GOLDEN BOY [236 a 246]

Pag.236

GOLDEN BOY

Coming back to Golden Harvest was like coming home. I felt a shock of recognition as I walked through the gates. I'd spent so many days here—sweating in the half-shade while waiting for the stunt coordinator’s call, testing my limits in countless death-defying feats, hanging out with my brothers on the studio lot, kicking around a soccer ball. Now I was returning, the keys to the studio in my hand. 

The Golden Harvest offices were more crowded and in better shape than I'd ever seen them. After recovering from the shock of losing Bruce, the studio had found new life in comedies and romance dramas. They’d discovered a fresh set of stars in Michael Hui and his brother Sam. Michael was a bespectacled Everyman whose character Mr. Boo had been featured in dozens of rollicking farces, while Sam was a singer and teen idol, beloved by young Asian girls everywhere. 

They were at the top of their game, the Hui brothers. But even with all of their success, neither of them was being paid the kind of money I was getting. Golden Harvest was making an investment in me, assuming that I would become a superstar. An action king. 

I wouldn't let them down. 

Willie was pacing in the reception area, waiting for my arrival. When he saw me, he gave me a warm hug, which I happily returned. The door to my future had opened because of him, and I'd already decided that Willie was my secret weapon. I might be able to direct a movie or a stunt, but it took a different set of skills to direct a career. Willie had told me to trust him; my trust had been rewarded. From this point on, my life was in his hands. 

The man we were going to see was Leonard Ho, Golden Harvest’s vice president and head of production. He and Raymond Chow had built the studio together, with Raymond as the flamboyant dealmaker and front man and Leonard as the soft-spoken nuts-and-bolts professional. They’d worked as journalists together at the Voice of America, and then left to work for Run Run Shaw. Raymond quickly rose to a position as Shaw’s right-hand man, while Leonard became a prominent executive in Shaw’s publicity and marketing department. When Raymond left to start his own studio, it was only natural that he’d bring Leonard with him; their partnership had produced nothing but success since then.

Pag.237

One thing that struck me about Golden Harvest as we waited in the reception area was the fact that among the new faces I saw among the staffers were a number of foreigners—Americans, by the sound of their accents. Ever since their success with Bruce, Chow had decided that Golden Harvest's future was as an international film company, producing films in both English and Chinese, and releasing them in both the East and the West. No other Chinese studio had as much of a global presence. If any company could bring me to the attention of the world, Golden Harvest could. 

“Come this way.” said the receptionist, motioning toward us. “Mr. Ho will see you now.”

We followed him down a hall, pausing briefly to examine posters from some of Golden Harvest’s movies—featuring Bruce, the Hui brothers, and other top stars. The posters were in English, Japanese, Korean, and languages ​​that I didn’t even recognize. When I walked through the gates, I’d felt like I was coming home Now I felt like I was stepping into another world.

Leonard’s office was neatly and richly decorated, and dominated by an elegant wooden desk. The chairs, unlike the ones in Lo’s office, were upholstered in leather. I couldn’t resist bouncing lightly in my seat, testing the depth of the cushion. Willie nudged me in the shoulder and gave me an annoyed look.

Then Leonard entered the room, and I met the man whom I would learn to respect and love like a father.

He was immaculately groomed, and his black hair was streaked with gray. He wore a dapper tailored suit and an expensive but tasteful watch. I had enough money now to wear nice clothes, but next to him, I felt like I was still a ragged kid. 

“You must be Jackie,” he said warmly, and walked over to press my hand, “And of course, the illustrious Willie Chan—it’s good to see you again, Willie.” 

Willie smiled and greeted his old acquaintance. 

“I'm so glad you decided to join us. We’re very excited to have you on our team,” he said, seating himself at his desk. “Now, I’m here to listen, not to talk, so let’s get down to business. Tell me your ideas.” 

I didn’t have any ideas! I was still trying to digest all of the new changes in my life. My stomach churned as I tried to come up with something to say to this important gentleman. 

Willie noticed my discomfort and jumped into the conversation. “Leonard, Jackie is certainly very excited to be here as well, and I know that he’ll be happy working with you and Raymond,” he said, “As you know, he’s experienced some good success in his recent films; perhaps you  might tell him some of the things that you like about his work, and what you’d like to see him do in the future.”

Leonard leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Well, of course, we've admired his abilities for a good while,” he said.

Pag.238

“Even as a stuntman, he’s had a tremendous reputation. But we feel the films he’s done so far haven’t fully stretched his potential. The imagination in your choreography, Jackie, and the comic element—they make your work different from anything we’ve seen. The important thing to us is that you be yourself—and that you constantly strive to reach new ground. Try fresh things. Original ideas. It’s all very well to follow in the footsteps of past successes, but we feel that every movie should leave audiences feeling like they’ve seen something they’ve never seen before.”

I was amazed. I’d never heard a Hong Kong production executive say that he wanted to see anything new; new things are risky, and in an industry as fast-paced and competitive as Hong Kong’s, it was almost always seen as better to repeat the past than chance the future.

"Mr. Ho—”

“Call me Leonard,” he said.

“Leonard,” I said awkwardly. “I just want to make good movies. My kind of movies. Good action, good comedy. I want to show people what martial arts films can really be, if enough time and effort are spent to make them look and feel proper.”

Leonard spread his hands in reassurance. “Jackie, we run a business, and we’re as interested in making money as the next person,” he said. “But do you know what the biggest star in Hong Kong is making per movie—the biggest star after you?”

Well, I had no idea.

“Michael Hui and his brother make one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars per picture,” he said. “We didn’t give you a bonus of four million because we don’t believe in you. I know this is our first meeting, but I swear to you that as long as you make movies for Golden Harvest, you'll be able to make them exactly the way you want. No need for budget approvals. No month-by-month deadlines. You make the movies, and we’ll concentrate on making money.”

And with that, I was struck mute. What else could I say? It was like a fairy had appeared and told me that all of my wishes were granted at once. Wealth, fame, and freedom to create.

Willie continued the small talk with Leonard, but the real reason for the meeting was finished. If I hadn’t been sure about Golden Harvest before, I was sure about it now.

Yes, I was home.

And Willie, an I-told-you-so-gleam in his eye, gave me a broad and knowing wink.

Charged up with enthusiasm, it wasn't long before I got back to work After some discussion with Willie and Leonard, I decided that what l wanted to do was to make a film that would showcase classical kung fu in a new and fresh way. 

 Pag.239

No crazy master, lazy student. No secret and obscure training sequences. I knew people were expecting me to do something similar to my Seasonal films, but then again, everyone had already copied that style—in fact, even Seasonal was making movies, starring other actors, that used the same formula. 

If anything, I wanted to do a story that was simple but had strong moral value, without falling back on the tired old revenge plots of the Shaw Brothers heyday. The message I wanted to send would be the importance of friendship and brotherhood. And while it would use traditional martial arts styles, I also wanted to make a point about the limitations of tradition: if my career had proved anything so far, it was that sometimes you have to do the unexpected, break out of the mold, in order to achieve victory. 

So, in The Young Master, I'd play a young martial artist whose school is betrayed by its best student. But rather than seeking to defend my school's honor by killing my brother student, I'd go out to try to save him—and end up being mistaken for him by the police. In the end, I’d face the rival school's master, played by Whang Inn-sik, a Korean tae kwon do expert. All of my techniques would prove to be too weak to defeat him. Finally, I would beat him up using a wild, furious flurry of attacks, showing no skill at all. And even if the result was that I'd be terribly injured—the final scene ended up showing me waving good-bye in a full-body cast!—it would demonstrate that emotion and self-expression are sometimes more important than tradition and pure skill.

In some ways, I saw The Young Master as the end of a phase in my life, one where I was surrounded by barriers put there by history and other people’s expectations. From now on, the only expectations I worried about were those of my fans and myself. 

I wanted everything to be perfect for this film. It would be my first movie for Golden Harvest, and I knew everyone would be watching to see if I could keep up my string of successes. Taking Leonard’s promise to heart, I’d shoot and reshoot scenes until I felt that I’d gotten them right. For one shot, in which I was to kick a fan into the air and catch it nimbly with one hand, I shot over five hundred takes! 

But as the extended shoot continued, strange things began to happen on the set. A fire broke out unexpectedly in front of the studio; police later determined that it was arson. And then a Golden Harvest executive found a bloody, severed dog’s head in his car. 

These events were too unusual and too close together to be a coincidence. It seemed that there was some unfinished business at hand. 

My suspicions would soon be proved correct. One night, as I was leaving the studio, I walked out of the front gates only to realize that I was being followed by three ugly men, none of them taking the trouble to seem innocent.  

Pag.240

I figured that anything that was going to happen would happen whether I caused trouble or not. If there was a fight, I could handle myself; my martial arts is mostly for performance, not brawling, but I wasn’t afraid of a few thugs. Of course, it would all change if they had knives or guns. It’s not so easy to beat an opponent with a gun if you aren’t his stunt coordinator and his boss. 

“Jackie Chan!” shouted out the tallest one, pointing at me. He didn’t sound like a fan. 

“That’s me,” I said, turning to face them. 

“You’re coming with us,” said the thug to his left. “We don’t want any trouble.” 

I shrugged. I didn’t want any trouble either, so I raised my palms to show I’d go peacefully. I wasn’t particularly scared, but I was curious. There was only one person who could have arranged this, and if he’d gone to this much effort to bring me to a meeting, I supposed it was in my best interest to play along. 

I was escorted by the three bullyboys to a late-model Mercedes, whose license plates had been covered with gray gaffer’s tape. If I’d had any doubt about what kind of people I was dealing with before, I didn’t anymore. 

I mentioned the Triads before, in discussing the three promises my father had asked me to make. I think I should go into a little more detail about these gangsters, and their involvement in Hong Kong entertainment. 

The Triads have been a part of Hong Kong performing arts since the turn of the century, when secret society members joined wandering opera troupes to disguise their movements. Since many early film stars came from the opera, there was always something of a tie between the Triads and the movies. But that alone wouldn’t have led to the problems we have today. 

The biggest fault can be laid at the feet of Shaw Brothers—which basically controlled the movie industry until the rise of Golden Harvest. Shaw Brothers was the biggest employer in cinema, and without serious competition, they were able to pay slave wages. I thought the money I was getting as a freelance stuntman was bad, but at Shaw’s, even contract stars got almost nothing. 

To survive, some actors and stuntmen turned to the Triads—acting as small-time muscle for mob operations in exchange for a level of pay they couldn't get from their legitimate jobs. 

When Shaw Brothers went into television, they brought their absurdly low pay scales with them, and another part of the entertainment industry soon became infected. And since music in Hong Kong is closely linked to film and television, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Triads soon had a great deal of control over music as well.

Pag.241

In fact, it’s sad to say, but it’s almost impossible to do business in any of these industries without running into gangsters. Some of them have a lot of power, running production companies, talent agencies, and music labels. Others are much more small-time. But even a small-time thug can cause big-time trouble. 

There are always reports of actors and actresses who are threatened with death (or worse) unless they agree to star in a Triad producer’s movies, of singers caught in wars between competing Triad record moguls and forced to announce world tours just to get out of Hong Kong, of models and beauty queens pushed into acting as escorts for Triad bosses. 

In fact, the Triad hold on Hong Kong entertainment is so strong that it’s now become almost an accepted part of the business. Many directors and stars now speak of “good” Triads and “bad” Triads—good Triads being the ones who take money without threatening violence. I suppose the implication is that, if you have to work with gangsters, you should pick only the best. 

It’s an awful situation. My feeling is that we shouldn't have to do business with gangsters at all—good, bad, or indifferent. Hong Kong’s entertainers have never had much power, compared to Hollywood stars. But working together, we should be able to make a difference! 

A few years ago, after a series of very ugly public Triad incidents, I rounded up many of my friends and colleagues, and we staged a protest march against Triads in the entertainment industry. The march was covered by the media, and our demands to the government got heard. A special police team was put together to investigate organized criminal activities, and promises were made that the abuses we were being subjected to would be curbed. 

I guess we’ll see what happens in the future. 

At the time of my capture and involuntary Mercedes ride, of course, I had no power to do anything at all, and knew very little about the Triads and how they operated. I did know that there were some people who had the reputation of being “connected guys,” knowing or having a relationship with Triad bosses. 

For instance, my former boss, Lo Wei. 

The Mercedes pulled up outside of the offices of Lo Wei Productions, and the three men helped me out of the car and up the stairs. 

“I'm sorry it has to be this way, Jackie,” said Lo. “As I’ve told you time and again, I think of you as a son. But every so often, when a son is disobedient, discipline is necessary.”

I was sitting in my usual position, in a swivel chair facing Lo’s cluttered desk. The bullyboys had exited for the hallway at Lo’s request, leaving the two of us alone.

Pag.242

“Do you really need three thugs just to give me a spanking, ‘Dad’?” I said, sarcastically. 

Lo laughed. “Please, Jackie, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. These... friends of mine are just here to make sure that you don’t still have hard feelings over how we last parted. Actually, our, ah, failure to communicate hurt me deeply. I just wanted the chance to talk things out with you, one on one—without outside interference.”

It wasn’t hard to guess that Lo meant he wanted Willie out of the way. I suppose he thought that, without Willie, I was a soft touch—that I’d easily be rolled into a sucker deal. 

Lo pulled out our old contract. The buyout clause had been scratched out. So had the old salary figure, of HK$100,000 per film. 

“No funny business, Jackie,” he said. “You just write in whatever number you want there, ’cause I know I can trust you to be reasonable. And then we can go back to the way things were always meant to be. Lo Wei and Jackie Chan. And you won't be working for me, you understand. It’ll be Lo and Chan, partners. A team, see?”

I stared at the contract, and then at Lo’s face. There was a damp sheen to his face under the flickering fluorescent bulb. He didn’t look too good. Losing me must have hit the company pretty hard. And for him to reach out to his “connections” probably put him in a dangerous position. If I didn’t sign up with Lo again, it wouldn’t just be me in the wringer. The Triads never helped anyone out without a promise of a piece of the action. 

A very difficult situation had developed—an uneasy balance of forces, between Lo, me, Golden Harvest, and now the Triads. For the situation to be resolved, something would have to give—and “giving” could be very unpleasant indeed. 

“Listen, Lo,” I said, keeping my voice as calm as possible. “I’ll need a little while to think about this. After all, I’m in the middle of shooting a film over at Golden Harvest, and it wouldn’t do for me just to disappear, would it?”

Lo frowned. “Being in the middle of shooting didn’t stop you from jumping ship here,” he said. “Well, all right, Jackie, but, ah, don’t take too long. I can’t guarantee the actions of my colleagues beyond a certain point, okay? You take your time, but not too long.”

I nodded in understanding. Lo’s hold on the Triads would last only until they decided that I might be about to slip away. At that point, they’d be motivated by the need to protect their own investment. By any means necessary. 

“Can your three little friends give me a ride home?” I asked. “I heard it isn’t safe to walk around alone at night in Hong Kong anymore.” 

Lo flinched, looking almost as if he had a conscience. “Sure, Jackie. Sure.”

Pag.243

I rode home with the three Triad boys in silence. 

None of them asked for my autograph. 

The next day, I went to work as usual. We were about two-thirds complete on The Young Master, and I wanted to get the film done as quickly as possible, before any further disruptions occurred. I guess I seemed a bit on edge. Sitting in the production office that Golden Harvest had provided for me, Willie expressed concern at the way I was pushing myself and my team. 

“What’s wrong, Jackie?” he said. Willie wasn't officially a part of the production team, but as my chief adviser and career consultant, he was a constant presence. In fact, I’d talked to him about setting up a special arrangement—forming a company, which he would help me run. The name would be Jackie and Willie Productions; Willie would be CEO, and I would be chairman. J&W Productions would handle my career and manage any business interests I might develop. At the time, there was no such thing as a talent agent or manager in Hong Kong, but I hardly knew anything about that. I only knew that Willie, as I said before, was my secret weapon. 

Which didn’t mean that I didn’t have my own secrets. I hadn’t told him about Lo’s bullyboys, or the threat he’d made if I didn’t go back. I guess I didn’t want to put him in any danger—but, come to think of it, he was probably already in danger. 

I had to tell him. And so I did. 

Willie put his head into his hands and cursed under his breath. “Damned thugs,” he said. “And to think that Lo would sink so low.”

“He seems kind of desperate,” I said, thinking back to his pale, sweaty appearance.

“No excuse. Well, let’s take a look at our situation,” said Willie. “First, you have to finish this movie. It’s very important that your career continue strongly; you can’t afford to lose any momentum. Second, we have to find a way to appease Lo. And then, of course, there’s the Triads. I don’t have any ‘connections,’ and I’m not sure that I know anyone reliable who does. I’m going to have to go Raymond with this.”

Raymond was the boss, Golden Harvest’s president. Though I’d met with him frequently since I’d been signed, most of my studio dealings were through Leonard, who was chief of production. Raymond was the big negotiator, but Leonard handled day-to-day business.

“Why Raymond?” I said.

 Willie gave an ironic smile. “Because this may involve a lot of money, Jackie, and Raymond is the one who approves Golden Harvest’s investments.”

_____

Pag.244

I moved quickly toward completion of The Young Master, not knowing whether Lo’s ultimatum was measured in days or weeks. The answer came in an unsubtle fashion. One day, when I arrived at work, there were an unusual number of strangers hanging around the front gate. Most of them were wearing sunglasses, and all of them watched me as I came up the road. 

I waved cheerily to them, and tried to press on through the gates. Like a blob of honey, they oozed around me and blocked my way. 

“What seems to be the problem?” I said, my eyes flickering around for the security guards. 

The tall bullyboy who’d escorted me on my midnight ride stepped forward. “We’re just here looking for some answers,” he said. 

“And what would be the question?” I said, seeing the guards running over from the distance.

“Don’t try to be smart with us, Jackie,” he said. “Are you going to make movies for Lo Wei, or not?”

I crossed my arms. “What if I say no?”

“That would be a bad career decision,” he said, “and probably a bad life decision.”

“The security guards arrived and whistled at the crowd to disperse. The Triads jostled one another and moved off the walk, allowing me to pass, but not before the tall one made it clear that they weren’t going very far.

The gates closed behind me, shutting my problems outside. Unfortunately, I couldn’t live at the studio. And neither could my friends and coworkers.

I hoped Willie had another solution in his bag of tricks.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see Willie all day. Night fell, and I wrapped the shoot, steeling myself for another confrontation with the boys at the gate.

I wasn’t disappointed.

“Out late tonight, guys?” I said, as the Triads took their positions along the sides of the gate walk. They glowered at me and said nothing. 

“Listen,” I said. “I don’t want to waste any more of your time, and I’m sure you don’t want to waste mine. So here’s what I suggest, okay?” 

I told them that I’d agree to do Lo Wei’s next film, as long as they let me finish production on my Golden Harvest film. We were going into postproduction on Young Master anyway; it wouldn’t be too hard to get away to work on another set. I certainly wouldn’t be the first Hong Kong star to work on back-to-back productions. 

The leader of the bunch talked it over with his colleagues, and finally they agreed. “No funny business,” he said. “I’ll be here to pick you up tomorrow afternoon, and you’d better be ready to go when I arrive.” 

I assured him I’d wait with open arms.

Pag.245

At least this bought us some time. With any luck, Willie and Raymond could figure a way out of this mess that didn’t involve watermelon knives and mayhem. 

Sometimes life is even stranger than the movies, isn’t it?

 

I spent the next few days commuting between postproduction on Young Master and preproduction on the movie that Lo Wei’s company was supposed to be making. I noticed that Lo was nowhere in sight, however, and that the Triad boys were everywhere. There was no script. The equipment was shoddy even by Lo’s standards. The crew was minimal—subminimal, really. In fact, I wouldn’t have used the setup I’d been provided for shooting home videos, much less a feature film. 

It didn’t matter; I had to make it look like I was making a movie, even if I had no idea what the Triads expected. “Is there a particular kind of movie you guys are looking for?” I asked. 

The head Triad boy looked at me like I was an idiot. “An action movie,” he said. 

“Oh,” I said. “That kind of movie.”

I shrugged my shoulders and did my best to prepare my inexperienced crew to shoot Action Movie: The Feature Film. Starring Jackie Chan and a cast of nobodies. 

It was probably an idea ahead of its time. 

“Okay, Jackie, I think we finally have things under control,” said Willie, walking into my production office to find me slumbering on my desk. “Jackie?” 

I lifted my head and groaned. I’d been working double days for a week, editing and looping The Young Master during the day, while working on preparations for Action Movie in the evening and at night. I was exhausted. “What took you so long?” 

Willie looked irritated. “You cannot expect us just to wave a wand and make all the Triads in Hong Kong disappear, dear boy.” 

So that wasn’t the solution, then. “Well, what did you do?” 

Willie sat down and lit a cigarette. “Okay, we had three problems, correct?” 

I nodded. 

“First, there was finishing Young Master, and you’re very close to doing that.” 

Even if it was killing me. 

“Then, there’s the problem with Lo Wei, who still has a contract that says you owe him ten million Hong Kong dollars, even if you and I know it’s a fraud,” said Willie, “Let’s just say that Raymond has agreed to take care of that.”

Pag.246 

I didn’t ask for details, but Willie had said that Raymond was responsible for Golden Harvest’s investment decisions, and this was an investment if I’d ever heard one. 

“Lastly, there’s the problem with the Triads. Which is actually our biggest problem, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” I gave Willie a glare. “Yes, I see you have. Well, it seems that someone has volunteered to be a moderator between the various parties involved here: our old friend Jimmy Wang Yu.” 

If you remember, Jimmy was my costar in Magnificent Bodyguards. He knew Lo, and he knew Raymond—he’d been at Golden Harvest for years after leaving Shaw Brothers. Most important, he knew the Triads. He was based in Taiwan, and there were rumors that he was something of a big man in shadowy operations on that side of the water. 

“Jimmy is going to try to broker a peace agreement between the Sun Yi On—that’s the Triad group we’re dealing with—Lo Wei, and Golden Harvest. If he succeeds, we’re off the hook. If he fails, it really doesn’t matter, because you won’t be around to find out.”

I blinked. That was a more fatalistic comment than I expected out of Willie, usually quite the optimist. 

“Do you mean I’ll be dead?” I said.

He laughed. “No, Jackie, you’ll be in Hollywood,” he said. “Although there are some people who’d say that’s pretty much the same thing.”