Synopsis of the film
1960 was the 10th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers entering the Korean War, and a total of five films on the theme of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea were released in this year, namely Changying's "Railway Guard" and "Beacon Train", Bayi Factory's "38 Line" and "Surprise Attack" and Zhuying's "Wisdom Danxin".
"Railway Guard" was filmed by Changchun Film Studio in 1959 and released in 1960, directed by Fang Ying, starring Yin Zhiming, Zhou Wenbin, Song Xuejuan, Luo Tai, Ye Linlang, Fang Hua, etc.
The film mainly tells the story of during the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, in order to smash the enemy's conspiracy to blow up the railway, Gao Jian, the chief of our public security section, pretended to be a spy "303", penetrated into the enemy, and finally captured the spy and removed the train bomb, and the military train passed through the Changling tunnel safely.
Background of creation
After the outbreak of the Korean War, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River with great courage and dignity to resist US aggression and aid Korea. At this time, the Kuomintang thought that the time had come, so it ordered the hidden spies to wait for an opportunity to carry out sabotage activities, prepare for the internal and external cooperation, and prepare for the "counterattack on the mainland." For a time, enemy elements frantically carried out activities such as spying on intelligence, sabotaging railways, and blowing up bridges. As the most important transportation hub in Northeast China, the Shenyang railway system has become the primary target of sabotage by enemy elements.
Shortly after the end of the Korean War, in 1954, a policeman from the Public Security Department of the Shenyang Railway Bureau proposed to create a film script with an anti-special theme based on the real cases detected by the Shenyang Railway Public Security Bureau during the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea. ”
The matter was reported to the Ministry of Public Security, and the leaders of the Ministry decided that the Shen Tie Public Security Department would first come up with a first draft and decide after reading it. After receiving the creative task, the Shenyang Railway Public Security Department attached great importance to it, and specially convened a party committee for this purpose, and decided that Liu Xinchun, director of the Political Department, would be specifically responsible for this work, and selected Chen Zhihong, Wang Wenlin, and Ma Jiaji to form a creative group, which was written by Ma Jiaji.
The characters who later appeared in the film, such as dispatcher Gu Yeping, railway worker Xu Fuxiang and dining car waiter Wang Manli, were all from a group of reactionary party groups and spies dug up from the railway system by the Public Security Department of the Shenyang Railway Bureau, and the prototypes of Ma Xiaofei and Gao Jian, the representatives of both sides of the play were based on two spy cases investigated by the department.
In the process of writing the script, the leaders of the Shen Tie Public Security Department emphasized the need to focus on reflecting the role of the people, which is the characteristic of our country's public security work. According to this spirit, the creative team expanded the scope of material collection, such as the film's public security committee member Zhao Shifu late at night regardless of the danger of his life to dismantle the rail obstacles set up by the enemy's special subversion of the military train, so that the military train passed safely and smoothly, which originated from the real deeds of the Shen Tie Dandong Public Security Branch when performing the task of protecting the road at Gaojiasui Station.
Another example is that in the film, Gao Jian, with the help of He Lanying, a female railway operator, and others found out the spy Gu Yeping, and asked He Lanying to serve as the enemy's reporter to grasp the enemy's situation, which originated from the deeds of a female security committee member surnamed Wang who lived in the ethnic street of Heping District, Shenyang City.
At the end of 1956, the Shenyang Railway Public Security Department completed the creation of the film script, which was subsequently published or reprinted in newspapers and periodicals such as "Northeast Daily", "Film Literature", "Northern Literature" and "Yalu River", which received a good social response.
Stills from "Railway Guard": (from right) Gao Jian, chief of the reconnaissance section, He Lanying, a railway employee, and Ma Xiaofei, a special agent.
The story behind the screen
The Shenyang Railway Bureau gave strong support to the filming of the film, and specially allocated the Feng (Huangcheng) Shang (Hekou) railway line connected to the Shenyang (Shenyang) An (Dandong) Railway for filming, and the Changling Tunnel that the enemy tried to blow up was located between Longzhuogou and Kuandian Station of the Fengshang Railway.
filmed the scene where the section chief Gao pretended to be Gu Yeping and Ma Xiaofei in Zhongshan Park, Shenyang. Shenyang Middle Street and the Nanfen area of Benxi City are also the main locations.
Stills from "Railway Guard": The senior section chief pretending to be Gu Yeping and Ma Xiaofei connected in the small pavilion in Zhongshan Park
The film also pays great attention to detail. For example, Gu Yeping smoked the "big production" brand cigarettes of the Shenyang Cigarette Factory, and in the 50s, this brand of cigarettes was in short supply, and leading cadres were only given one box per month on a ticket.
The book that Wang Manli used to connect is the Fast's anthology "The Road to Freedom". Howard Fast was an American left-wing communist writer. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Fast's works were introduced to China as British and American left-wing literature, but later he was regarded as a traitor because he publicly announced his departure from the party, so it is quite meaningful to use his book as a secret service connector in the film.
Stills from "Railway Guard": Spy Wang Manli took a copy of "The Road to Freedom" to find a "303" (pretended to be a senior section chief of public security officers) to connect
Repercussions of the film
In 1960, "Railway Guard" completed filming and was scheduled to be released during the National Day of that year, but because "Liu Sanjie", "Red Flag Spectrum", "Lin Haixueyuan", "Yangmen Female General" and other more audience-based "blockbusters" were released at the same time, the effect was not very enthusiastic.
In 1970, on the occasion of commemorating the 20th anniversary of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Premier Zhou instructed the Film Bureau of the Ministry of Culture to "liberate" a number of feature films with the theme of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea. "Children of Heroes", "Fighting the Invaders", "Surprise Attack", etc., which once occupied an important position in the hearts of the audience, have been re-screened, bringing hearty viewing enjoyment to people who have been starved of "food" for many years. In this round of re-screenings, "Railway Guard" caught the last train, and this time it received an unexpected welcome, "bombarding" in major cities and towns across the country for months, and quickly became a household name classic movie, and its influence continues to this day.
Like many classic movies, "Railway Guard" also has many wonderful lines that are still fresh in people's memories:
"Someone from overseas"
"Who are you, and why do you keep following me?"
"I lost a key"
"No. 99 is really weathered"
"Chaos can't be messy, trouble!"
"Make a mayor a mayor, it's not better than your 200 acres of land"
"I had a dream last night, I dreamed that the Nine Palaces Niangniang appeared saintly"
"Not better than your two hundred acres"
Main cast
Yin Zhiming, who plays the role of Gao Section Chief: Born in 1928, a native of Xianghe, Hebei. In 1950, he graduated from the Department of Business Administration of Tianjin Jingu University. In 1953, he graduated from the Performing Arts Research Institute of the Film Bureau of the Ministry of Culture. Later, he served as an actor in Beijing Film Studio and Changchun Film Studio. In 1955, Yin Zhiming, who made his debut on the screen, played the scout Feng Tinggui in "The Mysterious Traveling Companion", and in 1956, in "Tiger's Den Tracking", Yin Zhiming played the role of Chen Huiyuan, the director of reconnaissance. Later, he played the scout Gu Qun in "Ten O'Clock on National Day". In "Railway Guard", which was filmed 4 years after "Ten O'clock on National Day", he once again played the role of the senior section chief of the public security officer. A series of the same character portrayals made Yin Zhiming leave the same impression on everyone in that era - thick eyebrows, big eyes, calm and capable public security officers. In 1980's "Passengers in Handcuffs", Yin Ming's profession remained unchanged, and the name of "public security professional" was well deserved. Even the traitor Wang Lianju in "Own Descendants", a villain he played, is also a public security officer - a pseudo-patrol policeman.
Yin Zhiming played the role of Gao Section Chief in "Railway Guard".
Due to the era in which the film was produced, it is inevitable that it will not fall into the old routine of public security-themed films: young scouts are often naïve and reckless, the reconnaissance section chief is much more mature and calm, and the director of public security or bureau chief is more wise and sophisticated. For example, "Ten O'clock on National Day", "Mysterious Travel Companion", "Secret Drawings" and "Black Triangle" are all this way. There is such a scene in "Railway Guard": The senior section chief thinks about a problem, and he has no clue after thinking about it all night. In the past, the biggest feeling I had when I saw this was that the section chief was really not as good as the section chief!
Section Chief Gao thought about it all night but didn't solve the problem......
Zhou Wenbin, who plays Master Zhao: Born in Shanghai in 1907, his ancestral home is Wuxi, Jiangsu. When he was very young, he came to Beijing with his family, where he spent his teenage years, working as a bookkeeper, salesman, and mailer. After becoming an adult, he returned to Shanghai and was admitted to the actor training class of Xinhua Film Company to become an actor. Soon, Zhou Wenbin joined the People's Liberation Army and became an actor in the Art Theater of the Central and Southern Military Region. In 1953, he was transferred to the Northeast Film Studio. He has participated in films such as "Guerrillas of the Plains", "Peach Blossom Fan", "Jiawu Fengyun", "Dongmei", "Railway Guard", "Ice Sisters", "Sea Condor", "Outpost", "Daughter of the Party", "Beacon Fire in the Border Village", "Light Riding on the Angry Sea", "Children of Heroes", "Jingpo Girl" and other films.
Zhou Wenbin's acting path is wide, and he takes into account both positive and negative roles, not only successfully creating the image of amiable workers and masters like Wang Fubiao and Master Zhao in "Heroes and Daughters" and "Railway Guards" on the screen, but also good at playing hated "big traitors", such as Fang Boqian in "Jiawu Fengyun", and bandit officers in "The Party's Daughter".
Zhou Wenbin played Master Zhao in "Railway Guard".
Song Xuejuan, who plays He Lanying: Born in Kaiyuan, Liaoning Province in 1935. In 1949, he was admitted to Fuxin Technical School to study. In 1950, he went to Fuxin Coal Mine as a worker. In 1951, he was selected as an actor in the Fuxin Coal Mine Art Troupe. In 1956, he was transferred to Changchun Film Studio as an actor. In 1957, she became popular all over the country by playing the role of the heroine Nava in "Lusheng Love Song". Since then, he has also participated in more than a dozen films such as "Railway Guard", "Jiawu Fengyun", "Young People in Our Village" (sequel). In 1983, after Song Xuejuan retired from Changchun Film Studio, she served as a director for many years and directed many film and television dramas.
Song Xuejuan played He Lanying in "Railway Guard".
"Dispatch Gu, are you at home?" When I was a child, I thought it was funny when I saw this, isn't this a lack of words!
Luo Tai who plays Ma Xiaofei: Not many people know the name Luo Tai, but when it comes to "Ma Xiaofei", it is almost a household name. Born in Xiamen, Fujian Province in 1924, Luo Tai, formerly known as Chen Zhen, was one of the important members of the famous Xiamen Children's Salvation Troupe. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Luo Tai and Qu Baiyin and others went to Hong Kong to found the Jianguo Drama Art Society, and then returned to Beiping to participate in the second drama team. In 1948, Luo Tai entered the Northeast Film Studio as an actor.
In fact, Luo Tai has not participated in many works, so that many audiences do not know his name, in addition to "Railway Guard", he also participated in "The Invisible Front", "Soldier in White", "Zhao Yiman", "Hero Driver", "Unfinished Comedy", "Little Characters", "Spring and Autumn in a Small Town", etc. Ma Xiaofei played by Luo Tai in "Railway Guard" is very distinctive, cunning, insidious, ruthless, and very good at disguise, improvised, worthy of being an "ace" spy, which is impressive.
Luo Tai played the spy Ma Xiaofei in "Railway Guard".
Ye Linlang, who plays Wang Manli: Born in Nanjing in 1932. After graduating from Nanjing Mingde Girls' Church School in 1950, she was admitted to the Performance Department of the Film School of the Performing Arts Research Institute of the Central Film Bureau (now Beijing Film Academy). After graduation, Ye Linlang was assigned to Beijing Film Studio and transferred to Changchun Film Studio in 1955. In the past 40 years, she has participated in the filming of more than 50 movies and TV series. Her performances are life-like, with distinctive character characteristics, especially for playing villains and comedy characters. Ye Linlang played a key role in the film "Railway Guard" female spy Wang Manli, is one of the most successful roles in the film, she did not face to create this character, there is a kind of careless taste in "evil charm", giving a new connotation to the image of female spy. Because she has played a female spy in "Tiger's Den Tracking" and "Morning in the South China Sea", and played a romantic and frivolous woman in "So Amorous", she is known as a "female spy professional".
Ye Linlang played Wang Manli in "Railway Guard".
Fang Hua, who plays the role of the spy station chief, was born in Dalian, Liaoning Province in 1925. In 1944, he joined the recording department of the production department of Manchuria Film Co., Ltd. as a handyman. After the recovery of the Northeast, he joined the Northeast Film Studio. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he worked as an actor in Beijing Film Studio and Changchun Film Studio. He is famous for playing Captain Matsui in the movie "Guerrillas of the Plains", and has played Japanese devils many times, such as Ito, the captain of the Japanese "Yoshino" in "The First Wu Fengyun", and Ono, the Japanese squad leader in "Sanjin Mountain City". It is a professional household that plays the role of "Japanese devil", and is known as the "devil king".
Fang Hua played the spy stationmaster Wu Jichun in "Railway Guard", a scheming guy, with one look, one action, and the whole body is full of drama. Especially his sharp eyes, it is so dramatic. His performance can be described as "superb". It can be said that several of the main antagonists in "Railway Guard" are too wonderful and are one of the important factors in the success of this film.
Fang Hua played the spy stationmaster Wu Jichun in "Railway Guard".
Duan Bin, who plays Gu Dispatch: Born in Hubei in 1930, he was admitted to the Performing Arts Research Institute of the Central Film Bureau (the predecessor of Beijing Film Academy) in the early 50s, and was transferred from Beijing Film to the Changying Actors Troupe in 1955. He has starred in films such as "The Dawn of the Fierce River", "So Amorous", "Shangganling", "Footsteps of Youth", "Cliff", "Railway Guard", "Beacon Train", "Dongmei", "Wanmu Spring", "The Fire is Red" and other films. In 1963, he and his wife Guo Yiwen were transferred to Zhujiang Film Studio. Duan Bin played Gu Dispatcher in "Railway Guard" is Gu Yeping, a sleeper agent at the Liaoning Station of the Kuomintang Secret Bureau, code 303, and dispatcher of the Railway Bureau. He did his best to sabotage, and in the film, he instigated Xu Fuxiang, a sleeper spy and locomotive repairman of the Railway Bureau, to subvert the military train sent to the front line to resist US aggression and aid Korea: "This important military train, if my brother can subvert it and contribute to the war situation in Korea, then ...... Oh, don't talk about going to South Korea, hehe......"
Duan Bin played Gu Dispatch in "Railway Guard".
The veteran actor Tian Lie played a latent villain in the film, the Taoist master of the Nine Palaces, and there were two lines: "I had a dream last night, I dreamed that the Niangniang of the Nine Palaces appeared as a saint, she said that I am blessed with great fortune, great creation, and every evil turns into good fortune and becomes auspicious and prosperous......."
The Daoist Master of the Nine Palaces can really break his life: "She said that I am blessed with great life, great creation"
Video interlude
Let's take a look at the episodes in the film:
"The People of the World Are United": Anyone who has watched the old movie "Railway Guard" will be deeply impressed by a song at the beginning of the film: "Hey, lala, hey, the sky is colorful, the ground is blooming with red flowers, the Chinese and North Korean people are strong, defeat the American soldiers......" The cheerful, bright and optimistic tune sang the confidence of the military and the people of the whole country to win this war, infecting hundreds of millions of Chinese people.
Many people are familiar with the melody of this song and can sing it, but not many people know the title of the song, because the first sentence of the beginning "Hey-la-la-la" is loud and easy to remember, and it is simply called "Hey-la-la-la", just like "My Motherland" is called "a big river".
The name of this song is "The People of the World Are United", which was born in 1951, the second year of the Chinese People's Volunteers going to Korea to participate in the war, and the song was composed when the whole country set off the climax of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea. As soon as it was published, "The People of the World Are United" was immediately praised by the whole society for its light and bright melody and simple and catchy lyrics; in particular, it closely followed the theme of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, defending the homeland and defending the country, and defending world peace, reflected the characteristics of the times, expressed the pride and ambition of the Chinese people, and fully demonstrated the optimistic spirit of the Chinese people, so it was warmly welcomed. As soon as this song was produced, the song immediately resounded all over the motherland, almost to the point that men, women and children can sing it, becoming the most influential musical work in the 50s of the last century, and won the National Excellent Song Award in 1954. In 1960, Changchun Film Studio filmed the anti-special feature film "Railway Guard" with the background of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, and used this song as the theme song, accompanied by a specific picture, so that this song has a perfect display, thus producing a more vivid and vivid artistic effect.
"Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Defend the Home and Defend the Country" not only made the people of the whole country hate the same enemy, but also inspired the artists; "The People of the World Are United" sings the belief that the people of the whole country will win this war, and sings the common aspiration of the Chinese people and peace-loving people all over the world.
1951 "The People of the World Are United" record
"Condolences to the Volunteers": There is such a clip in the film "Railway Guard": When the senior section chief of the public security officer was thinking about the problem at night, he turned on the radio, and a song was playing in it: "China sent out our volunteers, and they broke Truman with a stick!" This is a folk song minor key that was popular in the fifties and sixties of the last century. The melody is beautiful, soulful and cheerful. The name of the song is "Condolences to the Volunteer Army", created in 1951, the lyricists Guan Hua and Luo Li, the composer Zhang Lu, the original singer Meng Yu, and the soprano soloist of the Central Song and Dance Troupe.
From the beginning of April to the end of May 1951, the first Chinese condolence group went to the DPRK for nearly two months, actively carried out condolence performances on the front line and in the rear, used art as a weapon, fought together with the Chinese People's Volunteers, and wrote the fearless and magnificent songs of the outstanding sons and daughters of the Chinese nation with a high degree of patriotism and internationalism. At the same time, they also delivered more than 1,000 pennants, more than 4 million yuan in condolence money, more than 2,000 boxes of condolence goods, and more than 15,000 letters of condolence donated by the Chinese people to the front-line volunteer soldiers and the DPRK military and civilians, greatly boosting the morale of the front-line combat units! Among them, the "Little Song of Condolences to the Volunteers" written by Guan Hua, a member of the Music Troupe of the Central Conservatory of Music, and composed by Zhang Lu; "Aunt Wang Wants Peace," written by Xu Wen and Zhang Lu, and composed by Zhang Lu, were respectively sung by Meng Yu, the first singer. Ding Le was brought to the front line and was warmly welcomed by the soldiers and highly praised by Comrade Peng Dehuai! After returning to China, these two songs to resist US aggression and aid Korea were recorded and became "popular golden songs" in the 50s.
In 1952, the record of "Condolences to the Volunteer Army" and the brief score of "Aunt Wang Wants Peace".
In the early 50s, Mei Lanfang (fourth from left), a famous Peking Opera performance artist, visited the soldiers of the Volunteers on the front line in North Korea, and also sang the song "Condolences to the Volunteers".
In the Spring Festival of 1953, Chang Xiangyu, a famous Henan opera performance artist, sang the song "Condolences to the Volunteers" on the Korean front line to the soldiers of the Volunteers