The Guiding Light (1953)

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Much missing information on this movie can be found:

http://ipac.hkfa.lcsd.gov.hk/ipac20/ipa ... ri=2#focus

Especially the cast and crew:

Credits: Director, Chun Kim.
Scriptwriter, Chun Kim ; Producer, Lau Fong ; Cinematographer, Suen Lun ; Editor, Poon Chiu ; Music, Ye Chunzhi ; Production Asst., Chiu Ying-wan ; 2nd Production Asst., Wu Yun, Ho Chi ; Recording, Lee Lun-wah ; Recording Asst., Chan Bong ; Set, Wan Man ; Set Production, Kwong Woon, Yeung Put ; Make-up, Ma Charn ; Props, Lam Tin-sum ; Developing, Sun Ngai Co.

Casts: Cheung Ying (as Chan Ying-kit), Ng Cho Fan (as Wong Lo-sei), Pak Yin (as Madam Lee), Bruce Lee (as Tin-sun - child), Cheung Wood Yau (as Ah-sang), Mui Yee (as Lee Kit-ching), Lee Ching (as Dr. Lau), Yung Siu-yi (as Ah Ngo), Wong Man Lei (as Nanny), Lam Mui-mui (as Chan's wife), Law Hin-tat (as Ah-san - child), Chow Chi-sing (as Cheng Sam), Yip Ping (as Lu Choi), Yan Yan (as Ah-lin - child), Wong Cho-shan (as Dr. Lee), Siu Yin Fei (as Lin), Lee Yuet-ching (as Sam's wife), Leung So-mui (as Ah-lan), Keung Chung-ping (as Dr. Fong), Tang Mei Mei (as Mei Mei), Ma Siu-ying (as a wife), Chow Nin-wah (as Lee Kit-ching - child), Cheng Man-ha (as a teacher), Chu Chiu (as a doctor), Yeung Yip-wang (as president), Ko Chiu (as staff).

I noticed the database was missing Yip Ping and she plays quite a prominent role in the film. Now the HKFA information does miss the fact that occasionally English names are used quite prominently throughout the film: for example Lu Choi is called Lucy so maybe in the credits Lu "Lucy" Choi should be used. Also the synopsis for this film on HKFA is not quite right either

Monday I will probably bring the movie disk in for screencaps. Do you want screencaps of all the beginning credits?

[Brian Thibodeau]

Do you want screencaps of all the beginning credits?

Probably a good idea, as we'll then have an additional reference from the film itself. Not sure if we can "borrow" directly from the HKFA, so it's good to have our own "evidence" in case anyone ever points a finger!

[dleedlee]

I have to admit, I'm a big sucker for those melodramas. Is that the one where mom and dad peek into the window from the back of the hall during graduation?
The Pearl City subbed vcd box set came out years before Cinema Epoch's release and as a bonus comes with a nice brass mini nunchaku ! It was later reissued on DVD but I wasn't able to determine whether it was a direct port of the old vcd or remastered. Kind of suspected the former, so I passed on it.

http://www.yesasia.com/us/a-son-is-born ... /info.html

Pearl City's Big Clusmy Melon came with a nice brass gong and mallet, too.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

I have to admit, I'm a big sucker for those melodramas. Is that the one where mom and dad peek into the window from the back of the hall during graduation?
The Pearl City subbed vcd box set came out years before Cinema Epoch's release and as a bonus comes with a nice brass mini nunchaku ! It was later reissued on DVD but I wasn't able to determine whether it was a direct port of the old vcd or remastered. Kind of suspected the former, so I passed on it. ...

Actually the Mom peeks in during his reception dealing with him talking about his multitude of parents as well as the blindness cure, not graduation. The "real" Dad comes in later for confrontation .

I comment on the quality in my review here. Did you get a chance to read it? .

Anyways I cannot get VLC to work with this disc (works fine on my DVD Player). It only gets to the menu and won't allow anything else (the chapter select doesn't work from the menu, the VOBs are scrambled etc...).

[dleedlee]

I comment on the quality in my review here. Did you get a chance to read it? .

Yes, I did, but I guess I miss your point. It's been many years since I've watched it on vcd, I don't recall it being particularly bad, though. As I said, I can't speak to the later Pearl City DVD. I've been tempted by the Cinema Epoch titles but I've avoided them because I've read that they are universally poor picture-quality wise even compared to their HK/Mainland DVD/vcds counterparts (e.g., Spring in a Small Town); combined with their prices, I haven't felt that compelled to get any.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

I comment on the quality in my review here. Did you get a chance to read it? .

Yes, I did, but I guess I miss your point. It's been many years since I've watched it on vcd, I don't recall it being particularly bad, though. As I said, I can't speak to the later Pearl City DVD. I've been tempted by the Cinema Epoch titles but I've avoided them because I've read that they are universally poor picture-quality wise even compared to their HK/Mainland DVD/vcds counterparts (e.g., Spring in a Small Town); combined with their prices, I haven't felt that compelled to get any.

It's not bad, in fact like more of the first 1/3 to 2/3s the second time I went through it. I was debating myself on pushing it to 7/10. I'm more used to the four-star system compared to the ten. The other review on IMDB completely misses the point of the film and dogs it for all the wrong reasons. I will reread the review to see where I can improve the writing though.

I have the Cinema Epoch's Spring in a Small Town release. That's a title I would love for Criterion to release. I adore that movie, the release is OK not bad, but I know could be done better. However, Criterion tends to avoid Chinese releases especially mainland (for some reason they list The Last Emperor as a China release -- or maybe its just me with the Italian director ). I've actually been able to find Cinema Epoch cheaply by buying new from other Amazon sellers.

On another point does anyone else have this disc? Is there another screencaps program I should be using? I'm a little frustrated at VLC for not working (I have the latest edition, I've noticed some discs just don't run or run well on VLC).