The Man From Hong Kong
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The Man from Hong Kong'' (), originally released in the US as ''The Dragon Flies'', is a 1975
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
written and directed by
Brian Trenchard-Smith Brian Medwin Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English-Australian filmmaker and author, known for his idiosyncratic and satirical low-budget genre films. His filmography covers action, science fiction, martial arts, dystopian fiction, comedy, w ...
in his
directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
and starring
Jimmy Wang Yu Jimmy Wang Yu (; born Wang Zheng Quan; 28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring ...
and
George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor. He was the second actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service ...
, with
Hugh Keays-Byrne Hugh Keays-Byrne (18 May 1947 – 2 December 2020) was a British-Australian actor and film director. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was best known for playing the main antagonist in two films from the ''Mad Max'' franchise ...
,
Roger Ward Roger Ward (born 1936) is an Australian actor who has had a considerable career in film and television, noted for "tough guy" roles in which he often did his own stunts. Biography Ward was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1936. His car ...
,
Rosalind Speirs Rosalind Speirs (born 1951) is an Australian former film and television actress. She starred on several television series during the 1970s, including '' Silent Number'', ' and the television miniseries ''Power Without Glory''. It was her role as ...
,
Rebecca Gilling Rebecca Gilling (born 3 November 1953 in Castlecrag, Sydney, Australia) is an Australian former model and actress, now environmentalist. Gilling is the daughter of World War II Navy personnel Douglas Gilling and prominent feminist campaigner ...
,
Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
,
Grant Page Grant Page (born 1939) is an Australian stuntman who worked mostly during the seventies and eighties. Page was the stunt coordinator for the popular Australian action movies ''The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) and ''Mad Max'' (1979), as well as othe ...
and
Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...
in supporting roles. The first film to be made as an
international coproduction A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companie ...
between Australia and Hong Kong, it serves as a
satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
of the ''
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
'' and ''
Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...
'' franchises, combined with tropes of the concurrent
chopsocky Chopsocky (or chop-socky) is a colloquial term for martial arts films and kung fu films made primarily by Hong Kong action cinema between the late 1960s and early 1980s. The term was coined by the American motion picture trade magazine ''Variety'' ...
craze. Its plot follows Inspector Fang Sing Leng (Wang) of the RHKPF's
Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
, who travels to
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
to perform an extradition, only to find himself locked in battle with Jack Wilton (Lazenby), the city's most powerful crime lord. Having gained experience as an editor of
film trailers A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and tech ...
and director of television
documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
, Trenchard-Smith established a connection with Golden Harvest producers
Raymond Chow Raymond Chow Man-wai, (; 8 October 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter. He was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage. ...
and
Andre Morgan Andre Morgan is an American film producer and financial consultant. Early life and education Morgan was born in a French military hospital in Rabat, Morocco while his father served as a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. As the family moved yea ...
while making two TV specials, ''The World of Kung Fu'' (1973) and '' Kung Fu Killers'' (1974). Originally conceived as a
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
vehicle, the film was reconfigured as Wang's English-language debut following Lee's death; much of the remaining cast and crew had previously worked on Trenchard-Smith's documentary films and on
Sandy Harbutt Sandy Harbutt (1941 – 21 November 2020) was an Australian actor, writer and director, best known for the bikie film, ''Stone'' (1974). Although it was very successful at the box office, it was the only feature he ever directed. He was once mar ...
's
outlaw biker film The outlaw biker film is a film genre that portrays its characters as motorcycle riding rebels. The characters are usually members of an outlaw motorcycle club. History Outlaw biker clubs formed in the late 1940s on the West Coast after the en ...
''
Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
'' (1974). Its budget was jointly funded by Golden Harvest,
Greater Union Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
and the
Australian Film Development Commission The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian government agency was founded in 1975 with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a producti ...
. ''The Man from Hong Kong'' features multiple large-scale action scenes with elaborate, dangerous
stunts A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...
. It includes a fight scene between Hung and Ward atop Uluru/Ayers Rock as the film's opening setpiece, several
car chase A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle in pursuit, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive ...
s devised by ''Stones Peter Armstrong,
hang-gliding Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
sequences performed over Hong Kong and
Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
by Page — who would achieve further recognition as the stunt coordinator of ''
Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic Action film, action film series and media franchise created by George Miller (filmmaker), George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with ''Mad Max (film), Mad Max'', and was followed by thre ...
'' (1979) — and a climactic battle between Wang and Lazenby in which the latter is briefly set on fire, which caused injury to the actor's hand. The film's
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
, " Sky High" by
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
, became a
one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
during the latter half of 1975. Although the film was released in a wide array of markets and turned a profit, ''The Man from Hong Kong'' was not the
blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...
Trenchard-Smith and the film's producers had hoped it would be upon its initial release; in Australia, its
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
performance was limited as a result of its R rating. Later restored by the Australian
National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
, it has since garnered a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
as one of the key films of the
Ozploitation Ozploitation films are exploitation films – a category of low-budget horror, comedy, sexploitation and action films – made in Australia after the introduction of the R rating in 1971. The year also marked the beginnings of the Australian Ne ...
cycle and Trenchard-Smith's career, and was prominently featured in the documentary '' Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' (2008).


Plot

While working
undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...
at
Ayers Rock Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, southwest of Alice Springs ...
,
Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
Bob Taylor of the Australian Federal Narcotics Bureau confronts Win Chan, a Chinese drug courier, and his partner; Chan gives chase, leading to a fight on top of the site during which Taylor eventually bests him, while his partner is killed when his car crashes and explodes after being pursued by a police helicopter. Due to Chan's refusal to cooperate and inability to speak English, the
Royal Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the t ...
assigns one of its
Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
's finest officers, Inspector Fang Sing Leng — who is not only a
polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingualism, monolingual speakers in the World population, world's pop ...
but also a deadly master of
kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
and
sharpshooting A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...
— to assist Taylor and his partner,
Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Morrie Grosse, in extraditing him. Prior to leaving for Sydney, Fang's exercises at the RHKPF's training school at
Wong Chuk Hang Wong Chuk Hang () is a neighbourhood in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. History Neolithic artifacts have been unearthed in a region called Chung Hom Wan, which is not far from Wong Chuk Hang. In 1550 the Hong Kong Vill ...
are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of journalist Caroline Thorne via a
hang-glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
, which she flew while conducting research for an article. Although the kite is confiscated, Fang and Caroline flirt and share a
tryst Tryst may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Tryst'' (novel), a 1939 novel by Elswyth Thane * ''Tryst'' (play), a 2006 play by Karoline Leach * ''Tryst'' (album), a 2019 studio album by Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky * "Tryst", a song by Joh ...
, after which Fang agrees to return the glider and rendezvous with her while he is in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. After meeting Taylor and Grosse, Fang — to Taylor's amusement and Grosse's outrage — brutally interrogates Chan. He learns that Chan works for Jack Wilton, an
import/export ''Import/Export'' is an Austrian drama film by the director Ulrich Seidl from 2007. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix - Golden Apricot reward at the Yerevan International Film Festival. The ...
businessman whose varied portfolio — including the operation of a martial arts school — is merely a smokescreen for his criminal activities; his wide array of legitimate and illegitimate interests effectively make him Sydney's most powerful man and near-impossible to arrest. Just before his trial, Chan is shot dead, prompting Fang to chase the sniper, John Grantley, through the streets of
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
and into a
Chinese restaurant A Chinese restaurant is an establishment that serves a Chinese cuisine. Most of them are in the Cantonese cuisine, Cantonese style, due to the history of the Overseas Chinese, Chinese diaspora and adapted to local taste preferences, as in t ...
, where they fight, leading to Grantley's death; Fang discovers that he was a
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
instructor in Wilton's employ. Despite Taylor and Grosse's warnings, Fang insists on confronting Wilton; a meeting with Willard, his chief secretary, proves fruitless. During his morning exercise, he recalls his promise to meet with Caroline after seeing a pigeon in-flight, which reminds him of her hang-gliding; she takes him as her guest to a party at Wilton's mansion. After a "demonstration" between Fang, Wilton and his thugs turns brutal, he is ordered to leave after Wilton trains a
crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fi ...
on him. Fang then infiltrates his martial arts school and is near-fatally injured in an extended fight with its staff and students. He hitches a ride with two university students, Angelica and her friend Mei Ling, who take him to the veterinary clinic of the former's father in the countryside of Bathurst. Fang romances Angelica as he is nursed back to health, but insists on returning to Sydney. Angered by Fang's interference, Wilton has Willard trace his whereabouts from the
licence plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...
of Angelica's van, and sends a squad of assassins after him as he and Angelica drive back to the city. A bomb planted on the van causes it to crash, killing Angelica. Enraged, Fang commandeers a
Chrysler Valiant Charger The Chrysler Valiant Charger was a two-door hardtop coupe introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1971. It was a short wheelbase version of the concurrent Australian Chrysler Valiant sedan. Introduced within the VH Valiant series, it continued as a v ...
and defeats the gangsters through a series of violent
car chase A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle in pursuit, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive ...
s. Learning of Fang's survival, Wilton barricades himself in the
penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
of his skyscraper headquarters. With Caroline's help, Fang flies her glider over
Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
, landing on the roof of the skyscraper. Allowing a line of rope to reach the bottom of the building, he swings into the penthouse, where he battles and overpowers Wilton after his clothes and hand are burnt by his fireplace. Retrieving a bag of
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
from a nearby safe — which is heavily stocked with drugs and weapons — Fang tapes a grenade to Wilton's mouth and threatens to arm it unless he writes and signs a confession describing his crimes. Wilton does so, but Fang accidentally pulls the pin when he is distracted by one of Wilton's guards, prompting him to seal Wilton in the safe. He
abseils Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...
to the ground, where he is met by Taylor and Grosse, presenting the drugs and confession to them as evidence. The grenade detonates the other bombs in the safe, killing Wilton and destroying the penthouse in a spectacular explosion. Finally won over by Fang's methods, Taylor and Grosse laugh in amazement.


Cast

*
Jimmy Wang Yu Jimmy Wang Yu (; born Wang Zheng Quan; 28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring ...
as Inspector Fang Sing Leng **
Roy Chiao Roy Chiao (16 March 1927 – 15 April 1999) was a Hong Kong actor, most notable in the United States for playing the minor villain Lao Che in the 1984 movie ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom''. Biography Chiao was born in Shanghai in 1927. ...
as Inspector Fang Sing Leng *
George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor. He was the second actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service ...
as Jack Wilton *
Hugh Keays-Byrne Hugh Keays-Byrne (18 May 1947 – 2 December 2020) was a British-Australian actor and film director. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was best known for playing the main antagonist in two films from the ''Mad Max'' franchise ...
as Sergeant Morrie Grosse *
Roger Ward Roger Ward (born 1936) is an Australian actor who has had a considerable career in film and television, noted for "tough guy" roles in which he often did his own stunts. Biography Ward was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1936. His car ...
as Inspector Bob Taylor * Ros Speirs as Caroline Thorne *
Rebecca Gilling Rebecca Gilling (born 3 November 1953 in Castlecrag, Sydney, Australia) is an Australian former model and actress, now environmentalist. Gilling is the daughter of World War II Navy personnel Douglas Gilling and prominent feminist campaigner ...
as Angelica Pearson *
Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
(as Hung Kam Po) as Win Chan *
Grant Page Grant Page (born 1939) is an Australian stuntman who worked mostly during the seventies and eighties. Page was the stunt coordinator for the popular Australian action movies ''The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) and ''Mad Max'' (1979), as well as othe ...
as John Grantley, Wilton's Assassin *
Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...
as Willard *Deryck Barnes as Dr. Derek Pearson, Angelica's Father *Ian Jamieson as Drug Courier * Bill Hunter as Peterson, Martial Arts School Manager *Elaine Wong as Mei Ling, Angelica's Friend *
John Orcsik John Orcsik (born 3 May 1945) credited also variously as Jon Orcsik, John Orschik, John Orscik and John Crosik is an Australian actor, screenwriter, director and producer of Hungarian descent, known for his television roles starting from the l ...
as Charles, Caroline's Boyfriend *Geoffrey Brown as Martial Arts Heavy *Kevin Broadribb as Martial Arts Heavy *
Brian Trenchard-Smith Brian Medwin Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English-Australian filmmaker and author, known for his idiosyncratic and satirical low-budget genre films. His filmography covers action, science fiction, martial arts, dystopian fiction, comedy, w ...
as Martial Arts Heavy *Peter Armstrong as Wilton's Bodyguard *Rangi Nikora as Wilton's Bodyguard *Bob Hicks as Wilton's Bodyguard *Max Aspin as Wilton's Bodyguard *Robert Fay as Wilton's Bodyguard *Ruth Erica as Wilton's Target Girl *
Andre Morgan Andre Morgan is an American film producer and financial consultant. Early life and education Morgan was born in a French military hospital in Rabat, Morocco while his father served as a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. As the family moved yea ...
as Rooftop Guard *
Phillip Avalon Phillip Avalon is an Australian writer, producer, director and actor of films and TV. Film writer Scott Murray wrote in 1993 that: If Australia has any producer-cum-auteurs, then Phillip Avalon is certainly one... Avalon's films are preoccupied w ...
as Taylor's Uluru Partner


Stunt team

*Peter Armstrong - Stunt Coordinator *Grant Page - Stunt Coordinator *Sammo Hung - Martial Arts Choreographer *Rangi Nikora * Sha Yuan-Pian *Ian Jamieson * Yin Yuan *Bob Hicks * Robert Chan *Max Aspin *To Wai-Wo *Gerry Gauslaa *Ke-Ming Lin *Alan Walker


Production

The first Australian/Hong Kong co-production was made during the height of the
kung fu film Kung fu film () is a subgenre of martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema set in the contemporary period and featuring realistic martial arts. It lacks the fantasy elements seen in ''wuxia'', a related martial arts genre that uses historical ...
craze and the
Australian New Wave The Australian New Wave (also known as the Australian Film Revival, Australian Film Renaissance, or New Australian Cinema) was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema, particularly in the United States. It began in the ea ...
. According to some sources, Wang Yu directed parts of the film. Trenchard Smith says Wang was difficult to deal with and shooting was hard - "there was a great
clash of personalities A personality clash occurs when two (or more) people find themselves in conflict not over a particular issue or incident, but due to a fundamental incompatibility in their personalities, their approaches to things, or their style of life. A persona ...
, coupled with the inevitable mutual distrust that occurs in a co-production where both sides think the other is trying to rip them off." However he says John Fraser of Greater Union was very supportive and encouraging. The film's team of producers also included the late David Hannay. Trenchard-Smith received nine offers of co-production after the film's release. The film was originally budgeted at $450,000 but increased when the producers wanted more action sequences and a hit song on the soundtrack. British band
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
recorded " Sky High" which was used over the opening credits. It went number one in several countries. Production funding came from
Greater Union Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
, Golden Harvest and the
Australian Film Development Corporation The Australian Film Development Corporation was an organisation created and funded by the Australian Government in the 1970s, intended to allow filmmakers in the Australian film industry to create movies for everyone to see. In 1975 it was repla ...
. The film's production company, The Movie Company, was owned 50% by Trenchard-Smith and 50% by
Greater Union Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
. Wang Yu was injured in a hang gliding sequence whilst Lazenby had severe burns on his hands during a fight scene.


Music

The theme song, " Sky High", was composed and written by Clive Scott and Des Dyer and was performed by their band ''
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
''. Unlike the official single version, the film version of the hit song is notably different from its disco-pop as it features a more orchestral arrangement. The film's score was composed by Noel Quinlan. Originally released on
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
by Overseas Records exclusively in Japan in 1977, the score was eventually released on CD as a bonus feature of Umbrella Entertainment's 2021 "Ozploitation Classics" Blu-ray re-release of the film. The re-released score was mastered for CD by
Jamie Blanks Jamie Blanks (born 29 November 1971) is an Australian film director and composer. He directed the cult slasher films ''Urban Legend'' (1998) and '' Valentine'' (2001). He later directed the horror films ''Storm Warning'' (2007) and ''Long Weeke ...
.


Original tracklist


Re-release tracklist


Release

At a screening of a restored print in Sydney, Trenchard-Smith said the film didn't do as well as was hoped due to its R adults only rating. However US rights were sold for $200,000 and at Cannes the film sold around the world for a minimum of $500,000 putting it in profit even before it had been released. The film was released in the US as ''The Dragon Flies''.


Reception

On
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 7 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10. Andrew L. Urban from ''Urban Cinefile'' called it "one of the few Australian made kung fu action movies and is also notable for its cinematography by
Russell Boyd Russell Stewart Boyd, , ACS, ASC, (born 21 April 1944) is an Australian cinematographer. He rose to prominence with his highly praised work on '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975), the first of several collaborations with director Peter Weir. ...
, who went on to win the Oscar for his work on '' Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World''. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' called it "a slick, shallow, well-photographed Australian-Chinese movie which has substituted do-it-yourself decapitation with mass demolition." ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' called it "a witless display of non-stop mayhem."More about Nashville: CINEMA Milne, Tom. The Observer (1901- 2003) ondon (UK)5 October 1975: 21.


Accolades

Peter Cheung won the Golden Horse Film Festival Award for Best Film Editing.


See also

*
Cinema of Australia The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of ''The Story of the Kelly Gang'', arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received internati ...


References


External links

* *
''Australia's Role in the Global Kung Fu Trend''

''The Man from Hong Kong''
at
National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

''The Man from Hong Kong''
at Oz Movies {{DEFAULTSORT:Man from Hong Kong 1975 films 1970s action thriller films Australian action thriller films Kung fu films Films directed by Jimmy Wang Hong Kong action thriller films 1975 multilingual films Hong Kong martial arts films 1975 martial arts films English-language Hong Kong films Films set in the Northern Territory Films set in Sydney Golden Harvest films Films directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith Australian multilingual films Hong Kong multilingual films 1970s English-language films 1970s Hong Kong films