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Ivy Ling Po

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Ivy Ling Po (Ling Bo) (Chinese: 凌波) (b. March 1940 in Shantou, China) is a Chinese actress.

Contents

Biography

Ivy Ling Po was born in Shantou, China and resided at Xiamen for a time before moving to Hong Kong.

Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People (1951) at the age of twelve under the name of Xiao Juan with the Amoy movie company. Besides appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she also dubbed for other movie companies and particularly Huangmei Operas for Shaw Brothers. She was discovered by Li Han-hsiang while dubbing for the Shaw Brothers' opera Dream Of The Red Chamber and cast as Liang Shanbo in Love Eterne (Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai also known as Liang Zhu) in 1962 with the late Betty Loh Ti. The judges at the 2nd Golden Horse Awards were so impressed by her performance that they created a special award for her citing "Outstanding Performance". One year later, Ivy Ling Po took home the coveted title of ASIAN MOVIE QUEEN when she won the 'Best Actress" award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her superlative performance in "Lady General Hua Mulan". She would add the "Most Versatile Talent" award to her collection when she won it at the 12th Asian Film Festival a year later for her role as a young prince in "The Grand Substitution" and a scholar in "The Mermaid". She became the leading figure in the Huangmei Opera genre and was usually cast in male roles. Every year without fail, Ivy Ling Po would make the list of the Top Ten stars in Hong Kong in polls conducted by magazines and newspapers. Indeed she was at no. 1 for many years in annual polls conducted by Cinemart magazine.

To avoid being typecasted, she tried successfully for various roles in wuxia and contemporary genres. On one of her contemporary outings, she picked up a Golden Horse Best Actress award playing the illfated wife of Kwan Shan in "Too Late For Love". In 1975, a bit role as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's "Empress Dowager" won her the "Best Supporting Actress" award. Despite her limited screen time in this sprawling epic, it is remarkable that she won this award despite stiff competition. After her contract with Shaw Brothers ended in 1975, she went on to act in other television series and films with her husband. A plum movie role in which she had to age from a teenager to an old woman in "Father, Husband, Son" won her another Golden Horse Best Actress award. Her last screen appearance was in the movie Golden Swallow (1987) playing an evil witch. She retired after that and emigrated with her family, (Bi) Chin Han and three sons, to Toronto, Canada in 1989.

Ivy Ling Po made a spectacular career resurgence in 2002 when she teamed up with another veteran Shaw actress Hu Chin to stage Butterfly Lovers 40. Two original cast members Li Kun & Jen Chieh were also on hand to recreate their repective roles. She toured extensively with this stage version of her signature movie bringing it to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan & USA. This stage musical was so successful that Ivy had to restage it two years later in Taiwan. A double DVD set was released in 2003 by Rock Records.

Since then, Ivy Ling Po has staged numerous concerts in Taiwan, USA and Malaysia. Her two concerts at Genting City Of Entertainment in Malaysia in 2005 were particularly memorable as she brought along her close friends Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang Lin & Yueh Hua to sing with her. Fans flew in from as far away as USA, Australia, Taiwan & Hong Kong to pay homage.

In 2006, Ivy Ling Po returned to the HK Colliseum as part of a large group of singers for the Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She sang her signature songs from The Love Eterne, even duetting with Lisa Wang who sang the part of Zhu Yingtai. In addition, she thrilled audiences with her definitive version of Jiao Dao from The Crimson Palm and claimed her song back from cover versions sung over the years by Tsin Ting, Jenny Tseng and Yao Su Rung. Many in the audience went specially to see her despite the presence of other top singers like Frances Yip, Eliza Chan, Susanna Kwan, Wah Wa, Sandra Lang, Kenny Bee, Johnny Yip & Adam Cheng. A 3-CD set has been released in March in HK by Kinston Entertainment & a DVD/VCD release will follow.

With many of her Shaw movies being rereleased by Celestial, Ivy Ling Po has become a "hot" star again. She was in the first batch of Hong Kong celebrities who were invited to open the Avenue Of Stars in April 2004. The Avenue Of Stars is modelled on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui. If you go to the official website at www.avenueofstars.com.hk and click on "glittering welcoming" you can relive the spectacle of the opening ceremony with special messages from the celebrities including Ivy Ling Po. Her handprints and signature are now prominently displayed there affirming her status as one of the greats of the Hong Kong film industry.

In January 2006, Ivy Ling Po added another feather in her cap when she was awarded the WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award with the rerelease and screening of the remastered The 14 Amazons at HK Arts Centre. Ivy received the award from Dr Charles Wang, director of Salon Film (HK) Ltd.

In April 2006, Ivy Ling Po and Chin Han appeared on prime-time TVB for an interview. Ling Po also promoted the CD release of Everlasting Golden Hits concert whilst in HK. On 8 April 2006, the couple attended the HK Awards with son Kenneth Bi and daughter-in-law Rosa Lee. To their delight as proud parents, they witnessed him receive the "best new director" award for his work in Rice Rhapsody. Indeed 2006 promises to be a very good year as Ivy Ling Po and Chin Han celebrate 40 years of wedded bliss with ex-Shaw stars Chin Ping, Fang Yin, Chiao Chiao, Cheng Pei Pei, Helen Ma, Ching Li, Tanny Tien Ni, Yueh Hua, Allyson Chang Yen, Lily Li, Ti Lung & Chen Hung Lieh.

Two Huangmei Opera movies, Love Eterne and another titled Hung Niang were filmed in tandem in 1962. Filming commenced first on Hung Niang with Margaret Tu Chuan in the title role. At the same time, Li Han-Hsiang was looking around for a fresh face to cast the main male character for Love Eterne which was due to begin filming. He made the momentous decision to cast Ivy Ling Po in the role instead of a male actor. Due to competition with Cathay which was also filming Liang Zhu, Shaw Brothers pushed for a quicker completion of Love Eterne. When it became a box office hit, the decision was taken to completely destroy the film Hung Niang in which Ling Po acted in a female role, as it was feared the release of the film would detract her popularity as a male impersonator. Although the Cathay version starred two movie queens Teresa Li Li-hua and Lucilla Yu Ming, the Shaw version which was released 20 months earlier completely overshadowed it and Ivy Ling Po became a household name. When she went to Taipei to promote the movie, she was mobbed by thousands at the airport and who lined the streets. Everywhere she went, they yelled "Brother Liang", a nickname that has stuck to this day. Some people saw The Love Eterne more than 50 or 100 times and Run Run Shaw issued a statement that these superfans are not to be charged for their tickets anymore.

Hung Niang was later remade in 1964 as West Chamber with Ling Po taking on the role of the scholar played by Chiao Chuang in the uncompleted "Hung Niang".

Awards

Filmography

Titles & dates of release courtesy of Hong Kong Film Archive

Amoy (Hokkien) Films

  • Mr Wang Marries His Daughter To Hong Kong - 22 November 1958
    • 

  • Hot Lady - 19 May 1958
  • Discarded Body In A Bathroom - 7 August 1958
  • Shrews From Afar - 5 June 1958
  • Marry Into Your Own Class - 4 April 1958
  • Harmony Between The In-Laws - 3 July 1958
  • Teddy Girls - 30 October 1958
  • The True Story Of Mazhu - 1 January 1958
  • Crossroads - 24 September 1958
  • Burning Of Red Lotus Temple Part 3 - 14 January 1959
  • Burning Of Red Lotus Temple Part 4 - 17 January 1959
  • Queen Of Folk Songs - 17 April 1959
  • Miss Jinfeng - 28 March 1959
  • I Love Young Men - 17 June 1959
  • Suffer For My Wife - 8 September 1959
  • Brother Wang And Brother Liu - 1959
  • Miss Singapore - 3 September 1959
  • He Has Taken Her For Another - 4 September 1959
  • Miss Cuicui - 7 February 1959
  • Phony Phoenixes - 31 July 1959
  • Mr Wang Throws A Birthday Party - 3 April 1959
  • A Perfect Match - 11 March 1959
  • Who Is Not Amorous? - 21 February 1959
  • The Love Of A Pedicab Driver - 16 January 1959
  • Who Is The Murderer? - 16 April 1959
  • A Girl In Love - 27 March 1959
  • True Love -  14 January 1959
  • The Maiden Catches The Culprit - 24 December 1959
  • Mr Wang's New Year - 21 February 1959
  • Liu Hai Meets Fairy - 1961
  • Little Wild Cat (Xiao Ye Mao) - date of release unknown
  • Long Feng Pei - date of release unknown
  • Secret Swordswoman (Shen Mi Nu Xia) - date of release unknown
  • Zai Jia Xin Niang - date of release unknown
  • Fan Li Hua - date of release unknown
    • 

    Cantonese Films
    


    


    SHAW BROTHERS STUDIO
    

    Huangmei Opera Dubbings
    


    Huangmei Opera Films
    


    Wuxia/Martial Arts Films
    


    Contemporary Films
    


    Historical Drama Films
    


    Post Shaw Brothers
    

    Huangmei Opera Films & TV Productions
    

Notes:
    

1. The Dream Of The Red Chamber and The Imperious Princess have been remastered by Warner Bros and screened on Celestial Channel. Both remastered prints are in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles.
    

2. Imperial Matchmaker marked the only pairing on film of two famed male impersonators : Ivy Ling Po and Yang Lihua.
    

3. The Imperious Princess marked the final huangmei dubbing of Ivy Ling Po & Tsin Ting together on film. Tsin Ting is billed as Kwok Tsin Ting in the credits.
    


    Wuxia/Martial Arts Films
    

Notes:
    

1. The Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho is retitled The Great Chase for the laserdisc and VCD release. Laser disc features an English soundtrack not on VCD.
    

2. Ivy Ling Po has cameos in both A Rescue From Hades & New Pilgrims To The West as Kuan Yin, the Goddess Of Mercy.
    

3. A Rescue From Hades has been remastered in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles and screened on Celestial channel.
    

4. 15 Female Warriors Of The Sa Family reunites Ivy Ling Po with ex-Shaw stars Ching Li & Chiao Chiao. This movie also co-stars Kueh Ya Lei as the eldest sister, Tang Lan Hua and Han Hsiang Chin. The villain is played by Chen Hsing.
    


    Drama Films
    

Notes:
    

Crossroad has been remastered by Warner Bros in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles and screened on Celestial channel.
    


    Television
    


    External link
    

    


    



     
    

    

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