RIP Chor Yuen

I’m seeing some RIP posts on my socials.

Chor Yuen
Chinese film director
Died on Monday February 21st 2022

Tweets related to Chor Yuen:

Here’s an old article on him:

Director Chor Yuen Suffers from Dementia
By addy
May 11, 2014

Hong Kong media reported that veteran actor and director, Chor Yuen (), is diagnosed with dementia. It is known that the 79-year-old director and actor, who has been active in the industry since the 1950s, began showing recurring signs of memory loss around two years ago. After checking up with a neurologist, it was confirmed that the veteran was diagnosed with mild dementia.

Chor Yuen’s current condition is an open secret among the industry. His wife, veteran Hong Kong film actress Nan Hong (), confirmed Chor Yuen’s deteriorating health to the press last year, “He’s old! What can he do now? His brain [functioning] is getting worse.”

Though Chor Yuen now has to rely on the help of others to perform everyday activities, his condition is not serious. His doctor explained that Chor Yuen’s dementia is currently only at its early stages – taking medication and doing consistent activities that can stimulate the brain will be able to prevent the illness from worsening. Chor Yuen has recently taken up calligraphy and learning tai chi with family and friends.

A source close to Chor Yuen said, “When he first heard about his condition, Uncle Chor Yuen couldn’t believe it. Thankfully, both he and [Nan Hong] are optimistic people, so he’s becoming more accepting.”

Chor Yuen and Nan Hong have been married for 47 years. The source revealed that since Chor Yuen’s diagnosis, Nan Hong has quit all her interest classes in order to take care of her husband. “She used to attend a lot of interest classes – guzheng classes, erhu classes, painting, and would also meet up with her friends to practice some qigong, but Chor Yuen’s memory loss was getting severe and his temper was getting worse. She couldn’t leave him at home alone, so she stopped attending classes to take care of Uncle Chor Yuen 24/7. She knows her husband likes wonton, so she would make some for him every day. And she would always remind him about taking medicine.”

Chor Yuen’s friends have also been supportive. Occasionally, Chor Yuen and Nan Hong would be captured eating out with close friends, and Chor Yuen would be in good spirits.

Chor Yuen entered the film industry in the 1950s as a film writer. His interest in writing and directing movies came from his father Cheung Wood Yau (), who was a famous Cantonese actor in the 1940s. When Chor Yuen first entered the industry, he was professionally known as “Chun Yu” ().

Over the years, Chor Yuen directed and wrote over one hundred films, including timeless classics such as 1960’s The Great Devotion <>, 1977’s Death Duel <> and Clans of Intrigue <>, as well as 1973’s comedy film The House of 72 Tenants <>, which was known for breaking the box office records set by Bruce Lee’s () Enter the Dragon <>.

Towards the end of his career in the 1990s, Chor Yuen retired from directing and writing, opting to spend most of his time making casual guest appearances in TVB dramas. He has starred in hit dramas such as The Legendary Four Aces <> and War of the Genders <>.

Source: ihktv.com

From Jackie

Jackie Chan
9h ·
I just heard news that my respected senior, Chor Yuen, passed away…. We worked together on the “Police Story” series and the memories are still very clear. Looking back at those times, it’s hard to believe that so many years have passed already. I remember him once saying, “anyone, no matter how wealthy you were yesterday, no matter how defeated you were yesterday, when you wake up the next morning, you must continue to be a person and keep on living. Tomorrow will always be better than yesterday. That’s life“. We, as juniors, will always remember your words. May you rest in peace.

Surely more obits to follow…

Strait Times obit

Hong Kong film-maker Chor Yuen dies aged 87

Chor Yuen died on Monday afternoon, with his family by his side, after experiencing some discomfort in the morning. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM HK01.COM

Yamini Chinnuswamy
PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

HONG KONG - Renowned Hong Kong film director Chor Yuen, famous for directing films such as The House Of 72 Tenants (1973) and martial arts flick Killer Clans (1976), has died. He was 87.

Hong Kong outlet Ming Pao Weekly reported that the news was confirmed by a spokesman for the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers.

According to the spokesman, Chor Yuen died on Monday (Feb 21) afternoon, with his family by his side, after experiencing some discomfort in the morning.

Born Cheung Po-kin in Guangzhou, China, he joined the Cantonese film industry in the 1950s at the behest of his father, Cheung Wood-yau, who himself had found fame in the industry as an actor.

Chor Yuen made his acting debut in the 1954 film Madam Yun. His first directing credit followed in 1959 with Grass By The Lake.

For the next three decades, Chor Yuen wrote and directed dozens of Cantonese films, including some for Shaw Brothers Studio, such as The House Of 72 Tenants. The cast of the film included Hong Kong comedy legend Lydia Sum, and it topped the Hong Kong box office that year over Bruce Lee’s final complete martial arts film, Enter The Dragon.

He was also famous for adapting 17 works - including Clans Of Intrigue and Sentimental Swordsman - by Taiwanese martial arts novelist Gu Long for the big screen in the 1970s, many with actor Ti Lung in the leading role.

Chor Yuen, who also acted and played a crime boss in Jackie Chan’s Police Story (1985), made a switch to directing television dramas in the 1990s before quietly fading out of the spotlight.

His last public appearance was in April 2018, when he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards.

“When you look back on your life and are not regretful for having toiled in vain or ashamed for wasting your time, then you can proudly say to yourself, you have lived a life without regrets,” he said in his acceptance speech.

According to South China Morning Post, the director had been diagnosed with dementia about eight years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Nam Hung, an actress.
A great contributor to wuxia cinema.