King Hu and Run Run Shaw: The Clash of Two Cinema Legends

Abstract

King Hu is revered as one of the most influential film-makers of Chinese cinema. Run Run Shaw is the legendary tycoon behind the renowned media kingdom Shaw Brothers. After Hu joined Shaw Brothers in 1958 as an actor, it was Shaw who offered Hu his first career opportunities to write and direct. But animosity and differences came between them to the extent that they would never collaborate again after making history with their groundbreaking success Da zui xia/Come Drink with Me (1966). This article chronicles King Hu’s arduous yet invaluable tenure at the flourishing film studio operated by Run Run Shaw. It examines the reasons for their differences and speculates on the possible outcomes to Hu’s subsequent career had their contentious relationship never existed.