Zhang Shichuan
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Zhang Shichuan (; 1889–1953 or 1890–1954), also credited as S. C. Chang, was a Chinese entrepreneur, film director, and film producer, who is considered a founding father of
Chinese cinema The cinema of China is one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. Cinema was introduced in China in 1896 in China, 1896 and the first C ...
. He and
Zheng Zhengqiu Zheng Zhengqiu (; January 25, 1889 – July 16, 1935) was a Chinese filmmaker often considered a "founding father" of Chinese cinema.Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhiwei (1998). "Zheng Zhengqiu" in ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Film''. Taylor & Francis, pp ...
made the first Chinese feature film, ''
The Difficult Couple ''The Difficult Couple'' (), also translated as ''Die for Marriage'', is a 1913 Chinese film. It is known for being the earliest Chinese feature film. Although it had a dialogue of only a little more than 1,000 characters, it was the first Chines ...
'', in 1913, and cofounded the Mingxing (Star) Film Company in 1922, which became the largest film production company in China under Zhang's leadership. Zhang directed about 150 films in his career, including ''
Laborer's Love ''Laborer's Love'' () is a classic silent comedy short film produced in China during the Republican Era, which officially premiered on October 5, 1922 at the Olympic Theater in Shanghai. It is also known as ''Romance of a Fruit Peddler'' or ''R ...
'' (1922), the earliest complete Chinese film that has survived; ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' (1923), one of the first Chinese box-office hits; ''
The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple ''The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple'' () is a lost Chinese silent film serial directed by Zhang Shichuan, widely considered to be the founding father of Chinese cinema. The film is adapted from the novel ''The Tale of the Extraordinary Swordsm ...
'' (1928), the first
martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
; and ''Sing-Song Girl Red Peony'' (1931), China's first
sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
. After the destruction of Mingxing's studio by Japanese bombing during the 1937
Battle of Shanghai The Battle of Shanghai () was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) of the Empire of Japan The also ...
, Zhang Shichuan made films for the China United Film Production Company (Zhonglian) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, which led to accusations of
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
after the
surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
in 1945. He never recovered from the humiliation, and died in 1953 or 1954.


Early life

Zhang Shichuan was born Zhang Weitong (张伟通) in Beilun,
Ningbo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
,
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
province. Shichuan was his
courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
, originally written with the different
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
. His father Zhang Heju (张和巨) was a small merchant dealing with
silkworms The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...
. His father died when Zhang was 16 years old, and he had to quit school and move to Shanghai to live with his maternal uncle Jing Runsan (经润三), a successful comprador. In Shanghai, he worked at the American-owned Huayang Company by day and studied English at night.


Early ventures

In 1913, Yashell and Suffert, two Americans in Shanghai who had acquired the
Asia Film Company The Asia Film Company was the first film production company in China. History The Asia Film Company was established in Shanghai in 1909 by American businessman Benjamin Brosky, and was the first company to produce dramatic films in China. They wer ...
, asked Zhang to be their consultant. Despite his lack of experience in filmmaking, Zhang took over the company's work responsibilities. He sought help from
Zheng Zhengqiu Zheng Zhengqiu (; January 25, 1889 – July 16, 1935) was a Chinese filmmaker often considered a "founding father" of Chinese cinema.Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhiwei (1998). "Zheng Zhengqiu" in ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Film''. Taylor & Francis, pp ...
, a well-known playwright, and the two cofounded the Xinmin (新民) Film Company to make film for the Asia Company. Soon they made China's first feature film, ''
The Difficult Couple ''The Difficult Couple'' (), also translated as ''Die for Marriage'', is a 1913 Chinese film. It is known for being the earliest Chinese feature film. Although it had a dialogue of only a little more than 1,000 characters, it was the first Chines ...
'', in 1913. However, Xinmin and Asia went out of business when their supply of German
film stock Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent p ...
was cut off after the outbreak of World War I. When his uncle died, Zhang was asked by his aunt to manage the family's New World amusement park. In 1916, Zhang formed Huanxian (Fantasy) Film Company, when American film stock became available in Shanghai, and made the film ''Victims of Opium'', adapted from a stage play. But the company soon folded, and he returned to manage the amusement park, which was sold in 1920.


Mingxing Film Company

In 1922, Zhang and his old partner Zheng Zhengqiu, together with
Zhou Jianyun Zhou may refer to: Chinese history * King Zhou of Shang () (1105 BC–1046 BC), the last king of the Shang dynasty * Predynastic Zhou (), 11th-century BC precursor to the Zhou dynasty * Zhou dynasty () (1046 BC–256 BC), a dynasty of China ** West ...
(周剑云), Zheng Zhegu (郑鹧鸪), and Ren Jinping (任矜萍), founded the
Mingxing Mingxing Film Company (), also known as the Star Motion Picture Company, was one of the largest production company, production companies during the 1920s, and 1930s in the Republic of China (1912–49), Republican era. Founded in Shanghai, the co ...
(Star) Film Company. As a Western-influenced businessman, Zhang's main priority was profit, which differed from that of Zheng Zhengqiu, a playwright from an aristocratic family who emphasized cinema's role in social reform and moral enlightenment. The company's earliest films, such as ''The King of Comedy Visits Shanghai'' (1922), were mainly entertainment-oriented, but Zhang also directed Zheng's moralistic films such as ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' (1923), which was a box-office success. When Zhang Shichuan's ''
The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple ''The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple'' () is a lost Chinese silent film serial directed by Zhang Shichuan, widely considered to be the founding father of Chinese cinema. The film is adapted from the novel ''The Tale of the Extraordinary Swordsm ...
'' (1928) became a phenomenal hit, he produced as many as 17 sequels in the next three years. The film marked the beginning of the hugely popular
martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
genre, and many competing studios rushed to make similar films. In 1928, Mingxing became a limited shareholding company, and registered with the government to sell stocks to the public. For its entire existence of 17 years, Zhang served as the company's general manager and director. Under his leadership, it became China's largest film production company. In cooperation with
Hong Shen Hong Shen (; 31 December 1894 – 29 August 1955) was a Chinese playwright, film director and screenwriter, film and drama theorist, and educator. He is considered by drama historians as one of the three founders of Chinese spoken drama, togethe ...
, Zhang directed ''Sing-Song Girl Red Peony'' in 1931, the first Chinese
sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
(though it was
sound-on-disc Sound-on-disc is a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or play back sound in sync with a motion picture. Early sound-on-disc systems used a mechanical interlock with the movie projector, while more recent syste ...
, not
sound-on-film Sound-on-film is a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying a picture is recorded on photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an analog ...
). In the early 1930s, Japan's invasion of Manchuria and attack of Shanghai produced a sense of national crisis in China. Mingxing made a leftist turn under Zhang's management. He hired a number of leftist writers, who wrote scripts for such films as ''The Tenderness Market'' (1933) and ''Lucky Money'' (1937). In August 1937, the
Battle of Shanghai The Battle of Shanghai () was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) of the Empire of Japan The also ...
erupted, and the
Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
occupied Shanghai (except the foreign concessions) after months of fighting. The Mingxing Studio was destroyed by Japanese bombing in the battle. Zhang salvaged some equipment and joined the Guohua Film Company, but was never able to revive Mingxing.


Japanese occupation and aftermath

With the outbreak of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
in 1941, the Japanese took over the
Shanghai International Settlement The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the merger in the year 1863 of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which British subjects and American citizens would enjoy extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction ...
, which had been under British and American control, and combined Shanghai's remaining film studios into the Zhonglian (China United) Film Production Company. Zhang worked for the Japanese-controlled company as a branch manager and director. After the
surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
at the end of World War II, Zhang was accused of treason for having worked for the Japanese, but was not officially indicted. He briefly worked in Hong Kong for the Great China Film Company, and in Shanghai for the Datong Film Company, but never recovered from the humiliating label of
traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
. He died in Shanghai in 1953 or 1954, aged 64.


Legacy

Zhang Shichuan is considered one of the founding fathers of Chinese cinema. He directed about 150 films in his career, including ''The Difficult Couple'' (1913), the first Chinese feature film; ''
Laborer's Love ''Laborer's Love'' () is a classic silent comedy short film produced in China during the Republican Era, which officially premiered on October 5, 1922 at the Olympic Theater in Shanghai. It is also known as ''Romance of a Fruit Peddler'' or ''R ...
'' (1922), the earliest complete Chinese film that has survived; ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' (1923), one of the first Chinese box-office hits; ''
The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple ''The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple'' () is a lost Chinese silent film serial directed by Zhang Shichuan, widely considered to be the founding father of Chinese cinema. The film is adapted from the novel ''The Tale of the Extraordinary Swordsm ...
'' (1928), the earliest
martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
which started an enormously popular genre; and ''Sing-Song Girl Red Peony'' (1931), China's first
sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
. Under Zhang's leadership, Mingxing was the largest and most influential film studio in China. Many highly influential directors and writers, including
Hong Shen Hong Shen (; 31 December 1894 – 29 August 1955) was a Chinese playwright, film director and screenwriter, film and drama theorist, and educator. He is considered by drama historians as one of the three founders of Chinese spoken drama, togethe ...
,
Cheng Bugao Cheng Bugao (1898–20 June 1966) () was a prominent Chinese film director during the 1930s. Employed by the Mingxing Film Company, Cheng was responsible for several important "leftist" films in the period, including the ''Wild Torrents'' (1933) ...
,
Xia Yan Xia Yan is the name of: *Xia Yan (Ming dynasty) (1482–1548), Ming dynasty politician *Xia Yan (playwright) Xia Yan (; 30 October 1900 – 6 February 1995) was a Chinese playwright and screenwriter, and China's Deputy Minister of Culture bet ...
,
Ouyang Yuqian Ouyang Yuqian (; May 12, 1889 – September 21, 1962) was a Chinese playwright, Peking opera actor and writer, film screenwriter and director, and drama educator. He is considered by drama historians as one of the three founders of Chinese spoken ...
,
Shen Xiling Shen Xiling (1904 – 17 December 1940) was a Chinese film director. Partial filmography External links Film directors from Zhejiang 1904 births 1940 deaths Artists from Hangzhou Chinese film directors {{China-film- ...
,
Cai Chusheng Cai Chusheng (January 12, 1906 – July 15, 1968) was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era, and was the first Chinese director to win an international film award at the Moscow International Film Festival. Best known for his progres ...
, and
Yang Hansheng Yang Hansheng (阳翰笙, Yáng Hànshēng; November 2, 1902 – June 7, 1993) was a Chinese screenwriter, playwright and writer, also known under the pseudonym Huahan (华汉, Huáhàn). Biography Born as Ouyang Benyi (欧阳本义, Ōuyáng B ...
, began or developed their careers at Mingxing.


Selected filmography

;As director *'' Thieves on Trial'' (1913) *''
A Funny Love Affair A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
'' (1913) *''
The Difficult Couple ''The Difficult Couple'' (), also translated as ''Die for Marriage'', is a 1913 Chinese film. It is known for being the earliest Chinese feature film. Although it had a dialogue of only a little more than 1,000 characters, it was the first Chines ...
'' (1913) *''
Bride Meets Ghost A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, bride ...
'' (1913) *'' Victims of Opium'' (1916) *''
Laborer's Love ''Laborer's Love'' () is a classic silent comedy short film produced in China during the Republican Era, which officially premiered on October 5, 1922 at the Olympic Theater in Shanghai. It is also known as ''Romance of a Fruit Peddler'' or ''R ...
'' (1922) *''
Zhang Xinsheng Zhang Xinsheng (), is a Chinese politician. He is the former vice minister of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, the vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and the president and former president of the Internati ...
'' (1922) *'' King of Comedy Visits China'' (1922) *''
An Orphan Rescues His Grandpa An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian an ...
'' (1923) *'' The Poor Children'' (1924) *'' Love and Vanity'' (1924) *'' The Death of Yuli'' (1924) *''
A Sincerely Pitiful Girl A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
'' (1925) *''
A Lesser Friend A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
'' (1925) *'' The Last Conscience'' (1925) *'' The Unknown Hero'' (1926) *''
A Shanghai Woman A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...
'' (1926) *''
The Lonely Orchid ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1926) (2 parts) *'' He Wants to Have a Baby'' (1926) *''
A Good Guy A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
'' (1926) *'' Ma Yongzhen From Shandong'' (1927) *''
The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple ''The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple'' () is a lost Chinese silent film serial directed by Zhang Shichuan, widely considered to be the founding father of Chinese cinema. The film is adapted from the novel ''The Tale of the Extraordinary Swordsm ...
'' (1928–31) (16 parts) *'' The Young Mistress' Fan'' (1928) *'' White Cloud Pagoda'' (1928) *'' The Revengeful Man'' (1928) (2 parts) *'' The Luoyang Bridge'' (1928) *'' Love Story on Classmates'' (1928) *''
Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
'' (1928) *''
Dad Loves Mom A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
'' (1929) *'' Cosmetics of Market'' (1933) *''
Bible for Girls The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
'' (1934) *''
Red Begonia Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
'' (1936) *''
Dr. Li and Miss Tang Doctor is an Academic degree, academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an Agent noun, agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europ ...
'' (1939) *''
The West Chamber ''Romance of the Western Chamber'' (), also translated as ''The Story of the Western Wing'', ''The West Chamber'', ''Romance of the Western Bower'' and similar titles, is one of the most famous Chinese dramatic works. It was written by the Yuan dy ...
'' (1940)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Shichuan 19th-century births 1950s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain Film directors from Zhejiang Businesspeople from Ningbo Chinese film producers Screenwriters from Zhejiang Cinema pioneers Chinese silent film directors Chinese company founders Writers from Ningbo 20th-century screenwriters