Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Happy 95th Birthday George Wang

Born Wang Chunyang on November 12, 1918 in Liaoning Province, Andong County Badaogou Xinghua Village. In 1935 he was admitted to the Department of Economics, Northeastern University, Department of History, and there changed his name to Wang Jue. After the outbreak of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, he dropped out of school to join the national salvation movement and appeared in drama performances throughout the north in anti-Japanese propaganda plays. In 1938 he joined the "China Film Studio", the following year, he appeared in Chongqing's first film "Paul’s Home." In addition to Chongqing movies he also made dramatic performances on stage.
 
After World War II he moved to Shanghai finding work in a factory. In 1947 he appeared in the Taiwan film "Hualien Harbor", the following year he returned to Taiwan to narrate an experimental film "Myanmar Dang". Little filming was going on and in 1949 the Chinese film studios, actors, crews and equipment moved to Taiwan. Wang appeared in drama performances at Zhongshan Hall and operated a Sichuan restaurant with his wife called Sichuan Garden. In 1950 he is appointed head of Taiwan's studio technology department, and appeared in several films during the early 1950s.
 
Wang went to Italy in 1959 to shoot a joint production called the "Great Wall" (later renamed "Last Train to Shanghai". After filming was completed he chose to stay in Italy where motion picture filming was thriving, and participated in “The Mongols” (1961), "55 Days at Peking” (1963) and eventually appearing in nearly fifty films. Now billed as George Wang he was almost the only active Oriental film actor in Europe, and became very influential in the Italian film industry, even contributing to the cooperation with Shaw Brothers Pictures. During his stay in Italy he became one of the Euro-western genre’s premiere villains and appeared in over a dozen Euro-westerns including “A Taste of Killing” (1966) with Craig Hill, “Blood and Guns” (aka “Tepepa”) (1968) with Tomas Milian, “Have a Nice Funeral” (1970) with Gianni Garko, “Shanghai Joe” (1973) with Chen Lee and “A Colt in the Hands of the Devil” (1973).
 
In 1976 he returned to Hong Kong and has been involved in films with his own film production
company "Wang Film Company," such as “Along Comes the Tiger” (1977) and “Hot, Cool and Vicious” (1978). In 1978 he returned to Taiwan, performing in "Coldest Winter", where he won a Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor. He continued acting in such films as "Xinhai Double Ten","Guningtou Wars" and other films. In 2009 he was awarded a Special Contribution Award at the 46th Golden Horse Awards. His last appearance was in 2010’s “Close to You”. His son Tao Wang is also an actor.
 
Today we celebrate George Wang’s’ 95th birthday.

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