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| Lin Dai sits comfortably for the inaugural issue of Shaw's new magazine |
Lin Dai became an instant star with her 1953 debut, Singing under the Moon. Her popularity continued the following year with Spring Is in the Air. Both films were hits for Yonghua Studio but couldn't save the debt-ridden company from closure in 1955. Lin Dai subsequently signed a three-year contract with Shaw and Sons for three films a year. However, the contract failed to include an exclusivity clause. This enabled her to enter a secret agreement with Cathay chief Loke Wan Tho. He also offered her three films a year but at a higher pay. When Shaw found out, they immediately matched Cathay's rate. Lin Dai suddenly became Hong Kong's highest-paid movie star.
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| Superstar Lin Dai strikes a pose for Cathay's International Screen |
Lin Dai's consecutive Best Actress wins at the Asian Film Festival — in 1957 for Cathay's Golden Lotus and in 1958 for Shaw's Diau Charn — consolidated her position as movie queen. She continued to make films for both studios up until 1960, after which she worked exclusively for Shaw Brothers until her sudden death in 1964. For more than 10 years, Lin Dai commanded the box office and ruled the silver screen. She is justifiably remembered today as one of Chinese cinema's brightest stars.
References
Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: The Twentieth Century (2003)
11 comments:
Great covers!
That first pose recalls a famous shot of Marilyn Monroe or somebody in Hollywood who posed in a similar chair -- can't quite recall.
Yeah, Lin Dai looks really good in red! Here's another International Screen cover from around the same time.
Wow, duriandave, her appearance on two magazine covers simultaneously is like when Bruce Springsteen was on Time and Newsweek!
Like I said, it's not that extraordinary given Lin Dai's popularity, but I like to imagine that Cathay chose her for the International Screen cover just to let some air out of Shaw's balloons and remind them that she was their star too. ;D
Wow, a rare actor that got the better of Shaws! Bet those contracts are iron-clad these days. :D
You just reminded me about a funny anecdote about contracts I recently read at the Li Lihua fan site:
In the early 1960's, Li Lihua was an important star at Shaw Brothers. One day, Shaw had some Hollywood visitors and Raymond had to arrange a dinner reception for the guests. Li Lihua was on the list to welcome the visitors. At that time, extremely busy and tired, she was annoyed at having to make an appearance, so still in her movie costume and with her movie contract in hand, she went to look for Run Run Shaw.
"Sixth uncle (Shaw was No. 6 in his family), I don't think my contract stipulates that I have to eat dinner with visitors, does it?"
"Okay, okay. Raymond must have made a mistake. You don't have to go," was Shaw's response.
So they scrambled to find someone else to take her place. A new young starlet from Taiwan was chosen. This young actress, also named Li, also brought her contract to see Run Run Shaw. Mr. Shaw said to her, "Oh, okay, you don't have to eat dinner with our visitors. You also don't have to come in to work tomorrow." Poor Ms. Li got the sack and returned to Taiwan to get married.
This of course was all Li Lihua's fault! As some wise guy might say, "One may have the same last name but indeed there is a great difference."
Lin Dai is definitely the Queen of the silver screen in the 50s and 60s.She has graced the covers of the all important inaugural issue of a magazine more than any other actors.Base on my loose count,she has appeared on like 10 inaugural issue covers.
Right you are, Oldflames! Here's Queen Linda on the inaugural issue of International Screen.
Thanks for sharing Dave, Linda's popularity was indsiputable, and she was the "Crown Queen" among the queens in silver screen of her time~~
Dave,
Thank you for posting these old covers of the rival studios with Lin Dai on both, whoo hoo - definitely testimony to her overwhelming popularity, that she was able to make movies for BOTH Shaw's and Cathay up till 1960 - very few other actresses could do so - usually they worked exclusively for either one or the other - as Lucilla Yu Min did, going from Shaw's to Cathay - Lin Dai's pose on that first issue of Southern Screen is amazing, what a truly glamorous star she was then!
Hi Dev and Joyce! Glad you liked 'em.
BTW, starting on December 6 my blog buddy Glenn and I will host a Lin Dai week. Glenn's going to review 5 of her films, and I'm going to post about 5 of her films that are not yet available on DVD.
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