Growing Up With Teochew Opera - 10

Teochew Movies Screened On Television

小银幕看香港潮剧电影

In the 1980s, one could watch Teochew opera movie every week. The previous SBC (not the current Media Corp) was so kind to screen Teochew, Cantonese and Hokkien opera movies. Originally, Teochew opera movies were screened on every Sunday afternoon.

Later, it was changed to Saturday evenings, and subsequently weekday evenings. Finally, it simply disappeared. We are die hard fans and would watch the movies every week. Even my two younger sisters who did not like operas would sometimes stayed at home to watch the movies.

Many of the Teochew opera movies were Hong Kong productions by 陈楚蕙, 方巧玉 and 曾珊凤. Some of the titles that were screened on TV were 四告状, 状元巡更, 美人蟹, 墙头马上, 孔雀东南飞, 双狮图, 共伞奇缘, 刘璋下山, 牡丹亭惊梦, 潮州女状元, 李子长活画, , 白骨美人, 二岁夫, 金叶菊, 包公会李后 and 扫窗会.

Besides 陈楚蕙, another Teochew male lead is 莊雪娟 from 东山潮音剧艺社. She acted in some very good movies including 双珠凤, 莲香戏鞋, 郭子仪拜寿, 一板打死江西王, 梁山伯与祝英台 and 刘明珠三审玉芝兰. These movies were screened on TV too.

I remembered my neighbour, the Hokkien grandmother in Toa Payoh, also loved to watch Teochew opera movies. We would always remind one another to watch the programme that particular evening. In 2004, I went shopping in Sengkang, Rivervale market and was extremely happy to buy one of 荘雪娟 Teochew opera movies 李三娘井边会. Though the quality of the VCD was not very good but I was very glad to have found that movie costing only $6. A set of CDs would cost no less than $45. I hope one day I can find 吴汉杀妻, 文武香球 and 郭子仪拜寿 . A picture of 井边会 and 郭子仪拜寿 performed by 东山潮音剧艺社.

It’s amazing to see so many Teochew opera movies produced in the 1960’s. See the following Chinese article extracted from a website on 'The Spread and Development of Teochew Movies in Hong Kong'.

1960年5月，香港著名人士何贤邀请广东潮剧团赴港演出，观众如潮，日夜爆满，在港九乃至南洋各地掀起了一股“有谈皆潮剧，无声不潮音”的空前“潮剧热”，又给香港潮剧的勃兴以有力推动。与此同进，还有香港“文华”、“鸿图”、“新联”和广州珠江电影制片厂先后在大陆拍摄的潮剧影片《火烧临江楼》、《苏六娘》、《告亲夫》、《陈三五娘》、《韩江花似锦》、《乳燕迎春》、《刘明珠》等，此期间也在香港及东南亚各地放映，酿成了一阵阵的“中国潮剧电影热”。这就更使潮剧的影响日增，愈来愈成为香港无数观众喜爱、痴迷的“热门戏”。
随着观众对潮剧兴味日浓，香港这期间除原有“新天彩”、“老正顺”、“中正天香”等几个潮剧团外，又先后出现“新岭东”、“中源和”、“天艺”、“升艺”、“荣和”、“乐声”、“艺星”、“玉梨春”、“一枝香”、“老源正”等多个潮剧表演团体。汕头商会创办的“韩江潮剧团”，这期间也连忙派人到广东潮剧团学习表演技艺，并从汕头市聘请潮剧导演蔡木雄（绍霖）到香港培训演员，指导排练，借以提高艺术水平。潮剧电影制作这期间也仍方兴未艾，甚至有了更大发展，除了夏帆继续与蓝田、李宏、方汉妆、白云仙等合拍《玉钗记》、《双玉鱼》、《林桂兰》、《秋恋》、《狄青大闹万花楼》、《龙井渡头》等.

“新天彩潮剧团”担纲演员陈楚蕙也先后与郑楚香、方巧玉、陈丽丽、曾珊凤等合作拍摄《后母泪》、《天仙配》、《扫窗会》、《刘璋下山》、《潮州女状元》、《双狮图》、《恩仇记》、《薛刚反唐》、《红鬃烈马》、《白骨美人》、《碧玉簪》、《春香传》、《孟丽君》、《严兰贞打破玉花瓶》、《墙头马上》、《李子长活画》、《金叶菊》、《吕蒙正》、《穆桂英招亲》、《仙姬送子》、《四告状》、《元宵案》、《红梅记》、《叔鸣嫂冤》、《红叶姻缘》、《共伞奇缘》、《状元巡更》、《生死恨》、《皇姑嫁何人》、《美人蟹》等多部潮剧电影.
“东山影音剧社”则以丁楚翘、庄雪娟、石玲、陈金枝、黄艳秋、卢淑娟、吴泽、陈瑛、陈文昌、李缘绒、林静仪、何亦曾、李美英等主演推出潮剧《刘明珠三审玉芝兰》、《胭脂女》、《天波楼》、《罗衫记》、《滴水记》、《田七郎》、《清官审诰命》、《双驸马》、《郑元和螃蟹歌》、《玉狮记》、《明珠宝剑》、《张古董借妻》、《大闹粉妆楼》、《吴汉杀妻》、《莲香戏鞋》、《双珠凤》、《喜门环》、《深山节妇》、《金玉奴》等影片，还有张兰芳、江山等主演的《汕头阿嫂》，以及陈丽丽与李怡红、向葵等主演的《挽面案》、《清官斩孝女》等等一批潮剧潮语电影，都是在此期间陆续面世。