Martial Arts Actor Lo Lieh

Lo lieh was a Hong Kong actor in martial-arts films. His real name is Wang Lap Tat. He was hired by the Shaw Brothers Studio in 1962, and went on to become one of the most famous actors in kung fu films in the late 1960s and 1970s. He died of a heart attack in November 2002.

5 Fingers of Death

Although Lo Lieh began primarily playing the villain, which in truth his face is much more suited for, Lo was a devout Buddhist renown for a gentle off-screen demeanour. During the 70’s and into the early 80’s he was in a host of classic films Chinese Boxer, Bamboo House of Dolls, Black Magic, The Magic Blade, Executioners from Shaolin, Eighteen Jade Arhats, Kung Fu from Beyond the Grave and Black Magic with Buddha.

Lo Lieh seems to have appeared in about three out every five movies made in Hong Kong between 1970 and 1980. Directors Liu Chia Liang and Chang Cheh at the Shaw Brothers studio cast Lo in many of their iconic kung fu films. He worked with swordswoman Cheng Pei Pei (Jade Fox in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) early in her career. He’s shared the screen with Chow Yun Fat, Angela Mao, and Gordon Liu (he directed Liu in the classic Fist of the While Lotus, with choreography by Liu Chia Liang!). He’s created some of the most memorable villains of the era, but also he’s done a handful of straight dramatic roles.

Lo Lieh, he doesn’t embarrass easily and he liked to work. He used to brag that he only needed four hours of sleep at night, and calculated that it allowed him “sixteen hours to make money” every day. He didn’t mind working overtime, in multiple productions simultaneously. In fact, he once claimed that he never wanted to direct another film after his debut, Fist of the While Lotus (1980), because the director’s pay was about the same as acting, and the responsibilities interfered with his ability to work on other projects.

Lo Lieh began appearing in HK films in the middle of the 1960s Temple of the Red Lotus, Tiger Boy, Golden Swallow and Twelve Deadly Coins. Initially, he was generally a good guy in the movies and his 1972 film King Boxer made him a star not just in HK but also internationally where it was released under the title Five Fingers of Death. It was the first kung fu film to have an international release.

Some people in the West know him as the star of the martial arts classic King Boxer (Five Fingers of Death). Compared to fluid modern actors like Jet Li, Lo’s fighting style was harder, probably derived from popular Southern Chinese schools of fighting arts. King Boxer was typical of the kind of “kung fu” film Hong Kong audiences enjoyed in the immediate post-Bruce Lee period.

This was the first successful martial arts film to reach American shores, even before Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. Earlier, he had gained popularity in Hong Kong for his roles in King Hu’s films such as The Golden Swallow (1968) and The Singing Thief (1969).

Lo lieh movies 1965-1979

• Temple of the Red Lotus (1965)
• The Twin Swords (1965)
• Tiger Boy (1966)
• The Magnificent Trio (1966)
• The Sword and the Lute (1967)
• The Thundering Sword (1967)
• Trapeze Girl (1967)
• King Cat (1967)
• Golden Swallow (1968)
• The Singing Thief (1969)
• Twelve Deadly Coins (1969)
• Dragon Swamp (1969)
• The Flying Dagger (1969)
• The Invincible Fist (1969)
• Brothers Five (1970)
• Swordswomen Three (1970)
• Valley of the Fangs (1970)
• The Chinese Boxer (1970)
• The Lady Hermit (1971)
• The Swift Knight (1971)
• The Rescue (1971)
• Duel for Gold (1971)
• The Oath of Death (1971)
• King Boxer (1972)
• Trilogy of Swordsmanship (1972)
• The 14 Amazons (1972)
• The Lizard (1972)
• The Fugitive (1972)
• Devil and Angel (1973) also director
• Kiss of Death (1973)
• The Bamboo House of Dolls (1973)
• Qing Kung (1973)
• 5 Shaolin Masters (1973)
• Concrete Jungle (1974)
• Supermen against the Orient (1974)
• Kidnap (1974)
• Blood Money (1974)
• Night of the Devil’s Bride (1975)
• A Debt of Crime (1975)
• Gambling Syndicate (1975)
• Lady of the Law (1975)
• Black Magic (1975)
• Fists of Dragons (1975)
• Killer Clans (1976)
• The Dragon Missile (1976)
• The Magic Blade (1976)
• The Web of Death (1976)
• Black Magic Part 2 (1976)
• Knife of Devil’s Roaring and Soul Missing (1976)
• One Armed Swordsman (1976)
• Thousand Mile Escort (1976)
• One Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers (1976)
• Fierce Fist (1976)
• Seven Men of Kung Fu (1976)
• Bruce’s Deadly Fingers (1976)
• Big Boss 2 (1976)
• Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
• Jade Tiger (1977)
• Death Duel (1977)
• The Damned (1977)
• Pursuit of Vengeance (1977)
• The Swift Shaolin Boxer (1977)
• Flash Legs (1977)
• Invincible Swordswoman (1977)
• Black Belt Karate (1977)
• Great Chase (1977)
• Heroes of Shaolin (1977)
• Killer from Above (1977)
• Chinese Connection 2 (1977)
• Men of the Hour (1977)
• Return of Bruce (1977)
• Showdown at the Equator (1978)
• Flying Guillotine Part 2 (1978)
• The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
• Vengeful Beauty (1978)
• Shaolin Handlock (1978)
• Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre Part 2 (1978)
• The Eighteen Jade Arhats (1978)
• Born Invincible (1978)
• The Cavalier (1978)
• Fatal Needles, Fatal Fists (1978)
• Three Shaolin Musketeers (1978)
• Lung Wei Village (1978)
• Zodiac Fighters (1978)
• Murder of Murders (1978)
• Manhunt (1978)
• Prominent Eunuch Chen Ho (1978)
• The Reckless Cricket (1979)
• Murder Plot (1979)
• Abbott of Shaolin (1979)
• Dirty Ho (1979)
• Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979)
• One Foot Crane (1979)
• Drunken Arts and Crippled Fist (1979)
• Scorching Sun, Fierce Winds, Wild Fire (1979)
• Red Phoenix (1979)
• What Price Honesty? (1979)
• Green Dragon Inn (1979)
• Immortal Warriors (1979)
• Fists of Bruce Lee (1979)
• Eunuch of the Western Palace (1979)
• The Idiot Swordsman (1979)

Clan of the White Lotus

Lo Lieh movies 1980-1992

• Swift Sword (1980)
• Rendezvous with Death (1980)
• Fists and Guts (1980)
• Dangerous Encounter of the 1st Kind (1980)
• Invisible Terrorist (1980)
• 18 Swirling Riders (1980)
• Jade Fox (1980)
• Tiger Love (1980)
• Return of the Sentimental Swordsman (1981)
• Return of the Deadly Blade (1981)
• Revenge of the Corpse (1981)
• The Story of Woo Viet (1981)
• Emperor and His Brother (1981)
• Notorious Eight (1981)
• Dangerous Person (1981)
• Ninja Supremo (1981)
• Little Hero (1981)
• Emperor of Shaolin Kung Fu (1981)
• Eagle’s Claw and Butterfly Palm (1981)
• Secret of Chinese Kung Fu (1981)
• Ninja Pirates (1981)
• The Chivalry Gunman and Killer (1981)
• My Blade, My Life (1982)
• Winner Takes All (1982)
• Kung Fu from beyond the Grave (1982)
• Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman (1982)
• The Spirit of the Sword (1982)
• Human Lanterns (1982)
• Buddha’s Palm (1982)
• Super Dragon (1982)
• Revenge of the Shaolin Kid (1982)
• Greatest Plot (1982)
• The Lawman (1982)
• Mercenaries from Hong Kong (1983)
• Ghosts Galore (1983)
• The Black Magic with Buddha (1983)[also director]
• Hong Kong, Hong Kong (1983)
• Little Dragon Maiden (1983)
• The Enchantress (1983)
• Ape Girl (1983)
• Deadly Kick (1983)[also director]
• Family Light Affair (1984)
• Return of Bastard Swordsman (1984)
• The Hidden Power of the Dragon Sabre (1984)
• The Occupant (1984)
• Secret Service of the Imperial Court (1984)
• I will Finally Knock You Down, Dad (1984)
• How to Choose a Royal Bride (1984)
• Crazy Shaolin Disciple (1985)
• Let Us Flirt, Partner (1985)[writer/director only]
• Oh, My God (1985)
• Zen Master 6 (1987)[producer/director only]
• Dragons Forever (1988)
• On the Run (1988)
• Edge of Darkness (1988)
• City War (1988)
• Path of Glory (1989)
• Miracles (1989)
• Seven Warriors (1989)
• The Truth-Final Episode (1989)
• Ghost Ballroom (1989)
• Just Heroes (1989)
• A Fiery Family (1989)
• Blood Stained Tradewind (1990)
• Tiger Cage 2 (1990)
• In the Line of Duty 5: Middleman (1990)
• Fatal Passion (1990)
• Forsaken Cop (1990)
• Return to Action (1990)
  Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992)