Muzikland

First I have to apologize for typing in English since I only picked up computing after I come to Boston, so I never learn how to do Chinese text input(other than cut and paste) even though I speak better Cantonese than English, and I can still read and write Chinese reasonably well.

I have to disagree on your comment that the Hong Kong depicted in "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" is far-fetched. In fact, what impressed me the most of LIAMST is its authenticity. A lot of Hollywood movies have taken an enormous liberty when it comes to oriental culture (just take a look at "Memoir Of A Geisha") but not the case with LIAMST. For instance, when Mark and Suyin went to Jumbo on August-Moon festival, Suyin explained to Mark that people would bang their bowls to scare away the evil spirit when the moon was covered by the cloud. This really was what people did "back in those days". Another example is when they were in Macau, a funeral parade marched by where the family of the deceased marched inside a make-shift tent so that their faces would not be seen. According to my parents, this is accurate although it only happened to the extremely rich. Even the name of the hotel Mark and Suyin stayed in Macau (中央) is authentic although it didn't look anywhere near as fancy as in the movie showed. I know because I was born in Macau

I read that LIAMST is based on a book written by the real-life Han Suyin, who actually is a China-born Chinese (not mixed-blood as in the movie). I guess that explained the authenticity of the movie. However, Han Suyin is one of those mainland expatriates that fled to Hong Kong when the communist party took over. So she belongs more to the mid-to-upper class in Hong Kong while Suzie Wong is more the poor native. I guess that's why you think TWOSW is closer to reality than LIAMST.

Ben (梁家聰)

Dear Ben

Thanks for your comments. But I'm sorry that I don't know what WOSW & LIAMST is.
About Han Suyin﹐do you mean she is real in reality, but not just a role in the movies? Then if she is a pure Chinese, why she had conflict when she decided to marry again? The movie emphasized she had this conflict because she was a mix.
But anyway, thanks for coming.
Welcome to Muzikland and please come to play often. :)

Sorry for not making myself clear. It is a (lazy) convention for internet English to avoid repetition by just taking the initials of aforementioned titles (of names, books, movies, songs... etc). Therefore, LIAMST is (L)ove (I)s (A) (M)any-(S)plendored (T)hing and TWOSW is (T)he (W)orld (O)f (S)uzie (W)ong

Yes, Han Suyin is a real person. In fact LIAMST is based her autobiography named "A Many-Splendored Thing". If you go to the page for LIAMST in the internet movie database (www.imdb.com/title/tt0048316/), under the "Writing Credits", one of names is Han Suyin (novel). That means the movie is based on a novel written by Han Suyin. In additions to "A Many-Splendored Thing", she had published a few other books in US, all have something to do with China.

So it is a fact that Han Suyin is not just a fictional character. What is not sure is whether she is a full-blood Chinese or not. Her biography in the internet movie database doesn't contain much detail except that she was born in Xinyang, Henan (信陽, 河南) in 1917. However, if you go to the "User Comments" link in the above page, one the commenters (coltanacer) stated that he has met the real life Han Suyin and she is a Chinese.

Supposed she is really Chinese, it is not hard to understand why the writer had to turn her into an Eurasian. Since the movie is based her autobiography, Suyin is really the major star in the movie (unlike "Sayonara" of the similar period, Marlon Brando, not Miiko Taki, is the major star). Hollywood of the 50s didn't really have a bankable Asian star, so they have Jennifer Jones passed as a half-asian instead. Funny that in one scene when Suyin went back to her home, none of her family members is white. You just wonder where did her caucasian side come from?

While in the movie being Eurasian is a problem for Suyin to fall in love with Mark, it would still be problematic for her even if she is pure Chinese because 1) she is a widow, there was a lot of pressure for a (asian) widow to remarry in the 50s. 2) Mark is a Caucasian, interracial marriage is not altogether acceptable back then. 3) Most importantly, Mark is married, so there are tremedous odds against their union. All the concerns Suyin had in the movie are still valid regardless she is Eurasian or Chinese.

However, by switching her into an Eurasian did add a new element into the story: Suyin has an Eurasian friend in the movie who is having an affair with an Englishman. When her friend moves to England with the Englishman, she decide to don a blonde wig and pass herself as white. Suyin told her that she should be proud of being an Eurasian... If the real life Suyin is purely Chinese, that means this part of the movie is not from the book. It would be interesting to find out who added that into the story.

Ben (梁家聰)

Dear Ben

You really have a thorough research of those Asian-Western movies.
:)

Han Suyin was born in Xinyang, Henan province, China. Her father was a Chinese engineer surnamed Chow (Chinese: 周; pinyin: Zhōu), of Hakka heritage, while her mother was a Flemish Belgian.

I have seen this movies a couple of time and as you, I was interested in some of the building and scenes in the movie particular the hospital which has a spectacular view overseeing Hong Kong Island. I have asked around and find out it was 41 Conduit Road, currently Realty Gardens (please see http://www.realtygardens.com.hk/).

There are a couple of interesting things about this building.
The original owner was the founder of Man Sang College who was also the comprador of Swire.
The building was rented to FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club) as the Club House in the 50's when the movie was filmed.
The properties was sold at the price of $250K in the 1950's, what a bargain!

Dear pashwawa
Thank you very much for posting the “so called hospital” site in Love is a many splendoured thing. This old beautiful palatial place can now only be viewed from the film. Many years ago I once thought that was Matilda Hospital, but on second thoughts, it couldn’t be, because there was no such view of the harbour there. Of course the place need not be a real hospital. But you know, Matilda Hospital is at 41 Mt. Kellet Road. Same number 41. What an interesting coincidence!

Just like a scene in Repulse Bay, the actual rocky beach is not beside Repulse Bay, but on an island called Middle Island just outside Repulse Bay. William and Jennifer first walked down a path near the Repulse Bay south side. Then the camera shows Jennifer walking down a rocky shore, but this scene is already on the island. What a good illusion! The narrow water passage and the distant Repulse Bay together with the Ma Kong hill above the bay can easily be recognised in the film.

I would like to show you the following site. It shows a picture of 韓素音 at the age 90 and the cover of her original book A many splendoured thing. Hope you like it.

http://book.people.com.cn/BIG5/69401/6500575.html

Dear lokto,

Thanks for your link with Han SuYin's recent photo. Though I watched the movie a couple of time, I don't like it much as the ending is too sad especially the story is somewhat similar to the real life of Han. Han worked in Queen Mary in 1949 after her Chinese husband were killed in China, similar to the character in the movie. Compared to 'The world of Suzie Wong', 'Love is a many splendoured thing' just too plain but sad.

Regarding the scene on the beach, I remember I have read from somewhere on the Net the scene was filmed on Middle Island (Tong Po Chau). What I watched the movie, I was amazed that such a villa could exist there. I have tried to find if there is such a building exist, however, the only building structure I can find is a yacht club (from centamap.com). It looks like it is another trick of the Hollywood movie?

Dear pashwawa & lokto,

謝謝你們的分享﹐我看這部電影是比較後期了﹐當時有朋友買了車﹐很喜歡駕著四處逛﹐於是我便請他帶我去兜風﹐可是我們轉來轉去﹐也沒法找到相似的地方﹐當時想可能那只是廠境醫院配上現場風景背景吧﹐也可能一早拆掉了。

至於淺水灣﹐我也從未想過還可找到那小徑呢﹐原來是真有其地方的啊。你們真厲害~

Dear Muzikland
Dear Pashwawa
那首 love is a many splendored thing 很好聽。小時聽到那個 splendored 字，不知甚麼意思，問同學也不識，只人唱亦唱。至於電影我只是多年後才在電視首先看到，因在香港拍攝才發生興趣。

所謂在淺水灣游泳那段，其實只是把淺水灣用做遠景。他們下車的地方，是離淺水灣一段距離的南灣附近，當時有很多小徑可走下。當然不一定要可走下海灘的，下面也不一定是海灘，拍攝他們行幾步便可。現在那些地方當然全是別墅大廈了，遠景的淺水灣也被屋遮蓋了，musikland難怪你找不到。

另一段二人在小石灘游出，暢泳一回，然後游回石級走上一間別墅。這當然是passwawa 你所說的 another camera trick。 游回石級那個地點100%不是在 middle island ，不知在那處拍。

至於山上那棵樹的位置，也一定不是在那所謂醫院上面。該處叢林密佈，那有美麗的草坡。這景不知是否在美國拍攝？

Dear lokto & pashwawa,

我看這套電影是在80年代﹐雖然很找到那些地方以緬懷一番﹐可是我又沒有那麼著意﹐大概因為深深明白香港步伐那麼快﹐改變那麼多﹐相隔幾10年﹐相信許多環境都改變了吧﹐故此找不到就算了。話說William Holden及Jennifer Jones 換泳衣那石灘﹐我覺得頗像廠境的。

電影中那間所謂醫院，是租用香港島干德道41號香港外國記者會所(前太古公司華人買辦莫幹生邸宅)作為電影中的醫院，該大宅已於六十年代末遭拆毁並改建成今天的聯邦花苑，電影中曾被拍攝的階梯及涼亭至今尚存。至於醫院的病房和手術室內景應是租用醫療器材在該大宅內安裝而成的，甚至女主角韓素音的宿舍睡房也是在大宅內，而該兩層大宅尚安裝有第一台私人住宅的載客升降機。詳情可參考WWW.realtygardens.com.hk(聯邦花苑網頁)和www.heddamorrison.com(德裔攝影家Hedda Morrison個人香港風景攝影作品網頁)。

Dear 香港人﹐

謝謝你的資料及分享﹐樓上的pashwawa 也曾介紹過聯邦花苑﹐如今能懷緬這古宅﹐就只得從電影中尋了。看到那涼亭照片﹐如今在旁已有高樓大廈圍著﹐景物變遷很大。據網頁的介紹﹐當年還可聽到山頂的鹿鳴﹐這真是現今很難想像的畫面。

德裔攝影家Hedda Morrison個人香港風景攝影作品﹐非常吸引﹐我很喜歡呢。

歡近來 Muzikland玩~

Dear Muzikland,

十分感謝您回覆我的帖子。還有，近幾年鬧得沸沸揚揚的司徒拔道45號中式大宅景賢里的保護，文物保護團體列舉必須保護的原因，是該大宅曾經是電影《生死戀》的拍攝場地。但是看完整部電影，並無出現景賢里的外貌，反而在電影中病房和手術室的場景中曾出現過中式大宅窗戶，因此可以估計電影中部份醫院的室內場景可能是在景賢里取景拍攝。
另外，電影中的淺水灣及附近海灘景色，也曾在當時居港的荷蘭裔人士Micheal Rogge在其1955年自拍的生活紀錄片中出現，其拍攝角度與電影大致相同。詳情可登入Youtube網站中鍵入Micheal Rogge搜尋相關的內容或參考www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/Film_DVDlijst.html

Dear 香港人﹐

謝謝你的推介﹐那批VIDEO很吸引人啊﹐看著那些生活取景的MV﹐感覺很怪﹐50幾年前﹐好像很遠﹐但是因為彩色﹐感覺又很接近。

有關淺水灣景色是那一段片呢﹖影片太多了﹐我好像找不到啊。

Dear Muzikland,

關於淺水灣景色的那一段影片，位於Husein Rofé in Hong Kong in 1955影片內，敬請細心觀看。

Dear 香港人﹐

是這段吧﹐
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKAjACsXHTk

我要重溫Love Is A Many Splendored Thing 的DVD比較一下了。

謝謝你~

我也是中了這套片的毒, 不停在找當時的場景。
有日本fans話那棵樹是在淺水灣酒店範圍; 可惜酒店已經改建, 不知能否找到, 就算找得到, 也可能在那裡向外望都沒有景可言了。
如找到我再告訴你吧!

Dear 麾莉﹐

這種尋根之旅﹐當年我也有想過﹐只是沒有實行過﹐可能會蠻有趣的。

歡迎來 Muzikland 玩及繼續分享~

Hi
Thanks for...香港電影的情報^^
Information which is arranged well is good
I am a Korean and is living in Hong Kong
To send a reply in the friend,Got an information in your page
Thanks a lot!

Dear Dizzy﹐

Wow, it’s great surprise that a Korean will come to my site. So you can read Chinese very well, right?
Welcome to Muzikland.