Great Wall Movie Enterprises

Background

Great Wall Movie Enterprises Limited (Chinese: 長城電影製片有限公司) was Hong Kong's top leftist film studio, specialized in producing progressive Mandarin films with social messages and entertainment value. Interestingly, some of their films were screened in China during the Maoist era, which was unusual for Hong Kong productions. However, due to their political leanings, their movies were prohibited in Taiwan.

In 1948, Zhang Shankun and Yuan Yang'an founded the Great Wall Pictures Corporation, which set the stage for the development of Mandarin-language cinema. However, Zhang and Yuan parted ways when the financial and administrative aspects of Great Wall were influenced by political events in China. Yuan remained with the restructured Great Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd, which became associated with leftist ideology. Great Wall was renowned for its strong allegiance to mainland China and frequently collaborated with left-leaning studio Feng Huang Motion Picture Co. It was also one of the pioneering studios of the early 1950s.

Great Wall formed a joint-venture with another left-leaning studio, Sun Luen Film Company. The result of this venture was Chung Yuen Motion Picture Co. Great Wall merged with Feng Huang, Sun Luen and Chung Yuen as Sil-Metropole Organisation.

1st logo (1960s-1970s)

Visuals: There is a model of the Great Wall of China standing over a dark cumulonimbus cloud background with fog, similar to the Warner Bros. Pictures 1934-1937 logo. The structure has "長城" in a blocky Chinese font, written backwards, which is made of bronze. On the bottom row is the words "電影製片有限公司" written backwards in a 50s Chinese font. In the cloud with fog, there are searchlights moving, similar to the 20th Century Studios logo.

Technique: Traditional animation.

Audio: A bombastic fanfare.

Availability: Some films produced by Great Wall in the 50s-60s were lost according to HKFA archives. It can notably be seen on The Golden Beauty (1959).

2nd logo (1970s)

Visuals: Same as the first logo, but this time, there are no searchlights, and the logo is in color, with "長城" in gold, and "電影製片有限公司" in orange. This logo is set on a stormy sky background.

Technique: A still photograph.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability:

3rd logo (1970s-1980s)

Visuals: There is the Great Wall of China standing on an evening sky background, resembling the 1st and 2nd logos, though fireworks are behind it instead of searchlights. On the top, "長城" appears in gold-yellow, with "電影製片有限公司" below it. The logo fades to black at the end.

Technique: Live-action footage for the fireworks.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability:

Great Wall Movie Enterprises

Chung Yuen Motion Picture Co.
Sil-Metropole Organisation

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