dc.description.abstract | In this thesis I argue that Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. produced modern Mandarin musicals in the 1960s, and their notable transformations in content and style well manifest their attention and reaction to the drastic social and cultural changes of contemporary Hong Kong society during the period. While Hong Kong was going through a modernization phase in the 1960s, Shaw Brothers modernized its film studios and vertically integrated production system. Furthermore, it produced its new Mandarin musicals in color and widescreen format—the forerunners of the technique. These musicals that set in modern time with colorful settings and costumes and large-scale musical numbers do not merely promote the company’s technical innovation. They present a modern society which respectively incorporates sings of modernity, popular cultures, and hybrid cultural images to quickly adapt to the modernization of Hong Kong, including its economic growth, demographic changes, and the resuscitation after the 1967 Riots. A diachronic reading of Shaw Brothers’ Mandarin musicals focuses on the modifications of the themes, characterization, and musical numbers in the existing musical film forms. The transformations of its modern musicals show the company’s sensitivity to the contemporary Hong Kong society and its audience.
Chapter one examines three musicals directed by Tao Qin, Les Belles (1961), Love Parade (1963), and The Dancing Millionairess (1964), produced in the early 60s. They responded to the modernization of Hong Kong society by picturing a version of modern life, in which the protagonists are involved in modern issues concerning individualism and identity. The dancing and singing performances of various styles not only display audio-visual attractions but also provide an international perspective to satisfy the audience’s expectation for new things. In chapter two, I point out that Shaw Brothers acknowledged the emerging population of the second generation in the post-war Hong Kong and set the protagonists as the younger generation in its musicals. In the three musicals around mid-60s, The Lark (1965) directed by Xue Qun and two other films directed by Umetsugu Inoue: Hong Kong Nocturne (1967) and Hong Kong Rhapsody (1968), the younger generation are the central figures who stand for the upbeat and positive spirits in the society. They strengthen family bonds and solve conflicts caused by oppositional values of different generations. Furthermore, the musical performances in the films incorporate the emerging popular culture. They indicate that pop songs, ago go, and television culture permeate contemporary society and help form a cultural identity for modern Hong Kong. In chapter three, I contend that Chang Cheh’s The Singing Thief (1969), Umetsugu Inoue’s The Millionaire Chase (1969), and Shih Mashan’s Tropicana Interlude (1969) react to the drastic changes in the post-riot Hong Kong that the chaotic society was anxious for releasing from oppression and reinvigorate the economy and social development. These films aim to attract different groups of audience by blending masculinity and fighting scenes from other popular genres, such as action films, in the female-centric musicals. Excitement and violence are newly added in Shaw’s musical production. In addition, they display exotic landscapes and scenic spots of other East Asian countries. The outdoor sceneries in different countries not only respond to the developing tourism in Hong Kong and its transforming into an international city but also satisfy the audience’s desire for traveling and mobility. The diversity of the mixed genre types and multi-cultural signs are embodied by the figure of the actor Lin Chong.
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