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 role in ''One-Armed Swordsman'' (1967) and its sequels, and was one of the first major stars of martial arts and ''wuxia'' cinema. At the height of his fame in the 1970s, he was the highest-paid martial arts actor in the world. According to ''The New York Times'', Wang was "the biggest star of Asian martial arts cinema until the emergence of Bruce Lee."

Off-screen, Wang Yu was notorious for his temperamental personality and his links to organized crime. He was a suspected member of the Bamboo Union triad, and was charged in the 1981 murder of several Four Seas Gang members, though he was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Early life

Born Wang Zheng Quan (王正權) in Shanghai in 1943, Wang and his family moved to Hong Kong when he was still a child. From a young age, he trained in karate, tai chi, Wudang quan and taijijian. For a time he served in the National Revolutionary Army, and was also a competitive swimmer and a car racing enthusiast.

Film career

Wang joined Shaw Brothers Studio in 1963 as a stunt performer, and had his first acting role in the 1965 film ''Temple of the Red Lotus''. In 1968, he acted with Cheng Pei-pei in the wuxia film '' Golden Swallow'', directed by Chang Cheh. Following that, Wang starred in many other wuxia films, including ''One Armed Boxer'' (1971), ''Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (1976) and ''Return of the Chinese Boxer'' (1977).

If ''One-Armed Swordsman'' was the movie that launched Wang's acting career, ''The Chinese Boxer'' was the film that sealed his fame in Hong Kong cinema. The latter has been credited as being the first Hong Kong martial arts film that kickstarted the unarmed combat genre, mainly kung fu. It also triggered a phenomenon that filled the ranks of many Chinese martial arts associations across Southeast Asia. Chinese youths, in their bid to emulate Wang, took to punching sandbags, and reading up on the history of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Controversy dogged Wang after the fame that exploded with ''The Chinese Boxer''. He broke his contract with the Shaw Brothers Studio, and was promptly slapped with a lawsuit. The legal tussle that ended in the studio's favour led to Wang being banned from making films in Hong Kong. Wang then looked to Taiwan for better career prospects, linking up with Golden Harvest and other independent film outfits. His subsequent works were mostly filmed in Taiwan.

With the success of ''The Chinese Boxer'', Wang stood unchallenged in Southeast Asia for a short time, as the Chinese actor with the most formidable fists and legs. But beginning in the 1970s, Wang's star began to be eclipsed with the entry of new actors, many with superior martial arts training such as Ti Lung, David Chiang, and especially Bruce Lee, whose role in ''The Big Boss'' (1971) revolutionised the martial arts film genre.

In 1975, Wang starred in the Australian action film ''The Man from Hong Kong''. In 1976, Wang appeared alongside Jackie Chan in Lo Wei's '' Killer Meteors''. In the late 1970s, Wang helped Chan when then the latter sought his help in settling a dispute with Lo Wei that allegedly involved Triads. Chan eventually repaid the favour with his roles in Wang's films, ''Fantasy Mission Force'' (1982) and ''Island of Fire'' (1990).

In 1986, Sammo Hung cast Wang as Wong Kei-ying (the father of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung) in '' Millionaire's Express''. In the years that followed, Wang kept a low profile, making a rare public appearance in 2002 at the funeral of Chang Cheh.

Organized crime

Wang often associated with members of the Bamboo Union, a Taiwan-based triad, though his status as a made man was never confirmed.

In a 2007 interview with the '' Liberty Times'', Wang claimed that Bai Wan-hsiung, the Kuomintang Director of Mainland Affairs, had asked him and another Bamboo Union member to assassinate Democratic Progressive Party chairman Hsu Hsin-liang in 1979. The Kuomintang long held ties to Bamboo Union. At the time, Hsu was living in exile the United States. In the same interview, Wang implicated the Kuomintang in the murder of Henry Liu.

Xinghua Pavilion incident

On April 23, 1976, Wang invited Hong Kong film mogul Charles Heung and several friends, including Bamboo Union members, to the Xinghua Pavilion restaurant in Taipei. Several members of the Four Seas, a rival triad, were also present. Wang allegedly instigated a fight between the two groups that ended in the deaths of Four Seas members Qiu Wenxiang and Gao Wenzhang.

The incident attracted much media attention, and Wang fled to Hong Kong to avoid arrest. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to a five months in prison, which was reduced to a fine on appeal.

Tianchu Restaurant case and murder trial

On January 10, 1981, Wang and a group of friends were eating at the Tianchu Restaurant on Nanjing Road, when they were ambushed by members of the Four Seas triad in an apparent assassination attempt. Wang survived, but three of his friends were killed. Wang had previously had a falling out with the Four Seas after losing 1 million Yuan at a casino owned by Four Seas leader Liu Weimin, and his life had been repeatedly threatened. Wang reached out to Bamboo Union leader Chen Chi-li, requesting protection. Following a meeting between Bamboo Union leadership and Wang, the Union carried a string of retaliatory killings against the would be assassins. One of the targeted perpetrators, Liu Tieqiu, survived albeit with significant injuries.

The murders led to a crackdown on triads by Taiwanese authorities. Chen Yonghe, a Four Seas higher-up, asked Flying Eagle Gang member Liu Taisheng to act as an intermediary between the Four Seas and Wang, but Wang berated him and offered 400,000 Yuan for Liu's leg.

On May 8, Wang and Bamboo Union members Huang Shaocen was charged by the Taipei District Court for first-degree murder. The hearing was attended by Bamboo Union, Four Seas, and Flying Eagle members. During a recess, Liu Taisheng attempted to negoitiate with Wang. The conversation escalated into a fistfight, and Liu was stabbed by one of Wang's bodyguards. Wang and the other Bamboo Union members were subsequently taken into custody.

Wang was eventually acquitted due to a lack of evidence, though Huang Shaocen was sentenced to two years in prison for the attempted killing of Liu Tieqiu.

Personal life

In 1969, Wang married actress Jeanette Lin Chui , who was nine years his senior. Before that, Wang had an affair with the wife of film director Chun Kim. Chun Kim hanged himself before a divorce took place. Jeanette Lin, who had a high profile in Hong Kong cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, left the industry almost immediately after her marriage. Marriage turned out to be tumultuous for both Wang and Lin. Amid allegations of domestic violence by Wang, the marriage crumbled in 1975. Wang and Lin had three daughters; their eldest daughter Linda Wong became a popular Cantopop singer in the 1990s. Lin migrated to the United States in 1977 and died in 1995 from an asthma attack.

Wang later remarried in 1978 to air hostess Wang Kaizhen. This marriage too proved to be a stormy relationship, and Wang Kaizhen filed for divorce. Possibly out of frustration, Wang Kaizhen started an affair with a young businessman Zhang Zhao (張昭). Having gotten wind of it, Wang, accompanied by reporters and the police, surprised the couple at their lodging and publicly exposed his wife. After public humiliation was heaped on the couple, Wang divorced his second wife in 1997.

Wang's involvement in public brawls also made headlines from time to time.

Health issues and death

In 2011 Wang suffered a stroke which caused him to lose much of his strength in the left side of his body. However, he worked vigorously in physical therapy, even exceeding the doctor's recommended pace. He would reportedly lift his arm 1000 times a day instead of 200, and walk three times the suggested distance. As a result of his efforts he regained most of his ability to walk and talk, and he could lift his left arm, though he could no longer use its full strength. Since then he tried to live as normal a life as possible, and has even returned to film work. He admitted to even driving to his physical therapy session with the use of only one arm, but explained that his daughter put a stop to that when she found out and hired a driver for him.

Wang died on April 5, 2022 in Cheng Hsin Hospital, Beitou District, Taipei at the age of 79.

Filmography

Actor

*' (1965) - Kuei Wu
*'' The Twin Swords'' (1965) - Kuei Wu
*''Tiger Boy'' (1966) - 'Tiger Boy' Lei Hu
*' (1966) - Fang Lu
*''Kuai lo qing chun'' (1966)
*' (1966) - Yang Ming-Hsuan
*' (1967) - He You-Wen
*''Trail of the Broken Blade'' (1967) - Li Yueh
*''The Sword and the Lute'' (1967) - Kuei Wu
*''One-Armed Swordsman'' (1967) - Fang Kang / One-armed Swordsman
*''The Assassin'' (1967) - Nieh Cheng
*'' Golden Swallow'' (1968) - Silver Roc Hsiao Peng
*''The Sword of Swords'' (1968) - Ling Tseng-hsiao
*''Qing guan'' (1968)
*''Return of the One-Armed Swordsman'' (1969) - Fang Gang / One-armed Swordsman
*''My Son'' (1970) - Yang Kuo-Liang
*''The Chinese Boxer'' (1970) - Lei Ming
*''Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman'' (1971) - Wang Kong / One-armed Swordsman
*''The Desperate Chase'' (1971)
*''Xia yi shuang xiong'' (1971)
*''The Magnificent Chivalry'' (1971)
*''Jian'' (1971) - Hsia Ho Wei
*''Zhui ming qiang'' (1971) - Lung Ti / The White Dragon
*'' The Invincible Sword'' (1971) - Ling Yu Fong
*''Wei zhen si fang'' (1971) - Tiger Wong
*'' The Professional Killer'' (1971)
*''Morale and Evil'' (1971) - Iron palm Bai Si-Feng
*''Shogun Saints'' (1972)
*'' Furious Slaughter'' (1972) - Ma Yung Shen
*''Kuang feng sha'' (1972) - Ti Si-Guan
*''Ma Su Zhen bao xiong chou'' (1972)
*''The Adventure'' (1972) - Guan Dong-Shan
*''Chow Ken

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