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In the world of film and cinema, there are names that have
become synonymous with the golden age of the silver screen. In East Asia - especially amongst the
Chinese community throughout the continent - the one name
that will forever be linked to the cinema would be that of
the Shaw Brothers, and its legendary chairman - Sir Run Run
Shaw.
The beginning of the legend happens to be in Shanghai 1924,
and the event was the setting up of a film production company
by the name of Unique Film Productions. Managed by Sir Run Run
and his brothers, they saw an opportunity out of their native
Shanghai, and ventured to Malaya and Singapore, where the
Chinese community back then were starved of entertainment.
While business was booming in Malaya and Singapore, things in
China and Hong Kong were becoming interesting and later the
film production studios moved to Hong Kong.
Without Shaw, the movie industry in Asia would not be as big
as it is today, and cinemas in Malaysia and Singapore would
probably have taken a longer time to evolve. Without Shaw,
the kung-fu genre would definitely not have become as
popular as they are today. Sir Run Run and his brothers have
certainly created a rich and wonderful legacy which brought
joy and pleasure to millions of people throughout the world. |
