''Yellow Faced Tiger'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Slaughter in San Francisco'') is a 1974

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 ...

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 ...

directed by

Lo Wei Lo Wei ( 12 December 1918 – 20 January 1996) was a Hong Kong film director and film actor best known for launching the martial arts film careers of both Bruce Lee, in ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', and Jackie Chan, in ''New Fist of Fur ...

, and starring Wong Tao, Sylvia Chang and

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...

Summary

In this kung-fu vehicle

plays the biggest drug king in San Francisco who owns everyone, the police department included. He finds his match when a young police officer stands up to the drug lord's power and must fight him and the entire system. A former cop in the San Francisco Bay Area goes after the goons who murdered his ex-partner.

Plot

San Francisco police officers John (Robert Jones) and Wong (Wong Tao) arrest two men raping a girl named Sylvia ( Sylvia Chang), utilizing their knowledge of martial arts to take down the assailants, but at the station Sylvia refuses to press charges claiming that she knew the men and that the altercation was all in fun, in clear contradiction of what had truly taken place. In retribution for their arrest, the rapists kidnap John in broad daylight and take him to the beach, where he is beaten by numerous assailants. Wong manages to come to his partner's rescue, killing one of them. For this, he is kicked out of the force by his superior Captain Newman (Dan Ivan) and soon imprisoned, but John still keeps in touch with his old friend. After serving his sentence, Wong takes a job as a waiter. While waiting tables he meets Chuck Slaughter (

), a criminal mastermind. Slaughter offers Wong a job in his organization but Wong refuses, even as Slaughter threatens to have him killed. John witnesses some men running away from a bank robbery one morning. While John is chasing some bank robbers. He's pursues the robbers, but there are too many for him and one of them pulls a gun. John runs but is caught in the backyard of the Chu family, where the robbers kill him. The next morning when the police find his body the captain, Newman, accuses Mr. and Mrs. Chu of being in on the murder and the bank robbery. Newman has the Chu's arrested and locked up without bail despite Mr. Chu's claims that he had nothing to do with the crime and didn't even see the men killing John in his backyard. Wong becomes involved because he wants to avenge John's death and free the Chu's. He begins shaking down Chinese criminals looking for clues, and they lead him to Captain Newman. Newman, who was working for Mr. Slaughter, intended to frame the Chu's for the crime committed by Slaughter's own men. Wong fights Newman and kills him. After Wong kills Newman, he attempts to warn Chu's defending lawyer, but the boss of the gang has already murdered the lawyer (Joy Sales). Wong is confronted by Slaughter's men on the street, and fights them all off, eventually confronting Slaughter himself. Wong defeats Slaughter after a heated battle, and almost kills him when the police burst onto the scene. The new police captain stops Wong from delivering the lethal blow, informing him that he knows the whole story. Wong is reinstated to the police force, but refuses to carry a pistol saying "(He) has no need of guns".

Cast

* Don Wong Tao as Officer Don Wong (Yellow Faced Tiger) * Sylvia Chang as Sylvia Clu *

as Chuck Slaughter / Himself * Dan Ivan as Captain Newman

Release

Theatrical

The film played theatrically in the US in 1981 as ''Slaughter in San Francisco''.

Reception

Critical response

American critics noticed that it was an low budget martial arts film, and an early Norris acting credit, taking advantage of his current fame.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yellow Faced Tiger 1974 films 1970s action thriller films American action thriller films Hong Kong action thriller films American martial arts films Hong Kong martial arts films Cantonese-language films 1970s Mandarin-language films Golden Harvest films Films shot in San Francisco Films set in San Francisco Films with screenplays by Chang Yung-hsiang 1970s American films 1970s Hong Kong films