 |
Statistics :
11630 Movies
19215 People
1448 Studios
29 Articles
73 Interviews
12 DVD Reviews
32452 Screenshots
3722 Videos
|
|
|
 |
Biography |
 |
Alan Tang was born on September 20, 1946, in Shunde in Guangdong province in southern China. He first appeared on screen at 16. It was a fluke, really. His good looks helped too. After some of his classmates shown his picture to a film crew shooting at his school The Student Prince, he was hired. Tang was nicknamed « Prince » ever since.
Yet, his professional actor career really began in 1967, after he graduated in Chinese history and started teaching in his old school. He first worked in Hong Kong as a lead in romantic films, but it was only after he left for Taiwan that he became a star. There, he was often the lead role of numerous drama/comedy romances, which were very popular in the seventies. He could be seen on screen opposite several young and promising actresses such as Jen Jen, Brigitte Lin, Joan Lin, Tanny Tien Niu or Sylvia Chang. These romantic films made him an Asian star.
In 1977, Tang founded his own production company in HK, The Wing Scope Film Production Ltd with his brother Rover Tang (the company would later become In-Gear Film Production Co.) and they specialised in more manly genres, namely film noir and heroic bloodshed. Alan Tang was behind and before the camera. Behind as a director (The Discharged, Law Don) but he was mostly producer (New York Chinatown, A Hearty Response and international acclaimed director Wong Kar Wai's first two films As Tear Go By and Days of Being Wild). Tang often teamed up with Stanley Siu Wing who co-directed with him or simply was the director of his own vehicles. Tang was still an actor (Don't Kill Me, Brother) even if his popularity had slowly faded away. He gave noticeable performances as a gangster with a noble heart in film such as Flaming Brothers with Chow Yun Fat or Gangland Odyssey.
Alan Tang is also the man who gave Wong Kar Wai to the HK audience, and subsequently to the world, with two films which were not too popular at the time but later gain a sort of cult status. Tang and Wong met in 1987 on the production of Flaming Brothers, a heroic-bloodshed movie directed by Joe Cheung produced by the Tang brothers and co-scripted by Wong. A year later, Tang produced Wong’s first directorial effort, As Tears Go By (1988), which enjoyed a great critical success. Two years later, Wong and Tang teamed up again for a new film, universally acknowledged as one of the most beautiful films from the former British colony, Days of Being Wild. Sadly, the local audience didn’t follow and the box office take was disappointing. But it gave Wong a solid reputation overseas. After one last job together, Return Engagement (1990), directed by Joe Cheung and co-scripted by Wong again, they took different paths. Wong founded his own film company while Tang kept producing and acting until 1994.
In the first half of the nineties, Alan Tang slowed down his output and gradually withdrew from the film industry. He invested in other businesses, such as restaurants or real estate, until he had finally no more connexions whatsoever with the cinema world.
His last public appearance was in 2008, for the funeral of his old friend actress Lydia Shum. Alan was angry with Lydia’s ex-husband Adam Cheng: he blamed him fiercely and publicly for his indifference toward Lydia’s misfortune and her daughter, singer-actress Joyce Cheng Yan-yee’s fate. Tang was also Joyce’s godfather and was against her decision to join the entertainment circle.
On March 29, 2011, Tang’s help found him lifeless in bed at his home of Kadoorie Hill, Hong Kong. When EMT arrived, it was already too late. The noble Prince of heroic bloodshed films, a man with a immense magnetism, a Hong Kong version of Alain Delon, no less, passed away peacefully at home and finally met again with his good friend Lydia Shum. May he rest in peace.
Translated from French by Emmanuel Paul, updated by Thomas Podvin, 29/03/2011
|
 |
Top |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Filmography |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Alternate lists by alpha / genre / year |
| |
|
Title
( HK - All )
|
 Year |
Activity |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
Kung Fu Scholar |
1994 |
Producer |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Black Panther Warriors, The |
1993 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gun N' Rose |
1992 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Requital |
1992 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Days Of Being Wild |
1991 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Hong Kong Godfather |
1991 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gangland Odyssey |
1990 |
Brief appearance |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Return Engagement |
1990 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr Sunshine |
1989 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Dear Son |
1989 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vampire Buster |
1989 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
As Tears Go By |
1988 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haunted Cop Shop 2, The |
1988 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flaming Brothers |
1987 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haunted Cop Shop, The |
1987 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Miss Hong Kong |
1987 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hearty Response, A |
1986 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crazy Romance |
1985 |
Producer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winner Takes All ? |
1984 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yellow Peril |
1984 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I Do ! |
1983 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Militarism Revival, The |
1983 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong Black Street Lady |
1982 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York Chinatown |
1982 |
Producer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Don't Kill Me, Brother |
1981 |
Writer, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Twist, The |
1981 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Absolute Monarch |
1980 |
Actor, Presenter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Law Don |
1979 |
Director, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Over The Rainbow |
1979 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wickedness In Poverty, The |
1979 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chase, The |
1978 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lam Ah Chun |
1978 |
Brief appearance |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rascal Billionaire, The |
1978 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Minutes Past Nine |
1978 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
To Love Or Not To Love |
1978 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Who Holds The Golden Key ? |
1978 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discharged, The |
1977 |
Director, Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forever And Ever |
1977 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mitra |
1977 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orchid In The Rain |
1977 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scoundrel, The |
1977 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beauty With Two Faces, The |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Born Rich |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forever My Love |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Of Love |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Little Ancestors, The |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love By Post |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love In Hawaii |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love Is Like A Game |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morning Date, The |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Funny Intern |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow |
1976 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
24 Hours Romance |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blood And Rose |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Floating Clouds, The |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Holocaust, The |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kiss By The Wolves |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land Of The Undaunted |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love Story Of Pian Pian |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Run Lover Run |
1975 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colorful Ripples, The |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dynamite Brothers |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Come; First Love |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Year's Fantasy |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Playboy, The |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver Band, The |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Splendid Love In Winter, The |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Too Young |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where The Seagull Flies |
1974 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adultery Chinese Style |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back Street |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Death Comes In Three |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Death On The Docks |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong Nite Life |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If Tomorrow Comes |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iron Bull, The |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love Is A Four Letter Word |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rats, The |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unsubdued Furies, The |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where Does Love Come From |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young Ones, The |
1973 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bloody Fight, The |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brutal Boxer, The |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Changing Love |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cheating In Panorama |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong Criminal Crimes |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Impetuous Fire |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love And Blood |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love In A Cabin |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notorious Ones, The |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peeper, The Model And The Hypnotist, The |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songs And Romance Forever |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stealing Love |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wild Horse |
1972 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I Am Crazy About You |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Invincible Iron Palm, The |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maria |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mighty Couple |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Money and I |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh My Love |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Song Of Happy Life |
1971 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crazy Bar, The |
1970 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Happy Angel, The |
1970 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Happy Times |
1970 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Miss Not Home |
1970 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Modern School Life |
1970 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Let's Sing And Dance To Celebrate A Peaceful Year |
1969 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
One In Yellow, The |
1969 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Red Light, Green Light |
1969 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Social Characters |
1969 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bride In Chains |
1968 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iron Fiddle |
1968 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Time for Reunion, A |
1968 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bunny Girl |
1967 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glamorous Christmas Night, A |
1967 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Fair Lady |
1967 |
Actor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Student Prince, The |
1964 |
Actor |
|
|
| |
|
|
 Article
Review
Poster/Gallery
DVD Captures
Trailer
DVD Captures/Trailer
|
|
|
Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Interview Links (French only) |
|
|
|
|
Secondary Interview Links (French only) (Show) |
|
|
Top |
|
|
|
|
