Shaw Brothers Studio

The seeds of this legendary Chinese film empire (Shaw Brothers Studio) were sown in Shanghai in the 1920’s by six enterprising brothers. Taking root in then British Hong Kong in 1958 with the construction of the largest privately-owned film studio in the world at the time, the Shaw Brothers produced about one thousand films (many of which are now Chinese cinema classics) over the next four decades, amassing the largest Chinese film library ever. The library spans all genres of Chinese cinema, from renowned martial arts films to historical adventures; from horror fantasies to slapstick romantic comedies; from action thrillers to the enchanting musicals and unforgettable period dramas. A unique aspect of the Shaw Brothers film library is that most titles have never been released on video or television.

Recognizing from very early on the importance of vertical integration, Shaw Brothers acquired and developed cinemas throughout Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, North America, Hawaii and Canada, establishing itself as by far the most dominant film production, distribution and exhibition group in the entire region. In the 1970’s, the size of the theatre group exceeded 200 screens (with 600 more listed as having distribution deals), boasting several grand 1000-seat plus flagship houses in Hong Kong. The company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1971. In 1974, for his professional achievement and generous philanthropic worldwide contributions over several decades, patriarch Run Run Shaw was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Shaw Brother studios became the hub of activity during the 1960s and 1970s, when they started producing swordsman (Wu Xia) and kung-fu films that took the world by storm. Many of the world's greatest action stars and directors began at the Studio, which at the time was one of the largest, most advanced in the East (only the studios in Japan could compare).

The studio itself was huge, and it contained, among other things: a complete backstage town, several large sound stages, dormitories for the people who lived and worked there (they often worked on incredibly demanding achedules, so most stars and technical crew actually lived at the studio), and complete facilities for post-production work. Many of the stars were trained in acting and martial arts classes that were conducted by the studio.

Currently, Shaw Studios is inactive, but there are indications that the sleeping giant is about to awaken once again.

• Shaw Brothers Movie Project

• The Shaw Story - at the official company website.
• The Rise and Fall of the House of Shaw - scholarly essay by Tom Green.