Hey, hey, hey… hey. I don’t mean to be rude man but no torture, no thumbscrews. This is Australia, we’re not allowed to get into that sort of thing mate.
Today on Classic Movie Review Podcast we are taking on a great kung fu action movie Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975). This movie has a special place in my heart. I saw it the night after I entered a Karate tournament in New Orleans, where I was soundly defeated receiving probably the second hardest blow to the head I ever took. Yet, the action in this film was so good, I actually remembered for over 30-years until it was released on DVD. Just for the record, I saw this film under the name Man from Hong Kong (1975). The Dragon Flies (1975) as it is now called, is a terrible pun. As we say down south, “look at all dem dragonflies, there must be snakes around here.”
The movie was written and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. On iMDB.com[1] it has a 6.6 rating. On Rottentomatoes.com the film has a 100% rating on the Tomatometer and a 61% audience score[2].
Wikipedia[3] states that Linda Gross of the Los Angles Times said on August 20, 1975, that the film was “a slick, shallow, well-photographed Australian-Chinese movie which has substituted do-it-yourself decapitation with mass demolition.” However, the original citation can no longer be recovered[4].
Australian film critic Andrew L. Urban of urbancinefile.com.au said of the film:
The film is one of the few Australian made kung fu action movies and is also notable for its superb cinematography by Russell Boyd – the brilliant lenser who went on to win the Oscar for his work on Master & Commander [Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)]. The cast includes Hugh Keays-Byrne, one of my favourite actors of the 70s, the high-camp queen of thespian fruitery, Frank Thring (a casting quirk that pays off), the gorgeous Rebecca Gilling, Aussie icon Bill Hunter and the macho George Lazenby – plus lots of politically incorrect entertainment. That should be ENTERTAINMENT.
Brian Trenchard Smith – who also plays a feisty fighting cameo role – directs with a single purpose: to maximise every frame for audience enjoyment, whether it’s a prison cell fight, a Sydney street chase or a Chinese restaurant bust up. But it’s the simplicity of the way the action is shot – not to mention the comedic touches – that gives it all a high adrenalin charge. We see it all in full frame, unlike the films of the 90s and later when hand held camerawork became a fashionable alternative to disciplined choreography[5].
Actors – Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975)
Returning
Frank Thring who has played Pontius Pilate and King Herod was cast as a secretary named Willard and was described by an Australian critic as “the high-camp queen of thespian fruitery.” Thring was first covered in The Vikings (1958) where, if you remember, I reported that in 1982, he was elected “The King of Moomba” a Melbourne festival. The name of the festival may or may not mean “Up Your Butt Hole” in many Aboriginal languages.
New
“Jimmy” Yu Wang played Hong Kong Police Inspector Fang (pronounced Fong) Sing Leng. He was born in 1944 in China. He was a Hong Kong swimming champion like Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong dance champion. Wang signed with the Shaw Brothers and gained a leading role in his first movie. Wang was probably the lead martial arts actor until Bruce Lee films were released beginning in 1971.
Wang’s popular films include a lot of sword films such as One armed Swordsman (1967), The Golden Swallow (1968), Return of the One-armed Swordsman (1969), and The Chinese Boxer (1970). Following The Chinese Boxer (1970), which he also directed, Wang broke his contract and went to work making films in Taiwan.
He continued with films like One-Armed Boxer (1972), One-armed Swordsman (1976), Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976), and later Dragon (2011). Interestingly, he was charged with murder in Taiwan in 1981. He was released for lack of evidence. In 2014, the New York Asian Film Festival honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
George Lazenby played the bad guy Jack Wilton, although he wasn’t on screen that much. Lazenby was born in 1939 in Queanbeyan, Australia. Lazenby served in the Australian Special Forces where one of his duties was teaching martial arts. In 1964, he moved to London where he worked odd jobs until he became the top model in Europe from 1964-1968.
Although he had relatively little acting experience, he was cast as James Bond for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), following Sean Connery’s departure after five films in this role[6]. Here’s where it gets odd. They offered Lazenby a seven-film deal as Bond, but he turned it down before On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) was released. He thought the rise of hippie culture would make spy films unpopular.
Lazenby met Bruce Lee in 1972 and studied Lee’s style Jeet Kune Do. He was scheduled to appear in Game of Death, but Lee died in 1973. The film was not released until 1978. Lazenby made the three other films he had contracted for; Stoner (1974), Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975), and International Assassin (1976). In Stoner (1974), Lazenby took over Lee’s role but returned to a general western advisory in the next two.
In spite of some slips, Lazenby has done extremely well on television, in martial art films, in “Emmanuel” soft-core porn, Bond spoof films, and other films such as Gettysburg (1993) and Star of Jaipur (1998). He also played a Kung Fu master in the television series “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues” 1994.
Sammo Kam-Bo Hung played the role of drug smuggler Win Chan. Hung was born in Hong Kong in 1952 while it was still under British control. Hung attended the China Drama Academy and was in the same opera company as Jackie Chan. He made his film debut at the age of 12 and has turned in almost 200 film and television performances. One of his best-known roles is as a Shaolin priest that was severely beaten by a fellow priest (Bruce Lee) in Enter the Dragon (1973) prior to Lee’s character being recruited by the British.
Hung began directing in 1977 and is still active. He was able to direct Jackie Chan in Heart of a Dragon (1985). He has 37 directing credits. He had a successful American television show “Martial Law” 1998-2000. In 2010, at the New York Asian Film Festival, Hung was awarded the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award. Hung has remained active in martial art films, many with comedy themes, and is still working in 2019.
Hugh Keays-Byrne played hip narcotics agent Morrie Grosse. Keays-Byrne was born in Srinagar, India when it was still under British control. He moved to Australia in 1973 and began acting around the same time. His first film was Stone (1974). Other well-known roles include The Dragon Flies (1975), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Mad Max (1979) where he played Toecutter, and he returned in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Roger Ward played Australian narcotics officer Bob Taylor. Ward was born in 1936 in Adelaide, Australia. He began working early on the stage, in radio, and as a writer. For a time, he was a professional wrestler. He began in film in 1961 and had a very minor role in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). He is known for Stone (1964), Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975), Mad Max (1979) as Captain Fifi, Quigley Down Under (1990), although I have no idea, which one, he was, and Bad Behaviour (2010). He has an impressive 93 film and television credits.
Rosalind Speirs played Australian journalist Caroline Thorne. She was born in Sydney in 1951. She has a very short career ending with only 9 film and television credits. Her first film was Stone (1974) pairing her with this film’s co-stars Hugh Keays-Byrne and Roger Ward. I’ll just go ahead and say Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975) is her best performance.
Story – Man from Hong Kong/The Dragon Flies (1975)
The movie begins at Ayers Rock in Australia. A Caucasian man is waiting in a car with a carry-on bag, full of money and a revolver. The tour bus comes down the road and parks in the lot. On the bus is Win Chan (Sammo Kam-Bo Hung) carrying a matching carry-on. He is being shadowed by an Australian man Bob Taylor (Roger Ward). Win Chan and the man from the car badly exchange the packages while Taylor takes pictures of them. The car guy spots the photographer, then a second Australian jumps out of the bus armed with a gun, and a police helicopter flies in. Both drug dealers escape. Win Chan runs up Ayers rock while the other is chased down by the helicopter. I swear to you they have a Kung Fu fight going up the rock. Win Chan stops his opponent with a head butt and continues to the top. They get to real fighting on the top. The car chase guy and dies in an explosion.
Taylor wins the fight and arrests Win Chan. Chan won’t talk so they request Inspector Fang Sing Leng (“Jimmy” Yu Wang) from Hong Kong to come in on the case. He is at the police academy helping with training. The song “Sky High” plays as a hang-glider flies over Hong Kong. Fang is the baddest dude at the academy beating four at a time in hand to hand combat.
The hang-glider lands right in the middle of the practice field. The posh Australian pilot is Caroline Thorne (Rosalind Speirs). She calms a bit when she finds out that Fang is an inspector. Fang treats her like she is being arrested. But he takes her back to her hotel with a little sightseeing. They strip and jump into bed and get nasty.
Fang leaves for Sydney. On the flight, he reviews the file on Win Chan. Taylor and Morrie Grosse (Hugh Keays-Byrne) who is some kind of Narc, meet him when he arrives. Fang says Win Chan is the top courier and knows the top man. Fang is allowed to question Win Chan alone. Fang and Win Chan get into a fight in the cell. Fang beats him down and gives him a swirly. Win Chan gives the name Jack Wilton (George Lazenby). The Australians want the two Chinese gone, and they want to handle Wilton.
In the morning, they load Win Chan in a car and head for the court where they can get his extradition papers. But a sniper is waiting and kills Win Chan. Fang spots the rooftop shooter and heads after him. They have a footrace through town with the usual knocking over of fruit vendors and guys on ladders. The two other cops are far behind. The assassin jumps on a motorcycle and Fang double kicks him off. The assassin then runs through the kitchen of a restaurant. The assassin gets the jump and cuts Fang’s back. They have a full-on fight in the kitchen. The assassin is chocking Fang out until Fang crushes the eggs. Ouch!
The assassin runs into the restaurant, which is Chinese. The fight continues, and the guy is almost Fangs match. After destroying the restaurant, Fang lifts the assassin over the lobster tank. He goes in the top and comes out the side, ending the fight. The assassin is dead, but Fang gets a card for a martial arts studio and a bar from his wallet. The Australians are unhappy that he is dead. They say he was a bouncer for Wilton.
Wilton is at a dojo and interviewing replacements for the dead assassin. He watches them fight for a bit, and then he fights three at a time and wins handily. Remember, Fang fought four. Wilton is using weighted rolls in his gloves.
The three cops decide to go see Wilton in his 17-story tower. They go to the 16-floor where the office is located. To meet them is Willard (Frank Thring). Willard won’t let them in to see Wilton. Fang smashed Willard’s fingers in a cigar box, beats down the bodyguard, and breaks into Wilton’s office. He is upstairs in his house. Willard tells them that assassin had been fired a week before.
Grosse is going insane about the violence.
Wilton orders an accident for Fang. That night two new assassins go to Fang’s hotel room and attack him with knives. He handles them easy. In the morning, he goes to the ocean and practices his forms. He sees a pigeon and gets an idea. The pigeon morphs into a hang-glider.
He calls Caroline, but she is in bed with a greasy bull hunk. They meet in the afternoon at the local hand-gliding area. A few phallic references are thrown in. He tells Caroline that he wants to meet Wilton socially.
Wilton is at a party shooting an apple off the head of a female with a crossbow. Fang and Caroline show up at the party. She knows everyone because she is a reporter. Fang and Wilton make angry eyes at each other. Wilton challenges Fang to a Kung Fu match. Wilton uses a surprise attack. Four guards with cutting weapons join in the fight. Fang wears them all out. Wilton grabs his crossbow and Fang pulls a throwing knife. Caroline jumps between them and stops the fight.
That night Fang goes to Wilton’s martial arts center. It is on the tenth floor, so he climbs up the outside of the building. He breaks into the school and is attacked by a spear-wielding man. Fang handles that guy, but 20-or-so black belts come in and attack. He beats them down until there are only about 5 left. The last bunch come after him with a spear, a three-sectional staff, a sword, and some other weapons. He handles them on getting three or so cuts.
When he tries to escape, he is set upon by two more thugs. He beats them to the ground and escapes in the elevator. The original guy gets up and stops the elevator. The guy slides down the cable, and they actually have a fight in the elevator shaft. Of course, Fang wins. The two other guys run down the stairs, and Fang jumps in a passing van driven by two hot girls. The bad guys get the tag number of the van.
They take Fang to one of the girl’s veterinary fathers office. Fang is controlling his bloodloss with his mind. Fang wakes and has been treated by the vet. The girl looks at Fang like a hungry dog looks at a bone.
Grosse goes to Caroline’s house looking for Fang. She is evasive and unhelpful.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but Fang and Angelica (Rebecca Gilling), the vet’s daughter are riding horses and dating. They decide that he must go back but not before she has sex with him.
Wilton is in a snit and Willard is tracking Angelica’s van. When her and Fang head back there is an attack squad of two cars and a motorcycle. The motorcycle rider attached a magnetic bomb to the van. The explosion wrecks the van and kills Angelica. Fang hides with Angelica’s body, and the three thugs think he is dead. Fang rips a dude out of his car and heads after the bad guys.
The motorcycle guy comes after Fang with a gun and ends up going off the road into the water. Fang chases down the other two and after some bumping sends one through a sign into a fiery crash. The other car runs through a construction site hitting the stop sign guy. After running through some picnics and making other drivers curse, Fang forces the other car through a house. He rams the wounded driver and leaves the man burning in a field. Fang heads on to town.
Wilton gets the word that Fang has escaped the trap. He has all his guards surrounding his home. He puts down the metal doorway blocks, just like in Forbidden Planet (1956). Fang calls Caroline for help. Wilton opens his safe, which has money, bombs, drugs, and other weapons. Wilton arms himself with a submachine gun. Fang gets the hang-glider from Caroline who is rocking a tiny bikini. They use a boat to pull Fang into the area.
Grosse and Taylor are following the path of destruction Fang has left in the countryside.
Fang flies, and we see some nice aerial views of the Sydney Opera House. Fang flies to the top of Wilton’s building. Way before Snake did it. There is one guard on the roof, but Fang tricks him and then beats him down. He throws a rope from a window washer lift and repels down to the 17th floor. He kicks through the window, and he and Wilton start fighting right away. They manage to empty the gun in the fight without anyone getting shot. Wilton’s guards start hacking through the doors. They have a fairly even fight until Fang kicks Wilton into the fireplace. After Wilton burns a little, Fang gets the edge and subdues Wilton. The security crew is cutting through the metal doors.
Fang goes into the safe and gets a heroin sample and a pineapple grenade. He tapes the grenade into Wilton’s mouth and has set a 90-second fuse. He forces him to sign a confession, or he will pull the pin and lock him in the safe. While the guards cut, Wilton writes, and the Australian police surround the building. Fang is leading Wilton around by the grenade pin when the guy from the roof comes down the rope. Wilton attacks and Fang accidentally pulls the pin. He throws Wilton in the safe and locks it.
Fang beats the roof guy down and climbs onto the rope. Wilton is freaking out in the safe. Fang repels to the ground Australian style, face down. He gives Grosse and Taylor the confession and heroin. They ask what he does for an encore, and the top of the building explodes. Grosse and Taylor laugh and the song “Sky High” by Jigsaw plays over the credits.
World-Famous Short Summary – When you’re busted for drugs over there, you’re in for the hassle of your life – 1970s anti-smuggling PSA.
I hope you enjoyed today’s show. You can find connections to social media and email on my site at classicmovierev.com or in the podcast show notes as well. Remember, this show is completely free and independent. If you want to comment, suggest a movie, or help out, contact me by email at jec at classicmovierev dot com. If you haven’t done so already, please jump over to Apple Podcast and give me a review. It really helps the show get found.
Beware the moors
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073343/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/man_from_hong_kong
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Hong_Kong
[4] Gross, Linda (20 August 1975). “MOVIE REVIEW: Mass Demolition in ‘Dragon Flies'”. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. pp. e15. Missing or empty url
[5] http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=15167&s=DVD
[6] https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/148096-james-bond-007-best-movie-viewing-order-chronological-release
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