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Statistics : 11630 Movies 19215 People 1448 Studios 29 Articles 73 Interviews 12 DVD Reviews 32452 Screenshots 3722 Videos
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Biography |
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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 |
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Filmography |
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Alternate lists by alpha / genre / year |
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Title
( HK - All )
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Year |
Activity |
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24 Hours Romance |
1975 |
Actor |
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Absolute Monarch |
1980 |
Actor, Presenter |
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Adultery Chinese Style |
1973 |
Actor |
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As Tears Go By |
1988 |
Producer |
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Back Street |
1973 |
Actor |
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Beauty With Two Faces, The |
1976 |
Actor |
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Black Panther Warriors, The |
1993 |
Producer, Actor |
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Blood And Rose |
1975 |
Actor |
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Bloody Fight, The |
1972 |
Actor |
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Born Rich |
1976 |
Actor |
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Bride In Chains |
1968 |
Actor |
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Brutal Boxer, The |
1972 |
Actor |
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Bunny Girl |
1967 |
Actor |
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Changing Love |
1972 |
Actor |
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Chase, The |
1978 |
Actor |
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Cheating In Panorama |
1972 |
Actor |
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Colorful Ripples, The |
1974 |
Actor |
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Crazy Bar, The |
1970 |
Actor |
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Crazy Romance |
1985 |
Producer |
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Days Of Being Wild |
1991 |
Producer |
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Death Comes In Three |
1973 |
Actor |
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Death On The Docks |
1973 |
Actor |
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Discharged, The |
1977 |
Director, Actor |
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Don't Kill Me, Brother |
1981 |
Writer, Actor |
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Dynamite Brothers |
1974 |
Actor |
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First Come; First Love |
1974 |
Actor |
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Flaming Brothers |
1987 |
Producer, Actor |
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Floating Clouds, The |
1975 |
Actor |
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Forever And Ever |
1977 |
Actor |
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Forever My Love |
1976 |
Actor |
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Game Of Love |
1976 |
Actor |
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Gangland Odyssey |
1990 |
Brief appearance |
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Glamorous Christmas Night, A |
1967 |
Actor |
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Gun N' Rose |
1992 |
Producer, Actor |
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Happy Angel, The |
1970 |
Actor |
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Happy Times |
1970 |
Actor |
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Haunted Cop Shop 2, The |
1988 |
Producer, Actor |
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Haunted Cop Shop, The |
1987 |
Producer |
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Hearty Response, A |
1986 |
Producer |
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Holocaust, The |
1975 |
Actor |
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Hong Kong Black Street Lady |
1982 |
Actor |
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Hong Kong Criminal Crimes |
1972 |
Actor |
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Hong Kong Godfather |
1991 |
Actor |
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Hong Kong Nite Life |
1973 |
Actor |
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I Am Crazy About You |
1971 |
Actor |
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I Do ! |
1983 |
Actor |
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If Tomorrow Comes |
1973 |
Actor |
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Impetuous Fire |
1972 |
Actor |
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Invincible Iron Palm, The |
1971 |
Actor |
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Iron Bull, The |
1973 |
Actor |
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Iron Fiddle |
1968 |
Actor |
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Kiss By The Wolves |
1975 |
Actor |
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Kung Fu Scholar |
1994 |
Producer |
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Lam Ah Chun |
1978 |
Brief appearance |
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Land Of The Undaunted |
1975 |
Actor |
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Law Don |
1979 |
Director, Actor |
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Let's Sing And Dance To Celebrate A Peaceful Year |
1969 |
Actor |
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Little Ancestors, The |
1976 |
Actor |
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Love And Blood |
1972 |
Actor |
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Love By Post |
1976 |
Actor |
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Love In A Cabin |
1972 |
Actor |
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Love In Hawaii |
1976 |
Actor |
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Love Is A Four Letter Word |
1973 |
Actor |
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Love Is Like A Game |
1976 |
Actor |
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Love Story Of Pian Pian |
1975 |
Actor |
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Maria |
1971 |
Actor |
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Mighty Couple |
1971 |
Actor |
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Militarism Revival, The |
1983 |
Producer, Actor |
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Miss Hong Kong |
1987 |
Producer, Actor |
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Miss Not Home |
1970 |
Actor |
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Mitra |
1977 |
Actor |
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Modern School Life |
1970 |
Actor |
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Money and I |
1971 |
Actor |
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Morning Date, The |
1976 |
Actor |
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Mr Sunshine |
1989 |
Producer |
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My Dear Son |
1989 |
Producer |
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My Fair Lady |
1967 |
Actor |
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My Funny Intern |
1976 |
Actor |
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New York Chinatown |
1982 |
Producer, Actor |
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Notorious Ones, The |
1972 |
Actor |
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Oh My Love |
1971 |
Actor |
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One In Yellow, The |
1969 |
Actor |
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One Year's Fantasy |
1974 |
Actor |
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Orchid In The Rain |
1977 |
Actor |
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Over The Rainbow |
1979 |
Actor |
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Peeper, The Model And The Hypnotist, The |
1972 |
Actor |
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Playboy, The |
1974 |
Actor |
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Rascal Billionaire, The |
1978 |
Actor |
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Rats, The |
1973 |
Actor |
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Red Light, Green Light |
1969 |
Actor |
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Requital |
1992 |
Actor |
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Return Engagement |
1990 |
Producer, Actor |
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Run Lover Run |
1975 |
Actor |
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Scoundrel, The |
1977 |
Actor |
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Silver Band, The |
1974 |
Actor |
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Social Characters |
1969 |
Actor |
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Song Of Happy Life |
1971 |
Actor |
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Songs And Romance Forever |
1972 |
Actor |
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Splendid Love In Winter, The |
1974 |
Actor |
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Stealing Love |
1972 |
Actor |
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Student Prince, The |
1964 |
Actor |
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Three Minutes Past Nine |
1978 |
Actor |
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Time for Reunion, A |
1968 |
Actor |
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To Love Or Not To Love |
1978 |
Actor |
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Too Young |
1974 |
Actor |
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Twist, The |
1981 |
Actor |
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Unsubdued Furies, The |
1973 |
Actor |
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Vampire Buster |
1989 |
Producer |
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Where Does Love Come From |
1973 |
Actor |
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Where The Seagull Flies |
1974 |
Actor |
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Who Holds The Golden Key ? |
1978 |
Actor |
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Wickedness In Poverty, The |
1979 |
Actor |
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Wild Horse |
1972 |
Actor |
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Winner Takes All ? |
1984 |
Producer, Actor |
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Yellow Peril |
1984 |
Actor |
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Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow |
1976 |
Actor |
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Young Ones, The |
1973 |
Actor |
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Article
Review
Poster/Gallery
DVD Captures
Trailer
DVD Captures/Trailer
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Interview Links (French only) |
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Secondary Interview Links (French only) (Show) |
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