Hsin Wha Motion Picture Co.

Background

Hsin Wha Motion Picture Co. (新華影業公司) was established as Xinhua Film Company in Shanghai, 1934 by Chang San-kuen and his wife Tong Yue Juan. After the Chinese Civil War, the couple set up their Hong Kong branch in 1947, and later produced Hong Kong's first feature film in Eastmancolor, Blood Will Tell, released in 1955. The last production of HK Hsin Wha was Dress Off for Life, released in 1984.

1st Logo (1936?-1940's?)

Nicknames: "The Chinese Lighthouse I", "Lighthouse and Birds"

Logo: On an ocean background , we see an outlined circle containing a drawing of a lighthouse. Two birds are seen flying around the circle.Later at the top, the Chinese company name, with a trail behind, wipes in. The whole thing fades out after a few seconds, minus the text, which wipes out instead.

FX/SFX: All 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: An uninspired fanfare featuring a timpani, violins and a trumpet.

Availability: Probably rare. Can be found on early Chinese films like Song At Midnight (a Chinese take of the "Phantom Of The Opera" story).

Editor's Note: While there's some darkness involved, the whole logo is kinda tame, and the fanfare line is minimal.

2nd Logo (1940's-1950's?)

Nicknames: "The Chinese Lighthouse II", "Lighthouse and Filmstrips"

Logo: On a white background, we see another outlined circle with a different lighthouse drawing inside. In front on it, we see a filmstrip surrounding it with the Chinese company name on it.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A majestic fanfare.

Availability: More common than the previous one, but still unknown. Seen on many movies produced by the company.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1950's?-1960s?, 1973)

Nicknames: "The Chinese Lighthouse III", "The Live-Action Lighthouse"

Logo: A video of a lighthouse on a bay is shown. The Chinese name is shown above it. Below, there is the English company name: "HSIN WHA Motion Picture Production".

Variant: In later years, the logo are widescreen (or probably full screen), and the video footage is different, the Chinese text is different and in yellow font, and the ribbon is red and the English name is also yellow.

FX/SFX: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: A slow fanfare. Later 1973 has the fanfare cuts out.

Availability: Rare. Probably intact on some films made by Hsin Hwa, including The Flame of Love (戀之火第二春), You Are the Winds of Spring (郎如春日風) and She Sets My Heart on Fire (噴火女郎). The 1973 variant is appeared on The Dark Alley and The Dragon Blows (aka. Dragon Fist), which can be viewed on Chinese Taipei Film Archive.

Editor's Note: None.