Cheng Bugao was originally the director of the star company, Hong Shen was quite good with him, and it was Hong Shen who introduced him to the star company. He once went to France to study film, studied for two years, and was quite progressive politically. He made the star company's first progressive film "Wild Current".
Cheng Bugao told me that the cause was the flood in Wuhan in 1931, and the news was published in the newspapers. Cheng Bugao wanted to photograph the flood and the suffering of the victims, so he took the photographer to the disaster area to capture the tragic scenes caused by the flood, interviewed many victims, heard some touching stories, and made a film that was a bit like a documentary. Because it is very realistic and vivid, it was very popular with the audience after the screening. At this time, Xia Yan (pen name Huang Zibu), a member of the film team led by the underground party of the Communist Party of China, and others happened to work in the star company. Xia Yan proposed to Cheng Bugao that according to these materials, he could make up a story and make a feature film. Cheng Bugao agreed. The script was written by Xia Yan. The story is about the daughter of an industrial and commercial landlord (starring Hu Die), although she is a young lady from a rich family, she is quite sympathetic to the peasants. When there was a big flood, the peasants built an embankment on the river to prevent flooding, and asked the landlord to bring out building materials, but the landlord refused. At this time, the landlord's daughter was willing to give the building materials to the peasants, and also persuaded her father. The landlord was still reluctant to come up with the materials, which resulted in flooding. This film is written about the class struggle though. But as soon as the film was released, everyone went to watch it, mainly to see the flood, which was highly documentary, and it was a real scene of the flood, and many viewers who had never seen the flood were very shocked after watching it. This shows that audiences in Shanghai especially like to watch this kind of documentary feature film. After reading it, some people mobilized everyone to raise donations to help the victims, and even Hartung also donated money to the disaster area. He sold his family's antiques for charity and donated all the money from the sale.
Cheng Bugao smiled when he said this. He said: "We write about class struggle, but in the end, it is the rich people who give the money to the disaster areas. "
The star company later filmed "Salt Tide" to write the story of the struggle of the salt people. It was a script written by Lou Shiyi, and it was also Hu Die who played the heroine, and she had to be barefoot when she went to the salt field to film. Although she has never been barefoot outside, she can perform barefoot in strict accordance with the plot.
In addition, there is also a "Fat Powder Market", which is also written about class struggle, starring Hu Die. The story is about a shop owner who takes a fancy to a female employee but is rejected. After that, the star also filmed "Spring Silkworm", also directed by Cheng Bugao, which was adapted by Xia Yan from Mao Dun's novel of the same name. and Yang Hansheng's "Iron Plate Red Tears", written in the countryside, Hu Die did not act in these two plays. The star company has made more than a dozen left-wing progressive movies in a row, and more people watch the films starring Hu Die, and fewer people watch the films starring others. The movies they make have a large audience and box office, mainly relying on Hu Die. Therefore, at that time, people said that the left-wing films of the star company all relied on Hu Die, and the progressive films made by Lianhua Company all relied on Jin Yan. One is the "Movie Queen" and the other is the "Movie Emperor", which is popular. Movies all depend on actors! Lianhua's progressive films "Love and Obligation" and "City Night" mainly filmed a rich young master helping the poor, and the young master fell in love with a poor girl, which was called propaganda reformism by progressives.
Cheng Bugao told me here: "Hu Die is now in Hong Kong. "I said, can I see us? He said yes, and took me to see him. When we arrived at Hu Die's house, Hu Die received us happily. I think Hu Die has a lot of respect for Cheng Bugao, and Hu Die also introduced her husband Pan Yousheng to meet us. Then, we started small talking. When we talked about Ruan Lingyu, Hu Die said: "I was quite wronged. My relationship with Ruan Lingyu was originally quite good. After I joined the star company, I partnered with her to produce "White Cloud Tower". After filming, Ruan Lingyu left. Ruan Lingyu treats people very kindly, and greets everyone in the studio. The reason is that there is an actor named Zhu Fei who likes to joke with Ruan Lingyu, but Zhang Shichuan doesn't like it, so he also has an opinion on Ruan Lingyu. Before the screening of "White Cloud Tower", when the actors met with the audience, Zhang Shichuan arranged for me to stand in the middle, and Ruan Lingyu lined up on the side. When I saw it, I pulled her over and stood with me. Because I have a good relationship with her. I also told her that we have been working together for a long time. But she said that Zhang Shichuan didn't want her anymore. "
Later, Ruan Lingyu went to Great China Film Company to shoot some more pornographic films, such as "Women Are Troubles", which were not very good. Actors can't help it, what to shoot is not up to the actors themselves. Fortunately, soon Greater China merged into Lianhua Company, and she met a good director Sun Yu. Once, Ruan Lingyu played a courtesan, shooting a scene of sleeping in the snow, and she slept in the snow when it was very cold in winter. After a while, Sun Yu said, "It's done." But she said, "I haven't felt cold yet." So she took off her coat and slept in the snow. After Sun Yu took the picture, he said, "It's okay this time." However, she said that I didn't feel like I was frozen to death yet, and I started again. So she lay down in the snow and shot again. The director hurriedly filmed and told her to get up and get dressed, for fear that she would get sick for a shot.
Fei Mu filmed "City Night", Wang Guilin played the father, and Ruan Lingyu played the daughter. Photographed his father going to work in Pudong during the day, coming back late at night, it was cold, and before he reached the door, his father fell to the ground, and when his daughter saw it and pounced on him, there should be a soundscape of rain, Wu Yonggang was still an artist at the time, responsible for watering and raining. Wu saw that Ruan Lingyu was wearing little clothes, and he couldn't bear to pour too much water, so he took a pot of water and poured it down. After director Fei Mu finished filming, he immediately called a stop, but who knows, Ruan Lingyu said: "I haven't been drenched in the rain yet, and I want to reshoot." I'm young, it doesn't matter. Fei Mu started again, and Wu Yonggang picked up two more pots of water and poured them on her. Everyone was very touched when they saw it.
Ruan Lingyu not only has good acting skills, but also has high requirements for herself. She has a spirit of dying for the sake of art. When Cai Chusheng was filming "New Woman", he found Wang Naidong to play the boss and Ruan Lingyu to play the heroine, and there was a plot that required Wang Naidong to push Ruan Lingyu down from the upper floor. Wang Naidong said: "Let me push Ruan Lingyu down from the upper floor, how can I do it?" What if something goes wrong? He said to the director, "I'll just touch her a little bit and she'll fall." At this time, Ruan Lingyu was already very famous. Ruan Lingyu heard this, and immediately said that this would not work. You're going to slap me hard and knock me downstairs. Wang Naidong hesitated for a moment, waved his right arm and slapped it down, Ruan Lingyu really rolled down the stairs, rolled all the way to the bottom of the building, and fell on the floor. Wang Naidong immediately went downstairs and said to Ruan Lingyu apologetically: "My slap was too heavy." Director Fei Mu looked at it and said, "Okay." Unexpectedly, Ruan Lingyu said: "It's not enough, it is written in the script that the heroine should faint, do it again!" "It's a bit dangerous. However, at Ruan Lingyu's insistence, Wang Naidong had to slap her again, and Ruan Lingyu was beaten down the stairs and lay on the floor. After a while, I saw that she did not move. Cai Chusheng and everyone went up to take a look, she really fainted, and hurried first aid before she recovered. The people present were really moved and admired. Nguyen Lingyu is a true artist. For the sake of art, she can not even want her life! So when Hu Die talked about Ruan Lingyu, she said a heartfelt word, she said: "The role I play, Ruan Lingyu can also play, but Ruan Lingyu's role, I can't play it, I play rich women, she plays poor women, because she was originally from a bitter background." "
When I met Bu Wancang in Hong Kong, he told me one thing when he talked about Ruan Lingyu. In the 30s, when he entered a star company to shoot "Named Couple", he needed to recruit actors, and the actors in front of him were very beautiful. Bu Wancang said: "Don't be pretty. Later, Ruan Lingyu came. At this time, she was already living with Zhang Damin, and Zhang didn't have much money at this time. But Zhang's mother objected to him being with Ruan Lingyu because she disliked Ruan Lingyu as the maid's daughter. Ruan Lingyu was a student at Chongde Girls' High School (now City No. 4 Middle School), a church school. She only studied English and dance at Chongde Girls' High School. Therefore, Ruan Lingyu danced very well. She loves the United States dancer Duncan the most.
That day, Ruan Lingyu came to the star to apply for a job and brought a photo. When trying out the shot, she was a little cringe, and she was quite timid. Because she's never made a movie and doesn't know what to do? It just so happened that Zheng Zhengqiu came at this time, and when he saw Ruan Lingyu's photo, he said that this person can act, her eyes are very good-looking, they are phoenix eyes, and they look watery. It's not like Hu Die's eyes are wide open. And Ruan Lingyu had dimples on her face, so she was asked to act.
The first scene is the candle night in the cave room, Ruan Lingyu plays the bride, and Wang Junfu plays the groom. During the filming, after the new couple entered the cave room, they didn't expect Wang to come to pull Ruan Lingyu like a pig. This is because Wang Junfu's father killed pigs, usually killing pigs, pigs running around, he always helped his father catch pigs. Ruan Lingyu saw that Wang was so rude, so she had to retreat in a panic, and unfortunately knocked down a pair of flower candles...... Unexpectedly, it was filmed very real and natural, and the first movie was successfully filmed and became famous in one fell swoop. It was Bu Wancang and Zheng Zhengqiu who discovered Ruan Lingyu and helped her succeed.
Hu Die is magnificent and is the queen of movies. She said: "I have a lot of contact with Ruan Lingyu. I met Pan Yousheng and was introduced by Tang Jishan, the boss of Lianhua. Started making sound films. I grew up in the north and have no problem speaking Chinese. But Ruan Lingyu is Cantonese and can't speak Chinese. When Sun Yu was filming "Wild Grass and Idle Flowers", he sang in the silent film. Sun Yu studied abroad, and when making movies, he first recorded and then matched the pictures. Let Jin Yan play the moon qin, and Ruan Lingyu sings Cantonese. In the silent film, the first to start singing with voice were Jin Yan and Ruan Lingyu.
After the outbreak of the "918" incident in 1931, Zhang Xueliang was scolded, and the main reason for being scolded was that Zhang Xueliang was dancing with Hu Die in Beiping when the incident occurred. In fact, this is a rumor-mongering. Ma Junwu also wrote a poem satirizing Zhang Xueliang as "not loving the country and loving the beauty".
Coincidentally, those days Hu Die happened to be filming a movie at Beiping Tianqiao, and this movie was written about Yuan Shikai betraying the country. As soon as the rumors spread, the onlookers who watched Hu Die's movie scolded her, Hu Die was inexplicable, and this drama couldn't be filmed. Zheng Zhengqiu became angry after hearing the rumors in Shanghai, and said: "How can Hu Die do such a thing? Don't shoot anymore, you can't shoot anymore, come back! In fact, on the day of "918", the star company sent two film crews to film in Beiping. That night, Hu Die said that I have many friends in Beiping, and I will go to see them. came back late, and everyone asked her, why did she come back so late? She said she went dancing. Everyone said: "You have an accident, how can you dance with Zhang Xueliang?" Hu Die explained that she was dancing with friends, not with Zhang Xueliang, and made a mistake. But it was no longer clear, and later Mei Lanfang came forward to clarify. The night before the film crew returned to Shanghai from Beiping, Mei Lanfang was treated, and all the two film crews were present. Mei Lanfang said: "On the night of '918', I was acting in the theater. Zhang Xueliang sat down to watch the play. After a while, an adjutant walked up to Zhang Xueliang, leaned over and said a few words, and Zhang Xueliang immediately got up and left. And he said, "It is absolutely true." Mei Lanfang clarified the facts for Hu Die and clarified the grievances. Therefore, the relationship between Hu Die and Mei Lanfang was very good.
After returning to Shanghai, Zheng Zhengqiu and others had understood the situation and knew that they had misunderstood Hu Die. Because at this time, the star company made a movie, which was the story of Yuan Shikai and the Japan signing the "Twenty-One Articles" unequal treaty. Yuan's matter is history, and now the Japanese who make movies are very disgusted, so it is likely that the Japanese are making rumors to sabotage.
After Cheng Bugao and I came out of Hu Die's house that day, I asked Cheng Bugao, what is the relationship between Hu Die and Dai Li? Cheng said: "Let me tell you something, after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, I went to Chongqing, not as a director, but to transport arms on the Yunnan-Burma Highway. He said that when the Pacific War broke out on December 8, 1941, Hu Die was in Hong Kong, and the Japanese wanted to look for her. Chongqing knows, what should I do? Song Meiling asked Dai Li, and she must find a way to rescue Hu Die from Hong Kong. Dai Li sent Yang Huimin, the girl scout who sent the national flag to the lonely army of the Four Elements during the "August 13" Songhu Anti-Japanese War, to Hong Kong and rescued Hu Die. But Hu Die's box was lost, and the box was full of precious items such as gold and silver jewelry, clothes, etc. When he arrived in Chongqing, Hu Die went to thank Song Meiling, but he lost the box and was unhappy. Dai Li, however, felt that he had merit in rescuing Hu Die, so he had a bad idea for Hu Die, and for this reason, he also sent Pan Yousheng to the Yunnan-Burma Highway to transport arms. Pan Yousheng and Cheng Bugao were sitting in a car, and he was very worried about Hu Die. However, Hu Die is very smart, every time Dai Li asks her to go to him, Hu Die always pushes me to see Song Meiling tomorrow. Dai Li was helpless. This is what Cheng Bugao said to me. Therefore, even if Hu Die sometimes goes to Dai Li, he is passive.
Once at a press conference, Hu Die went, and Dai Li was also present. Hu Die also mentioned these things in his memoirs. Regarding Dai Li's entanglement, Hu Die did not dare to resist excessively. She has to protect her husband, otherwise she is too resistant, and Pan Yousheng is likely to be killed by Dai Li. There were several times when Dai Lian asked Hu Die to leave Pan Yousheng. Hu Die said: "How is this possible? Because I'm a movie queen, I'm a celebrity. It's not good to pass it out, it's not good for you and me. Besides, Song Meiling didn't allow it, so Dai Li couldn't do anything about her. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Hu Die quickly fled from Chongqing to Shanghai, thinking that it was all right. Unexpectedly, soon Dai Li informed her, saying that you and Pan Yousheng will divorce now, and I will marry you immediately. Later, Hu Die heard that Dai Li's plane crashed and died, so he breathed a sigh of relief and finally put his mind at ease. It should be said that dealing with Dai Li's entanglement is the most difficult scene for Hu Die to act.
[Shen Jing, formerly known as Wang Chonggang, a native of Fenghua, Zhejiang, was born in Shanghai in September 1924 and studied at the Department of Western Literature of Fudan University in Shanghai. He has published more than 40 short stories in magazines such as "Novel Monthly", "Vientiane", "Spring and Autumn" and "Violet", and published a collection of novels "Fishing for the Golden Seal", "Two Generations", "Salt Farm" and "Red Forest". In 1946, he edited magazines such as "Happiness", and in 1948, he founded the Human Book House. Shen Jing got acquainted with many writers such as Ke Ling and Zhang Ailing, who were active in the Shanghai literary scene at that time, and was also familiar with Ruan Lingyu, Zhou Xuan, Huang Jinrong, Du Yuesheng, Ha and other Shanghai Tang figures, and published biographical literature "A Generation of Movie Star Ruan Lingyu" and "A Generation of Movie Star Zhou Xuan" and biographical novels about Huang Jinrong and Hartung "Tycoon" and "Taipan", and is an expert in writing old Shanghai characters. Famous writer, screenwriter of Shanghai Film Studio, winner of the title of "Outstanding Film Artist", librarian of Shanghai Museum of Culture and History. He died in Shanghai in May 2016 at the age of 92. 】