Chor Lau-heung (1979 TV series)

Chor Lau-heung is a Hong Kong wuxia television series adapted from the first three novels in the Chu Liuxiang novel series by Taiwanese writer Gu Long. Adam Cheng starred as the titular protagonist, Chor Lau-heung (Cantonese for "Chu Liuxiang"). The series was first broadcast on TVB on September 3, 1979. The 65 episodes long series was divided into four parts: The Legend of Mo-fa (無花傳奇), The Great Desert (大沙漠), Legend of the Divine Palace (神宮傳奇) and The Final Battle (最後一戰).

Chor Lau-heung
Cover art of one of the three Hong Kong VCD box sets, displaying Adam Cheng, Angie Chiu (left) and Liza Wang (bottom)
Chinese楚留香
MandarinChǔ Líuxiāng
CantoneseCo2 Lau4 Hoeng1
GenreWuxia
Based onChu Liuxiang Series
by Gu Long
Screenplay byWong Jing
Wu Sa
Ng Ho
Directed byWong Tin-lam
Lee Siu-tuen
Lee Yiu-man
Wong Kin-fan
Yau Ka-hung
Lam Kuen
StarringAdam Cheng
Angie Chiu
Liza Wang
Opening themeChor Lau-heung (楚留香) performed by Adam Cheng
ComposerJoseph Koo
Country of originHong Kong
Original languageCantonese
No. of episodes65
Production
ProducerWong Tin-lam
Running time40 minutes per episode
Production companyTVB
Release
Original networkTVB
Original release3 September 1979 (1979-09-03)
Chronology
Followed byChor Lau-heung (1985)

Cast
Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.
  • Adam Cheng as Chor Lau-heung
  • Angie Chiu as So Yung-yung
  • Liza Wang as Shum Wai-san
  • Mary Hon as Shum Wai-lam
  • Ng Man-tat as Wu Tit-fa
  • Ching Hor-wai as Ko Ah-nam
  • Ha Yu as Kei Bing-ngan
  • Kwan Chung as Mo-fa
  • Wong Wan-choi as Nam-kung Ling
  • Wong Shee-tong as Chung-yuen Yat-dim-hung
  • Liu On-lai as Sung Tim-yee
  • Ko Miu-see as Lei Hung-sau
  • Susanna Au-yeung as Black Pearl
  • Lui Yau-wai as Yam Kei
  • Idy Chan as Yeung Ngan
  • Wong Hang-sau as Nam-kung Yin
  • Cheng Lai-fong as Yam Sin
  • Law Lan as So Sam-tse
  • Leung San as Shek Koon-yam
  • Louise Lee as Lau Mo-mei
  • So Hang-syun as Kuk Mo-yung
  • Sharon Yeung as Fung Fei-yin
  • Chan Man-yi as Cheung-suen Hung
  • Sheung-koon Yuk as Ko Tai-kwan
  • Kwan Hoi-san as Ko Koon-ying
  • Bak Man-biu as Ko Koon-chung
  • Ho Pik-kin as Ko Koon-yung
  • Cheung Ying-choi as King of Lou-lan
  • Amy Wu as Queen of Lou-lan
  • Sam-sam as Princess Pipa
  • Chan Hung-lit as Ting Tit-kon
  • Kam Hing-yin as Lang Chau-wan
  • Chong Man-ching as Ting Ching-ching
  • Shih Kien as Lei Koon-yu
  • Cheung Chung as Lei Yuk-ham
  • Kwok Fung as Shek Tor
  • Kam Kwok-wai as Siu-poon
  • Cheung Sang as Yam-chi
  • Law Kwok-wai as Wu On-ping
  • Cheung Tim-yau as Tai Tuk-hang
  • Lok Kung as Master Tin-fung
  • Chan Yau-hau as General Man
  • Tsui Kwong-lam as Bluebeard
  • Ho Lai-nam as Mount Yam Ghost Marshal
  • Kong Ngai as White Jade Demonic Beggar
  • Lee Kwok-lun as Pak-ming
  • Tam Chuen-hing as Tin-fung Sap-say-long
  • Ho Kwai-lam as Yu Wu-fa
  • Chu Kong as Sung Kong
  • Natalis Chan as Fei-ying
  • Cho Jai as Left Guardian
  • Chung Chi-keung as Right Guardian
  • Chow Kat as Si Tsat-long
  • Leung Hung-wah as Suen Hok-po
  • King Doi-yum as Ying-ying
  • Leung Oi as Abbess Ching-yam
  • Kent Tong
  • Liu Kai-chi
  • Barbara Chan
  • Wong Man-yee
  • Chan Yuk-lun
  • Mak Tsi-wan
  • Wong Jo-see
  • Leung Pik-ling
  • Yu Muk-lin
  • Chan On-ying

Controversy with RTV's It Takes a Thief

In 1979 around the time TVB released Chor Lau-heung, another Hong Kong television station RTV produced a similar television series titled It Takes a Thief. TVB and RTV became involved in copyright lawsuits against each other because of similarities between Chor Lau-heung and It Takes a Thief. TVB won the lawsuits and eventually RTV had to change the Chinese title of It Takes a Thief from 盜帥留香 to 俠盜風流, and the names of characters in the television series. It Takes a Thief started airing on 1 September 1979, two days earlier than TVB's Chor Lau-heung.

Reception

The series received good reviews from viewers in Taiwan after the first two episodes were first aired on CTV as part of the Golden Bell Awards screenings. Following that, CTV acquired rights from Hong Kong's TVB to broadcast the entire series in Taiwan, starting on April 18, 1982, under a Mandarin voice dub.

Music album

Chor Lau-heung (楚留香) is an album by Hong Kong actor and singer Adam Cheng, released by Crown Records in 1979. It contains the main theme song "Chor Lau-heung" and the insert song "Lau-heung's regret" (留香恨) from the television series. RTHK selected the main theme song as one of the Top Ten Gold Songs of 1979.[1] In this album, lyricist Cheng Kwok-kong (鄭國江) is credited as Kong Yu (江羽).

Track titleLengthComposerLyricsNotes
"Chor Lau-heung"
楚留香		3:18Joseph KooTang Wai-hung (鄧偉雄) and Wong JimMain theme song of the 1979 TVB series Chor Lau-heung
"Oh Gal"3:03Cheng Kwok-kongOriginally sung in Japanese by Sawada Kenji
"Lau-heung hun"
留香恨
("Lau-heung's regret")		3:48Joseph KooTang Wai-HungInsert song of the 1979 TVB series Chor Lau-heung
"Nan hing nan dai"
難兄難弟
("Brothers in times of trouble")		2:48Joseph KooCheng Kwok-kongMain theme song of the 1979 TVB series He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
"But yiu mun hou hon"
不要問好漢
("Don't ask a hero")		3:39Joseph KooWong JimMain theme song of the 1979 RTHK series Yiu Wan (妖魂)
"Gip hau ching"
劫後情		3:16Chan Lai-wan
"San Lung Ng Fu Jeung"
神龍五虎將		2:55Joseph KooPeter Lai (黎彼得)Main theme song of the 1979 TVB series San Lung Ng Fu Jeung (神龍五虎將)
"Ji yau yuen mei yau fun"
只有緣未有份		3:35Joseph KooLo Kwok-jim (盧國沾)
"Yeung lau jeung ngo ka yat boon ching yuen"
楊柳像我家一般青綠
("The willow tree is as green as my home")		4:16Tanimura Shinji Lo Kwok-jimCantonese rendition of "ii nichi tabidachi" (いい日旅立ち) by Yamaguchi Momoe
"King sum yat siu chung"
傾心一笑中
("Admiration in a smile")		3:00Cheng Kwok-kong
"Koo mung chung wun"
故夢重溫
("Reminiscing the past")		2:43Cheng Kwok-kong
"Chor Lau-heung" (instrumental)
楚留香音樂		3:02Joseph KooN/A

References
  1. 第二屆 (1979) (2nd Annual Top Ten Gold Songs Awards), RTHK
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