RIP Jimmy Wang Yu

[Drunk Monk]

Just saw his daughter’s announcement on fb.

Wang was one of the founding Kung Fu film stars. He preceded Bruce and was the lead in so many timeless classics. Ironically his roots weren’t martial arts. His physique came from being a competitive swimmer. But he was a fighter in every sense of the word. 

He was 80 and suffered some terminal illness over the last few years. He lost use of his arm due to a stroke, which is ironic because one of his greatest roles was The One-Armed Swordsman. He did some 70+ films and had a tumultuous private life of affairs, abuse and street brawls - he was even investigated for a murder.

[cranefly]

Ahhh, Jimmy Wang Yu.  I would have thought he passed long ago.  I remember hatchets.  Him going up against a gang with hatchets (inspiration for Kung Fu Hustle?).  A later film, when the population of Hong Kong had grown enough to provide him with a suitably big gang to fight.

But maybe that was someone else.  It all becomes a blur.

[King Bob]

Is that the one-armed swordsman movie you showed us? With the bandits who had all the bear traps? And after he loses his arm he finds the book that's burned in half, and learns his sword style from it?

[Drunk Monk]

Is that the one-armed swordsman movie you showed us? With the bandits who had all the bear traps? And after he loses his arm he finds the book that's burned in half, and learns his sword style from it?

That was the remake - Blade with Vincent Zhao. That was a slicker production from 95 when HK cinema was on fire. Good memory, brother!

Wang's One-Armed Swordsman was a Chang Cheh directed film from 1967. Wang built a franchise around it with several sequels and other one-armed characters. One of the most notable sequels was him v Zatoichi - see http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...7#pid19087