Laughing Times

1980 Hong Kong film directed by John Woo

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Laughing Times

Film poster

Traditional Chinese| 滑稽時代
Simplified Chinese| 滑稽时代
Hanyu Pinyin| Huá Jī Shí Dài
Jyutping| Waat6 Kai2 Si4 Doi6
Directed by| John Woo
Screenplay by| John Woo
Produced by| Karl Maka
Starring| Dean Shek
Wong Wai
Karl Maka
Wu Ma
Lee Chung-keung
Chic Lau
Cinematography| Manny Ho
Edited by| Tony Chow
Music by| Frankie Chan

Production
company

Cinema City

Distributed by| Cinema City

Release date

* 24 December 1980 (1980-12-24)

Running time

| 100 minutes
Country| Hong Kong
Language| Cantonese
Box office| HK$5,186,448.50

Laughing Times (Chinese: 滑稽時代) is a 1980 Hong Kong adventure comedy film written and directed by John Woo. The film stars Dean Shek as the Chinese Charlie Chaplin. This is the first film produced by Cinema City, a film company established by Shek, Karl Maka and Raymond Wong.[citation needed]

## Plot

[edit]

In the post-war community, where the economy is falling and many businesses are bleak, a starving wanderer named the Chinese Charlie Chaplin meets an orphan (Wong Wai) who was used to do illegal things by bad guy Master Ting and the two become fast friends. Later Charlie also meets a poor singer, whom he develops a funny romance with, and a drunkard. Due to humiliation from Ting, the drunkard turned to drinking. Later, Ting abducts the kid and the singer, prompting Charlie and the drunkard to finally rise up with ambition and risk their lives to save the kid and the singer and eventually, Ting was unable to evade the law.

## Cast

[edit]

* Dean Shek as Chinese Charlie Chaplin
* Wong Wai as the Kid
* Karl Maka as Master Ting
* Wu Ma as Drunkard
* Lee Chung-keung
* Chic Lau
* Tai San as Man wearing shades
* Tsang Cho-lam as Barber Cheung
* Wong Sau-man as Singer
* Ho Pak-kwong as Chiu Siu-man's Father
* Hoi Sang Lee as bodyguard
* Fung King-man as Man eating noodle
* Chiu Chi-ling as street performer
* Wong Yat-fei as Man getting scalp
* Sai Gwa-Pau as Man who chokes on noodles
* Raymond Wong as Man eating banana
* Ting Yue
* Shing Wan-on
* Chan Fei-lung
* Luk Ying-hong
* Chu Tak-wai as policeman
* Ho Wan
* Leung Hung

## Box office

[edit]

The film grossed HK$5,186,448.50 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 24 December 1980 to 11 January 1981 in Hong Kong.

## Reception

[edit]

Sean Gilman of Seattle Screen Scene called the film a "Chaplin homage".[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Princess Chang Ping (John Woo, 1976)". 20 August 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Laughing Times at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
* Laughing Times at Hong Kong Cinemagic
* Laughing Times at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films by John Woo

Directed|

* The Dragon Tamers (1975, also wrote)
* Hand of Death (1976, also wrote)
* Follow the Star (1978)
* Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979, also wrote and produced)
* From Riches to Rags (1980, also wrote)
* Laughing Times (1980, also wrote)
* Run, Tiger, Run (1984, also produced)
* Heroes Shed No Tears (1984, also wrote)
* A Better Tomorrow (1986, also wrote and produced)
* A Better Tomorrow II (1987, also wrote)
* The Killer (1989, also wrote)
* Just Heroes (1989)
* Bullet in the Head (1990, also wrote and produced)
* Once a Thief (1991, also wrote)
* Hard Boiled (1992, also wrote)
* Hard Target (1993)
* Broken Arrow (1996)
* Once a Thief (1996)
* Face/Off (1997)
* Blackjack (1998)
* Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
* Windtalkers (2002, also produced)
* Paycheck (2003, also produced)
* All the Invisible Children (2005, segment "Song Song and Little Cat")
* Red Cliff (2008, also wrote and produced)
* Reign of Assassins (2010, also produced)
* The Crossing (2014, also produced)
* Manhunt (2017)
* Silent Night (2023, also produced)
* The Killer (2024, also produced)

Written only|

* A Better Tomorrow (2010)

Produced only|

* A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon (1989)
* Peace Hotel (1995)
* Somebody Up There Likes Me (1996)
* The Big Hit (1998)
* Bulletproof Monk (2003)
* Blood Brothers (2007)
* Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina (2007)
* Seediq Bale (2011)

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