Mr Lee Tit

1913-1996

Director

Lee Tit is the screen name of Lee Yuk Ching. As a young man, the actor and director enrolled in the acting school of United Photoplay in 1931, and subsequently played parts in Gunshot at Midnight (1932) and Cry of the Cuckoo in the Temple (1932) among other titles, while doubling as the continuity man. In 1933, he learned the techniques of scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, editing and sound through working on different productions. In 1936, he made his directorial debut with House Number 66, but it was Song of Life (1937) that propelled him to fame. In 1952, he was one of the key filmmakers who founded Union Film Enterprise. Lee had a penchant for adapting classical literature and directing social realist dramas. Among his notable works were Poor Souls (1940), In the Face of Demolition (1953) and The Eternal Love (1955). Lee also had a flair for opera films. In 1959, he founded Hawks Film Company to adapt Cantonese opera classics The Legend of Purple Hairpin (1959) and Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (1959) for the silver screen. Lee helmed more than 100 Cantonese films in total. He retired in 1980 after shooting a movie based on the Yu opera Judge Bao. In 1994, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild.