Ivy Ling Po


Huang Yuet-chu, known professionally by her stage name Ivy Ling Po, is a retired actress and Chinese opera singer from Hong Kong. She gained widespread fame during the 1960s for her roles in several popular Huangmei opera films; most notably The Love Eterne. This role was lauded as an inspiring performance in Asian culture, solidifying her status as a cultural icon.
Ling Po initially acted in Amoy Hokkien's films under the stage name Xiaojuan, then in Cantonese films under Shen Yan, before joining the Shaw Brothers Studio to act in Mandarin films as Ling Po.

Early life

Huang Yu-Chun was born on November 16, 1939, in Shantou, Guangdong. As a child, she was sold to a family in Xiamen. She was given the name Jun Haitang and worked as a domestic maid. After reaching preadolescence, her adoptive mother forced her to enter the movie industry in Hong Kong. Ling Po claimed she did not have a childhood and was often scolded and physically punished by her adoptive mother. Before Ling Po turned 18 years, her adoptive mother sold her to Chinese-Filipino businessman Shi Weixiong, with whom Ling Po had a son, Shi Yonghui.
In 1957, Shi Weixiong funded the establishment of the Huasha Film Company, which specialized in producing Mandarin-language films. Wu Baoxi and Ling Po—who starred in most of Huasha's productions under the name 'Xiao Juan'—served as producers. During the filming of The Love Eterne, Ling Po—unwilling to meet her adoptive mother's request to attend Weixiong's dinner—moved into the Shaw dormitory with the protection and support of director Li Hanxiang, who freed her from the control of her adoptive parents.

Career

1950s–1960s

Ling Po resided in Xiamen before moving to Hong Kong. Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People at the age of twelve, under the name of Xiao Juan. In addition to appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she was dubbed for other movie companies, particularly Huangmei operas for Shaw Brothers.
While Ling Po was dubbing the Shaw Brothers' opera Dream of the Red Chamber, she caught the attention of Li Han-hsiang, who cast her as Liang Shanbo in The Love Eterne in 1962 with Betty Loh Ti. The judges at the second Golden Horse Awards were so impressed by her performance that they created a special award for her, citing her Outstanding Performance. In 1963, a publicity appearance brought traffic in Taipei to a halt, as thousands of women came to see Ivy Ling Po.
In 1964, Ling Po received the coveted title of Asian Movie Queen, when she won the Best Actress award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her performance in Lady General Hua Mulan. The following year, she would win the Most Versatile Talent award at the 12th Asian Film Festival, 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, Ling Po would make lists of the top ten stars in Hong Kong, based on polls conducted by magazines and newspapers.
To avoid being typecast, she auditioned for various roles in both wuxia and contemporary genres. For playing the ill-fated wife of Kwan Shan in Too Late for Love, one of her contemporary outings, she won the Golden Horse Best Actress award.

1970s–1980s

In 1975, Ling Po won the Golden Horse Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's The Empress Dowager, despite limited screen time in the sprawling epic. After her contract with Shaw Brothers Studio ended in 1975, she went on to appear in other films and television series with her husband. She won another Golden Horse for Best Actress, for My Father, My Husband, My Son, in which she aged from a teenager to an old woman. Her last screen appearance was in the movie Golden Swallow, playing an evil witch. She then retired after the movie and emigrated with her husband, Chin Han, and her three sons to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1989.

2000s

Ivy Ling Po's career revived in 2002 when she was cast with another veteran Shaw actress, Hu Chin, in a stage production of Butterfly Lovers. Two original cast members, Li Kun, and Jen Chieh, reprised their respective roles. She toured extensively with this production, bringing it to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. Ivy Po restaged the production two years later in Taiwan.
Ling Po has performed in concerts in Taiwan, the United States, and Malaysia. Her two concerts at Genting Malaysia in 2005 included Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang Lin, and Yueh Hua.
In 2006, Ling Po performed at the Hong Kong Coliseum as part of a large group of singers for the Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She sang her signature songs from The Love Eterne, duetting with Lisa Wang, who sang the part of Zhu Yingtai. She also performed her version of "Jiao Dao" from The Crimson Palm.
In April 2004, Ling Po was among the first Hong Kong celebrities who opened the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, adding her handprints and signature. In January 2006, Ling Po was awarded the WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award, with the re-release and screening of the remastered film The 14 Amazons at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. In October 2006, Ivy Ling Po, Hu Chin, and Xie Lei performed at Star City in Sydney, Australia. Ling Po also performed at the Frances Yip S.U.C.C.E.S.S. concert, held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on October 30, 2006.

Awards

Filmography

Titles & dates of release courtesy of Hong Kong Film Archive
  • RR = remastered and released on DVD
  • R = released without being remastered probably in the wrong aspect ratio

Amoy (Hokkien) films

Love of Young People – 1951Judge Bao Judges Yueying – 20 November 1955The Phoenix's Flirtation With Twin Dragons – 25 November 1955Meng Jiangnu's Wail Shattered The Great Wall – 6 July 1955Meng Lijun – 26 August 1955The Cowherd and the Weaving Girl – 8 September 1955The Story of Third Madam Li – 12 May 1955Liang Shanbo & Zhu Yingtai – 3 August 1955Xuemei Teaches Her Son – 15 September 1955Chen Shimei Denies His Wife – 20 September 1955Love's Obligation – 13 April 1955Flower Terrace – 15 November 1956The Death of Daiyu – 18 May 1956The Phoenix Returns Home – 6 June 1956Tiger Wang Snatches His Bride – 11 May 1956Lady Red-Broom – 11 February 1956Dream of the Red Chamber – 22 November 1956An'an Searches For His Mother – 20 December 1956Lianli Gives Birth To Han Qi – 22 May 1956Nazha Creates Havoc in the East Sea – 21 February 1956Wang Zhaojun – 26 April 1956Judge Bao's Night Trial of Guo Huai – 2 December 1956Madam Zhou Cheng in Search of Her Husband – 13 December 19568 Immortals in Jiangnan – 24 May 1957Monk Ji Gong – 4 April 1957Peach Blossom Weeps Blood – 6 June 1957Third Madam Teaches Her Son – 2 October 1957Xiaofeng – 5 November 1957Mulian Saves His Mother – 3 November 1957Love Mismatched – 14 February 1957Strange Tales of an Empty Chest – 6 May 1957Burning of Red Lotus Temple – 1 February 1957Meeting on the Magpies Bridge – 21 September 1957Burning of Red Lotus Temple, The Sequel – 2 February 1957True And False Romance – 12 October 1957The Battle Between Red Kid & Monkey King – 18 January 1957Xuemei Misses Her Husband – 26 February 1958Choosing A Son-In-Law – 17 September 1958Lu Mengzheng Wins The Bride's Embroidered Ball – 8 May 1958Mr. Wang Marries His Daughter To Hong Kong – 22 November 1958Hot Lady – 19 May 1958Discarded Body in a Bathroom – 7 August 1958Shrews From Afar – 5 June 1958Marry into Your Own Class – 4 April 1958Harmony Between The In-Laws – 3 July 1958Teddy Girls – 30 October 1958The True Story of Mazhu – 1 January 1958Crossroads – 24 September 1958Burning of Red Lotus Temple Part 3 – 14 January 1959Burning of Red Lotus Temple Part 4 – 17 January 1959Queen of Folk Songs – 17 April 1959Miss Jinfeng – 28 March 1959I Love Young Men – 17 June 1959Suffer for My Wife – 8 September 1959Brother Wang And Brother Liu – 1959Miss Singapore – 3 September 1959He Has Taken Her For Another – 4 September 1959Miss Cuicui – 7 February 1959Phony Phoenixes – 31 July 1959Mr. Wang Throws A Birthday Party – 3 April 1959
  • A Perfect Match – 11 March 1959Who Is Not Amorous? – 21 February 1959The Love of a Pedicab Driver – 16 January 1959Who Is The Murderer? – 16 April 1959A Girl in Love – 27 March 1959True Love – 14 January 1959The Maiden Catches The Culprit – 24 December 1959Mr. Wang's New Year – 21 February 1959Liu Hai Meets Fairy – 1961Little Wild Cat – date of release unknownLong Feng Pei – 7 November 1957Secret Swordswoman – date of release unknownZai Jia Xin Niang – date of release unknownFan Li Hua – date of release unknown

Cantonese films

Seven Daughters of Tsoi – 21 February 1962The Grandest of All Families – 13 February 1962The Little Happy Star – 9 February 1962Renegade – 19 April 1963Cantonese Opera: Fu Gwai Wing Wah Tai Yat Ka – date of release unknown

Shaw Brothers Studio

Huangmei Opera Dubbings

Dream of the Red Chamber – 2 August 1962 Return of the Phoenix – 24 July 1963
  • The Adulteress – 8 August 1963 The Lotus Lamp – 8 July 1965 The Pearl Phoenix – 4 February 1967

Huangmei opera films

Hung Niang – 1962 The Love Eterne – 3 April 1963 A Maid From Heaven – 11 December 1963 Lady General Hua Mu-lan – 18 June 1964 The Crimson Palm – 28 October 1964 The Female Prince – 10 December 1964 Inside The Forbidden City – 16 October 1965 The Grand Substitution – 15 April 1965 The Mermaid – 29 January 1965 The West Chamber – 10 October 1965 Dawn Will Come – 2 March 1966The Perfumed Arrow – 23 November 1966The Mirror and the Lichee – 9 November 1967 Forever And Ever – 20 January 1968The Three Smiles – 24 September 1969

Wuxia/martial arts films

Temple of the Red Lotus – 1 October 1965 The Twin Swords – 1965 Sword and the Lute – 21 April 1967 Duel for Gold – 16 November 1971 The Mighty One – 1972 The Crimson Charm – 16 July 1971 The 14 Amazons – 27 July 1972 Finger of Doom – 14 April 1972 Flight Man – 1972Unarmed Combat – 1972, incomplete

Contemporary films

Between Tears and Smiles – 18 January 1964 Vermilion Door – 26 August 1965 The Mating Season – 1966Song of Tomorrow – 12 October 1967 Too Late For Love – 29 March 1967 Raw Passions – 4 September 1969 The Younger Generation – 12 March 1970 A Cause To Kill – 15 January 1970 The Silent Love – 2 April 1971 It's All in the Family – 1974

Historical drama films

Empress Dowager – 21 March 1975 The Last Tempest – 21 February 1976

Post-Shaw Brothers

Huangmei opera films & TV productions

Dream of the Red Chamber – 18 May 1978 The Imperious Princess – 25 July 1980 Imperial Matchmaker – 1982 Butterfly Lovers 40 – 2002 The Lute – TV movie release date unknown
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

The Chinese Amazons – 11 February 1975 The Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho – 18 October 1977 A Rescue From Hades – release date unknown15 Female Warriors of the Sa Family – 1981Long Nuu Xin Fan – 1982New Pilgrims to the West – 1986Liu Zhu Hui Nen Zuan – 1987Golden Swallow – 16 December 1987
Notes:
  1. The Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho was retitled The Great Chase for its LaserDisc and VCD release. The LaserDisc version features an English soundtrack which is not available on VCD.
  2. Ivy Ling Po has cameos in both A Rescue From Hades and 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 Kue Ya Lei as the eldest sister, Tang Lan Hua and Han Hsiang Chin. The villain is played by Chen Hsing.

Drama films

Father, Husband, Son – 1974Crossroad – 1976Mother – 1982 The Lost Generation – 1983
Notes:
  1. Crossroad has been remastered by Warner Bros in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with English subtitles and screened on Celestial channel.
  2. The Lost Generation grossed HK$1.548M and starred Chen Chen, Ivy Ling Po, Betty Ting Pei, Paul Chang Chung, Kwan Shan, Jenny Tseng, Chin Han, Yi Lei, Roy Chiao, Rosemund Kwan, Sibelle Hu, Kue Ya Lei, Chen Kuan Tai, Ke Chun Hsiung and Ching Miao among other stars. Written and directed by Liu Chia Chang.

Television

  • Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon7 Lives Becoming Couple – 16 April 1972Spring in Jiangnan – 1980Wu Tu Wu Ming – 1981Chang Lang Qi Tan – 1982Man Feng He Ming – 13 February 1983Qin Gui He Chu – 1984Fan Pu – 1986Ta Men De Gu Shi – 1986Jui Gan Pao Tiao Peng – 1986Jin Fen Wang Chao – 1986Qin Suo – 1986

Personal life

Ling Po is married to Chin Han. Her children include film director Kenneth Bi.