei finally talked him into joining Lienhua as a partner
When Shanghai calms down he'll return to sign the contract
To revive the Chinese movie industry again?
Did Chang Chih-yun go with you?
He confined her home to smoke opium
That's a rumor only
Did the rumor say that I control you?
I don't control you either
Don't!
Control me
What are you doing?
In fact, I'm not interested
We must create images for the cast
The image is important
The moment I face the camera, I freeze
Consider it acting
Haven't got a way to end it
Nieh Erh, insisted on completing it
A good start
I must make a film about this song
Good
Ruan, you're back?
Ruan, you're back
Director Sun
You're a deserter
Mind your words
Director Pu
Ruan, are you leaving him behind in HK?
He's found work over there
This means he made some contribution
to the Movement
Sorry
I didn't take part in your Movement
Never mind, there are lots of chances in future
These Japs won't leave
Then it's no longer a matter of singing for the Army
or nursing the wounded soldiers in hospital
Right. This time we've decided to fight them
Right, we must fight
Let's sing together
Now cheer up
Tien Han is Tien Han
It's the 1st progressive movie of Lienhua
You mustn't use the name Tien Han
Why?
He's a subversive
The modern girl in this film
isn't the type who's into cosmetics and cars
She must be independent, rational and brave
A girl of the times should be
concerned about people's welfare
Li Cho-cho, you represent romance
Yen-yen, your role signals purity
But you flee when hit by the revolutionary waves
Yen-yen, you kill yourself because your boyfriend jilts you
Director Pu
Ruan, how are you?
Director Pu, how do I die?
I'll tell you in a minute
What if she comes?
Shall I go and find Tien Han?
He's only a script-writer
Director Pu, do you have a minute?
Sure
let's go out for a chat
Ruan, what's the matter?
They say you haven't found the girl
for the Chou role
How about letting me have a go?
Ruan, it's unsuitable for you
You've been playing a tragic figure
or a romantic girl
You have a noble personality
That role is neither noble
nor romantic
She's a laborer
and not suitable for you
I can play it well
If I fail, I'll make good your loss
Ruan, she's a stubborn girl, rebellious
She's the revolutionary type
In previous interviews, you mentioned (Shen Chi, 1991. Playwright-novelist)
Ruan was in many progressive movies (Author of "Ruan Ling-yu,
in the later stage Movie Star of the Decade")
Did she volunteer or feel compelled
to take these roles?
Many Chinese movies projected
a social background
and the image of modern girls
Having played mostly
downtrodden, helpless females
She wanted to play a modern role for a change
to meet the needs of the audience
So she offered to act
in "Three Modern Women" herself
She went after that role herself?
She did, and pressed Director Pu for it
Let's dance
I can't resist people being so nice to me
Whoever does
I'll madly reciprocate
Thank you
Why?
You've shown me your weak point
I still have Chang Ta-min
Do I have to be nice
to Chang Ta-min too?
You still have Chang Chih-yun and a wife
What about Li Cho-cho?
I broke with Chang Chih-yun in HK
It'll be harder with my wife
If I dump her just like that
you'd be scared of me
Give me time
"Three Modern Women" Directed by Pu Wan-chang. Film no longer available
Stop!
Is the camera moving at the right speed?
Seems it has to be a bit slower
It'll make the film much longer then
Thanks for the hard work Rush for another take
Thank you
Chin Yen, you play a playboy
in this movie
But not a so called new youth
Look scared when Chou takes you
to see the poor
I was scared
when she took me to the slum
This time I want to show I'm moved
What do you think?
You'll make it then
Ruan, well done, carry on
Director, Boss Tang is here
Mr. Tang, how are you?
One more take Mr. Tang's here
Let's strive to get it right this time
Good, ready
Lights, props
Ready. Camera!
Master Shen
Many analysts found out that
Ruan's later
progressive roles
contrasted sharply with her real life
What do you think?
Her union with Tang Chi-shan had
everything to do with how she fared then
The circumstances were beyond her control
She saw through him and then
it was a matter of one year
from cohabitation to suicide
There was nothing
she could do
when she found out
he had a previous marriage
It was never in her to fight or resist
She considered
the relationship tolerable
That's Chang Ta-min That's Tang Chi-shan
It was difficult getting these photos
One of them is barely visible
Tang later sank very low in Taiwan
They say he was a cigarette vendor
And he died of old age there
After the suicide many plays and operas in Shanghai
featured the triangular relationship between Ruan, Chang and Tang
calling them "Death of Ruan Ling-yu" or "Fall of A Movie Star"
Chang was invited to appear in person
He later co-operated with a HK movie company
to film "Who's to Blame"
He played himself
I felt then he was hopeless
Family might partly account for it
but he was himself irresponsible
He was only 36
when he died of pneumonia in HK
Ladies and gentlemen
movie critics describe "Three Modern Women"
as a great film heralding
a bright future
Let's take photos together
for a souvenir
Pink Director, come over quick!
Shall I leave you behind?
Sorry, sorry
Who's he?
He's Tsai Chu-sheng
He's just directed a movie titled "A Rosy Dream"
Then Nieh Erh called him
Pink Director
Now they're good friends
Sorry
From now on, all our productions will be blockbusters
It features Fei Mu, Sun Yu Wu Yung-kang, Tsai Chu-sheng
Fei Mu's films are more profound
Like depth charges
Miss Ruan, a photo of you two stars
What do you mean?
Ta-min has agreed to separate from me
on an alimony of $300 each month
That's not too much
It represents one-third of my salary
I'll pay him
That's good news for me
It means he has no more feelings for you
Money alone makes things easier
Shame on a man asking
for separation money
It makes talks easier
I'm sure if I gave him $100 he'd take it
I'll sign a contract with him through my lawyer
Director Fei
I'll translate all the acting theory
of Stanislavski
You should read William Archer's
"Face and Mask"
The Japs are the enemy and the enemy is the Japs
Who's the Nationalist Government trying to fool?
Ruan, the reporters outside told me that
The Government has banned anti-Japanese movies
In our "Little Toys" the Japs are
invariably called the enemy
Is that so?
The enemy's coming, wake up!
Well, Lily, go on
Go now
Miss Ruan, I'm Tsai Chu-sheng
I'll make a new movie
after finishing "The Fisherman's Song"
In any case, I'll cast you in the female lead
Tsai Chu-sheng, aren't you ashamed?
No one will hire you
if your present movie doesn't sell
Don't dream of getting Ruan Ling-yu as your leading lady
Ruan, don't commit yourself
So you can speak Cantonese
I'm a Cantonese too
No
I didn't do well, let's do it again
Hold a moment
Wu Yung-kang, stop the rain
Stop the rain!
Add water
Hurry up!
Ming
How many times have we shot?
Five times. The last two is good
Ruan, we got two good shots
Don't shower anymore, it's too cold
What's she doing?
Her father died this way when she was six
You deliberately arranged this shot
Yung-kang, again
Ready
Rain
Costume, go away
Ruan, back to position
Ready. Shoot
Camera!
Dad
"Night in the City", 1933
Directed by Fei Mu. Film no longer available
Cut!
Prepare smoke
OK, take a breather
"Little Toys", 1933 Directed by Sun Yu
Lily, again
Director, what's wrong with me?
Try one more time
More smoke
Ready
Camera. Action!
Cut!
How's it, director?
Something seems wrong
but I can't put my finger on it
Lily, this show is coming to the end
Chu wipes off her mummy's tears with her hand
Then flicks the teardrops away with her little finger
You can't do this well
with your pain
I'm dying after being bombed by the Japs
I should feel great pain
Right, but not completely
Let me think
Make up these
two wounded women
Get the costumes changed
Theirs is next on the program Get ready
I don't get him
Imagine
Chu plays a nice, clever girl
considerate to her mummy
so it's best for her
to mask her pain now
You may try smiling at mummy to comfort her
and lighten her sorrow
Lily, I know how you should act
Me, too
You shouldn't just show your own anguish
I know what I should do now
and what you want
"Mummy, only foolish people cry!"
"Little Toys", 1933 From original print
"Oh, war is here! The enemy comes! ... Cannons! Bombs! Landmines!"
"The enemy comes! Cannons! Bombs! Planes!"
Miss Ruan
I feel you're the best actress in China