Killer Darts

Her name is Chen Ping. In 1972 she started working at the dominant Shaw Brothers Studio just as the company’s business practices and unwillingness to embrace the grittier and more realistic kung fu film caused it to decline in both prestige and quality. But sexy don’t stop.

In Ms. Ping’s first Shaw Brothers film, Kiss of Death, she stared as a gang rape victim that trains in order to enact revenge on her attackers.

Oddly her actor’s bio at the Celestial Pictures’ Shaw Brothers Studio site characterizes her performance as “sexy.” This could be a case where a literal english translation doesn’t exist for “vengeful, rape victim” or rape is sexy? Either way it made her a martial arts sex symbol.

She quickly went on to larger rolls in erotic movies with great names such as Illicit Desire (1973), Sexy Playgirls (1973) and Sinful Adulteress (1974.)

In the late 70s Ping blended more martial arts films into her career but still managed to sneak in Oily Maniac (1976), The Girlie Bar (1976) and The Sexy Killer (1976.)

Shaw Brothers Studio’s movies struggled in the box office, first against Bruce Lee, then Jackie Chan throughout the 70’s. Rigid multi-film contracts and separation of the technical and creative process resulted in difficulty recruiting talent and assembly line style film-making. Their insistence on repackaging ancient stories filled with tired multi-cut wire work scenes couldn’t compete with the faster, cheaper independent kung fu movies of the time. Ping acted in her last move, Take Care, Your Majesty, in 1983. SB Studio finally closed it’s doors in 1984.

Much of the information about Shaw Brothers Studio is from The Rise and Fall of the House of Shaw by Tom Green. A fascinating read that chronicles one of the most important studios in martial arts films.

Also, I’m looking for these movies now.

Finally, the founders of Shaw Brothers Studio are Sir Run Run Shaw and his brother Runme Shaw. The latter is not a Sir. I thought you’d like to know.