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{{Short description|Former Chinese film production company}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=December 2024}}
{{Distinguish|Minxin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox company {{Infobox company
| name = Mingxing Film Company | name = Mingxing Film Company<br />明星影片公司
| logo = Mingxing Film Company (1937) production logo.jpg | logo=Mingxing Film Company (1937) production logo.jpg
| logo_caption = Production logo
| logo_alt = A large star with four Chinese characters on it, surrounded by bursts of light and several smaller stars
| logo_caption = Production logo, 1937 | foundation = 1922
| founder = ],<br />],<br />]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1922|02|}} in ], Republic of China
| type = ] | defunct = 1937
| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=yes|header=none|c={{Linktext|明星|影片|公司}}|p=Míngxīng Yǐngpiàn Gōngsī|w={{tonesup|Ming2hsing1 Ying3p`ien4 Kung1ssu1}}}}
| founders = {{plainlist|
* Ren Jinping
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| defunct = late 1937
| fate = Closed during the ]
| location_city = Shanghai | location_city = Shanghai
| location_country = Republic of China | location_country = China
| key_people = | key_people =
| industry = Film | industry = ]
}} }}
The '''Mingxing Film Company''' ({{zh|c=明星影片公司|p=Míngxīng Yǐngpiàn Gōngsī}}), also credited as the '''Star Motion Picture Production Company''', was a ] active in the ] between 1922 and 1937. Established by a consortium of creative professionals, including film director ], dramatist ], and critic ], after the failure of their stock brokerage, Mingxing initially produced ]s that drew little audience attention. Facing insolvency, in 1923 the company used its last capital to produce '']'', which released to massive commercial success and provided the company with the revenue needed to expand and hire new talent. '''Mingxing Film Company''' ({{zh|c=明星影片公司|p=Míngxīng Yǐngpiān Gōngsī|l=Bright Star Film Company}}), also known as the '''Star Motion Picture Company''', was one of the largest ] during the 1920s, and 1930s in the ]. Founded in ], the company lasted from 1922 until 1937 when it was closed permanently by the ].

In the mid-1920s, Mingxing acquired new studios and made its ], growing rapidly even in the face of competition. It adapted several novels to film, with its '']'' (1926) one of the most successful Chinese films of the ]. It also expanded from family dramas to '']'' with '']'' (1928), and began producing ]s with '']'' (1931). By the early 1930s, Mingxing was one of the largest film companies in ], together with the ] and the ].

However, between the ongoing ]{{sndash}}including damage caused by the ]{{sndash}}and a series of financial setbacks, Mingxing faced significant financial losses through the 1930s. Despite the success of films such as '']'' (1934) and efforts to attract new writers, the company was unable to recover and operations ended after the ] in 1937. During its lifetime, Mingxing produced 174 ], as well as ]s and actualities.

==Background==
Film had been introduced to China in 1896, beginning with ] but later expanding feature-length productions. In 1905, ] produced '']'', a short film depicting a performance by the ] singer ]; this is considered the first Chinese-produced film.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|pp=4–5}} ] worked with the American Benjamin Brodsky to establish the Asia Film Company, producing several documentaries as well as '']'' (1913){{sndash}} the first Chinese-made short fiction film.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|pp=4–5}} The production of shorts increased toward the late 1910s, {{sfn|Zhong|Zhang|Zhang|1997|p=53}} and audience interest in this new medium{{sndash}}known under such terms as "electric shadowplay" ({{zhi|t=電光影戯|s=电光影戏|first=t}}){{sndash}} grew.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|pp=4–5}} Following the release and success of '']'' (1921), a full-length crime drama, several companies were established in ] to capitalize on the new medium.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|p=8}}

All of Mingxing's founders were involved in the cultural area prior to their involvement with the company.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=78}} Zhang Shichuan had recruited ], a noted dramatist, to write ''The Difficult Couple'',{{sfn|Xiao|1998d|p=390}} and maintained a strong relationship with him through the 1910s. Both men also worked with ] and ] in the late 1910s to operate the Xinmin Library, a publisher responsible for periodicals such as the ''Yaofeng Monthly'' ({{zhi|药风月刊}}) and the '']''.<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=83}}; {{harvnb|Jia|2022|p=263}}</ref> Zhou Jianyun wrote extensive works of drama criticism, publishing a volume on ] in 1918.{{sfn|Ding|2011|p=156}} He and Zheng Zhegu were also prominent members of the Eternal Memory Society, a Peking opera fan club, together with Ren Jinping.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=78}}


==History== ==History==
Founded in 1922 by ], ], and ], Mingxing emerged along with ], and ] as one of the three dominant film studios of the 1920s.<ref name=Zhang>{{cite web|url=http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html |author=Zhang, Yingjin |title=A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema |date=2003-10-10 |accessdate=2008-01-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907160026/http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html |archivedate=2008-09-07 }}</ref> During this period, all three studios were known for producing "light" entertainment though even at this early time there was a sign of social criticism, inherited from the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/whats-on/cinema/programs/past-programs/hong-kong-shanghai-cinema-cities |title=Hong Kong Shanghai: Cinema Cities |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2007 |website= |publisher=] {{!}} Gallery Of Modern Art |access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref>
===Establishment and fundraising===
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The film company struggled in its first few years with comic shorts like 1922's '']''. In 1923, the company produced '']'' which became a commercial success and with it Mingxing's fortunes were assured.<ref name=Zhang/>
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By the early 1930s, Mingxing had become the leading film studio in China, and dominated the market with its upstart rival, the ] (which had co-opted Dazhonghua Baihe) as a close second. In 1931, the first Chinese ] '']'' was made, the product of a cooperation between the Mingxing Film Company's image production and ]'s sound technology.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDRxR-wb-fsC&pg=PT262 |title=A Companion to Chinese Cinema |editor= Yingjin Zhang |publisher= Wiley-Blackwell |chapter=Chapter 24 - Chinese Cinema and Technology |author=Gary G. Xu |year=2012 |isbn=978-1444330298 }}</ref> However, the sound was disc-recorded, and the first sound-on-film ] made in China was by Tianyi Film Company. Tianyi also continued to produce films throughout the 1930s, though its output did not match the two leaders. By the mid-1930s, both Mingxing and Lianhua became major production houses for films in Shanghai. With the death of co-founder Zheng Zhengqiu in 1934, and the advent of full-scale war in 1937, Mingxing was forced to close its doors permanently.
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Elements of the Mingxing operation would be resurrected by Zhang Shichuan in 1938 as the ].<ref>Fu, p. 9</ref>
|image3= Zhou Jianyun c 1936.jpg
|link3=File:Zhou Jianyun c 1936.jpg
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| footer = ], ], and ]; these founders of Mingxing were with the company from its establishment through its final years.
}}
In late 1921, amidst a ], Zhang Shichuan established the Mutual Stock and Produce Exchange Company together with several of his earlier compatriots. When the bubble burst the following year,{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=30}} the men decided to invest their money in a less risky venture: a motion picture company. Consequently, in February 1922 the former stock exchange's offices on Guizhou Road in Shanghai were converted into the headquarters of a film production company. Zhang Shichuan took the role of deputy manager, with Ding Boxiong the office head; other roles were taken by Ren Jinping, Zheng Zhegu, Zheng Zhengqiu, and Zhou Jianyun.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=31}}


==Notable films==
Early advertising material announced that Mingxing required 100,000 ] in ], with each of five founding members contributing 10,000 yuan and the remainder achieved through the sale of 20,000 shares at 5 yuan apiece.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|100000|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -4}}}} in venture capital, with five initial contributors each providing ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|10000|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} and 20,000 shares at ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|5|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round 0}}}} apiece, in 2019.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=23}} Further fundraising was attempted through overtures to local journalists, including a gala dinner, as well as the commission of a special issue of the ''Motion Picture Review''<!--影戲雜誌-->.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=31-32}} Interest in the company was also created through a film school, headed by Zheng Zhengqiu, that promised insight into various elements of the filmmaking process.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=32}}
{{Main|List of Mingxing films}}
*'']'' (1922) (Dir. ])
*'']'' (1922) (Dir. Zhang Shichuan)
*'']'' (1923) (Dir. Zhang Shichuan)
*'']'' (1928) (Dir Zhang Shichuan)
*'']'' (1933) (Dir. ])
*'']'' (1933) (Dir. Cheng Bugao)
*'']'' (1935) (Dir. ])
*'']'' (1937) (Dir. Shen Xiling)
*'']'' (1937) (Dir. ])


==See also==
These overtures, however, were unsuccessful. Investors were not enticed by Mingxing's promises, and generally were disdainful of the entertainment industry.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=33}} The film school, meanwhile, admitted 87 students, with only 34 graduating.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=32}} Further exacerbating the situation, Ding Boxiong and several members of the preparatory team left the company after several months.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=33}} Ultimately, the company was left with five founders and 10,000 yuan in venture capital, though it claimed to have earned more.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|10000|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} in starting capital in 2019. {{harvtxt|Huang|2014|p=33}} notes that Mingxing publications various claimed to have had 40,000 and 50,000 yuan in startup capital; the 10,000 yuan figure, meanwhile, was remembered after the fact by Zhang Shichuan's wife.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=32}}
*]
*]


===Early years=== == Notes ==
{{Reflist}}
Mingxing shot its first work{{sndash}}a ] documenting the arrival French General ] in Shanghai{{sndash}}on 8 March 1923, with screening handled by a local ] branch in April.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=34}} At the same time, it sought to produce ]s. In these early works, Zhang Shichuan took the role of director and Zheng Zhengqiu as screenwriter. ]s were rented from an Italian merchant named Enrico Lauro, was filming and development equipment loaned from a British man. Acting was handled by Zheng Zhegu and Zheng Zhengqiu, as well as graduates of Mingxing's acting school.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=34–35}}


== References ==
]'' (1922)]]
* Fu, Poshek. ''Between Shanghai and Hong Kong: The Politics of Chinese Cinemas''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2003.
The first two fiction films produced by Mingxing, '']'' and '']'', were produced in mid-to-late 1922. These ], one following a visit by ] and the other telling of a hapless carpenter in love with a doctor's daughter, were released as a ] at the Olympic Theatre on 5 October 1922. Neither these nor a subsequent comedy, ''Havoc in a Bizarre Theatre'', were well received by audiences.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=35}}
* Zhang, Yingjin. "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema" ''available at'' https://web.archive.org/web/20080907160026/http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html.


==External links==
With the company losing money, Mingxing changed tacks for its fourth{{sndash}}and, at thirteen ], first feature-length{{sndash}}film, '']''. Although most of the cast and crew were the same as in earlier productions,{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=35, 314}} it was not a comedy. Rather, the film dramatized a real-life murder in which a deeply indebted man had killed his father to access his inheritance.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=148–149}} Advertising material emphasized ], and viewer ] later recalled that the film had disgusted audiences with its ] shots of the autopsy and the removal of organs.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=150–151}} This new approach was somewhat successful, with initially sluggish ticket sales giving was to large crowds and 6,000 yuan in revenues.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|6000|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} in 2019.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=35}}
*

This influx of capital, however, was insufficient to ensure the long-term sustainability of Mingxing. Zhang Shichuan turned to a family drama, one that emphasized the importance of education,{{sfn|Xiao|1998c|p=259}} and began production of '']'' (1923). In addition to Zheng Zhegu and Zheng Zhengqiu's son Xiaoqiu,{{sfn|Zhang|2004|p=127}} the film featured ] in her debut role.{{Efn|Wang Hanlun had been discovered while observing the production of ''Labourer's Love'' the previous year. Zhang Shichuan deemed her to embody a modern fashion sense and sensibility {{harv|Wei|2017}}.}}{{sfn|Wei|2017}} Production took eight months, and when funding ran short, Zhou Jianyun pawned his wife's jewellery to complete the production.{{sfn|Jiang|2009|p=140}} Making its debut on 21 December 1923, ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' was an enormous success, running for a hundred days in Shanghai and with Southeast Asian distribution rights purchased for 8,000 yuan.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|8000|cursign=¥|1922|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} in 2019.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=35-36}}

===Initial expansion===
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| footer = Members of Mingxing's star roster during the 1920s: ], ], and ]
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After ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'', Mingxing began expanding. Its headquarters moved to the ]. New crew were hired, including a professional cinematographer and make-up artist, while a surge in interest resulted in the film school accepting numerous students free of charge. Meanwhile, Mingxing acquired new equipment, including foreign-made cameras and printers as well as ] and ]s. Seeking to accelerate production, it submitted calls for new actresses, promising wages of between 50 and 300 yuan,{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|50|cursign=¥|1925|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|300|cursign=¥|1925|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} in 2019.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=38-39}} and hired new directors such as ].{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=92}}

Over time, Mingxing also acquired several new properties. It purchased a four-'']'' ({{convert|2668|m2|adj=on|disp=comma}}) plot of land on Hart Road in the ]. On this plot, it constructed a glass-walled studio{{sndash}}operational as of early 1925{{sndash}}that allowed for filming regardless of light and weather conditions. To facilitate distribtuion, Mingxing also purchased the former Shenjiang Stage, a site of Peking opera and ] performances, transforming it into a cinema and opening it to the public on 24 April 1925. This cinema, named the Palace Theatre, was used for ] showings through 1933;<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=39}}; {{harvnb|Zhang|2005|p=122}}</ref> through the late 1920s, another six further cinemas were acquired.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=42}} Effective May 1925, after the studio made its ], Mingxing became a ].{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=40}}

As these expansion efforts were ongoing, Mingxing continued its film production, completing ten films between 1924 and 1925.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=284–315}} Several, including ''Jade Pear Spirit'' and ''The Poor Children'' (both 1924), starred Wang Hanlun, who had risen to stardom with ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather''; she left the company soon after, following a salary dispute.{{sfn|Wei|2017}} With her departure, Mingxing relied on several actresses, including ], ], and Zhang Zhiyun, to draw audiences;{{sfn|Wei|2018}} mostly, these artists were popular only briefly.{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=xxv}} Generally, Mingxing's films during this period were ]s.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=41}}

===Trials and tribulations===
In 1926 backlash against crime films such as ''Yan Ruisheng'' and ''Zhang Xinsheng'' resulted in the passage of ] by the Ministry of Education;{{sfn|Zhang|1998|p=108}} these guidelines, coupled with local censorship bureaus, required more measured approaches to filmmaking.{{efn|Such pressures had affected Mingxing's handling of ''Zhang Xinsheng'', with a mid-1923 cut emphasizing the titular criminal's remorse and highlighting the deleterious influence of gambling and narcotics {{harv|Huang|2014|p=156}}.}}{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=29}} Around this time, Mingxing also lost two of its founders; Zheng Zhegu died in 1925, during the filming of ''The Last Conscience'',{{sfn|Jia|2022|p=266}} while Ren Jinping left the company in 1926 to establish the Xinren Film Company.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=75}}

At the same time, it also began to experience greater competition. Numerous new film companies were established in Shanghai between 1925 and 1926, and although most closed without making any films, several had found success. The ],{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=40–41}} founded in 1925 by the brothers ], ], ], and ],{{sfn|Fu|2008|p=2}} enjoyed commercial success through its ]s and '']'' (martial arts) films.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=41}} Although these new companies offered staunch competition, there were also opportunities for partnership; in conjunction with several other studios, in June 1926 Mingxing established the Liuhe Distribution Company to bring Shanghai films to other parts of the ].{{efn|{{harvtxt|Huang|2014|p=43}} notes that the exact composition of Liuhe appears to have varied over time. At points, it seems to have variously included the Greater China, Huaju, ], Mingxing, Shanghai, Shenzhou, and Youlian film companies.}} The partnership collapsed three years later, after which Mingxing established its own distribution company.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=43}}

]'' (1928); the film, released in eighteen parts, was a massive success and helped popularize the '']'' genre.]]
Mingxing initially sought to continue its reliance on family dramas, contracting the celebrated ] writer {{ill|Bao Tianxiao|zh|包天笑}} at a rate of 100 yuan per month,{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|100|cursign=¥|1925|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -1}}}} per month in 2019.}} with an expectation that he would produce one screenplay every month.{{efn|Bao Tianxiao remained on contract with Mingxing until November 1927 {{harv|Huang|2014|p=95}}.}} In August 1925, he granted the company rights to his novels ''Lonely Orchid'' and ''Plum Blossoms Fall''; ] of the former, released on 13 February 1926, was one of the most successful Chinese films of the silent era.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=88}} By the end of 1926, Mingxing had four production units{{sndash}}respectively headed by Zhang Shichuan, Zheng Zhengqiu, Hong Shen, and ]{{sndash}}and although efforts to interest further investors failed the company was generally profitable. It operated two studios, and in 1927 occupied new premises on Route Doumer.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=44}}

Despite such successes, Mingxing also recognized the potential marketability of ''wuxia'' films. In 1927, after reading a copy of Xiang Kairan's novel ''Chronicle of the Strange Roving Knights'' he found in his son's room, Zhang Shichuan decided to adapt the novel to film.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=41}} A martial arts drama about four travellers who uncover a conspiracy of evil monks,{{sfn|Xiao|1998b|p=103}} '']'' featured ]{{sndash}}a Tianyi artist recently signed by Mingxing{{sndash}}in her breakthrough role.{{sfn|Lee|2015|p=237}} This film was a major success upon release, and through 1931 Mingxing released another seventeen feature-length continuations.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=41}} Through the remainder of the decade the company's output continued to increase, from eleven films in 1926 to sixteen in 1929. It also enjoyed a roster of 26 stars, half of whom were women.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=88}}

===Politics and sound ===
Outside of Shanghai, the political situation in the Republic of China was changing. After ], the ] (KMT) government and its ] overthrew the warlords through the ] of 1927/1928. These developments were welcomed by Mingxing, and Zhang Shichuan produced newsreels highlighting the festivities and speeches by KMT leader ].{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=45}} Over time, the KMT government in ] developed a series of policies for regulating the film industry; these including mandating the use of ], banning depictions of supernatural or pornographic material,{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=46}} and curtailing the spread of ''wuxia'' materials. At the same time, lacking a national film company, the nationalist government relied on companies such as Mingxing to broadcast its efforts; through the late 1920s, the company produced several recordings of government speeches, as well as short documentaries on infrastructure projects.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=48}} Several KMT members, including {{ill|Pan Gongzhan|zh|潘公展}} and {{ill|Lin Kanghou|zh|林康侯}}, sat on its board of directors.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=50}}

As these conditions were changing, so too was the landscape of the Chinese film industry. ]s, imported from the United States, had found popularity with audiences even as many cinemas lacked the technology to properly screen them.<ref>{{harvnb|Luo|Ye|Zhu|2024|p=192}}; {{harvnb|Xiao|1998a|p=17}}</ref> Hoping to capitalize on this new technology, Mingxing began production of '']'' in mid-1931. The technological challenges required larger crews, including language coaches to help actors with their spoken Mandarin,<ref>{{harvnb|Yeh|2002|p=84}}; {{harvnb|Zhang|2014|p=4}}</ref> as well as the rental of ]'s recording studios in Shanghai.{{sfn|Zhang|2014|p=5}} The budget soon ballooned to 120,000 yuan,{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|120,000|cursign=¥|1931|r=-4}} / 676.199) round -4}}}} in 2019.}} six times the cost of an ordinary production,{{sfn|Zhang|2014|p=4}} and director Zhang Shichuan took to using ] to alleviate the stress.{{sfn|Yeh|2002|p=84}}

]'' (1931), Mingxing's first sound film]]
''Sing Song Girl Red Peony'' was successful, but its ] technology was soon eclipsed by the ] used by Tianyi and another competitor, Huaguang. New technology was purchased at substantial cost{{sndash}}some 200,000 yuan{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|200,000|cursign=¥|1931|r=-4}} / 676.199) round -4}}}} in 2019.}}{{sndash}} but proved inadequate.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=50-51}} As Mingxing continued to produce films,{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=284–315}} it also prepared to adapt ]'s novel '']'' to the silver screen. After announcing its intent, Mingxing prepared a budget of 1.2 million yuan{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|1,200,000|cursign=¥|1931|r=-6}} / 676.199) round -6}}}} in 2019.}} and conducted ] in ] over the course of two months.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=51}} ]'s 1932 premiere was cut short, however, when Mingxing was accused of ]; a rival, the Dahua Film Company, had pre-emptively registered the copyright for a film adaptation of the novel. Negotiations, which included court arguments as well as protection from the gangsters ] and ], resulted in Mingxing being allowed to screen its adaptation.<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=52}}; {{harvnb|Lee|2015|p=238}}</ref>

===Financial floundering and communist cinema===
Gaining permission to screen ''Fate in Tears and Laughter'' cost Mingxing another 100,000 yuan to cover ] and the potential losses incurred by Dahua.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|100,000|cursign=¥|1932|r=-3}} / 676.199) round -3}}}} in 2019.}} The film, however, had mediocre returns. Meanwhile, the ] had destroyed numerous cinemas and parts of Mingxing's studios, the ] had reduced available markets, and the ongoing war had created a recession.<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=51}}; {{harvnb|Xiao|1998d|p=390}}</ref> New film studios, such as the ] (UPS), likewise continued to be established.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=108}} By the end of 1932, Mingxing was unable to pay staff salaries and had posted massive debts. Creditors were calling, with the American Commercial and Exchange Bank suing the company in late 1933 for failure to repay its loans.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=52}}

To ameliorate its financial situation, Mingxing boosted production and called for new talent.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=52}} Taking advantage of a KMT government commission to produce a travel documentary that highlighted the areas along the country's ], which allowed for free accommodation and transportation provisions, in 1933 Mingxing quickly developed three screenplays that would require ] in such scenic locations. A group of forty actors and crew travelled China, ultimately producing the silent films ''A Feather on Mount Tai'', ''Go Northwest'', and ''Romance on Mount Hua'' (all 1934).{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=49–50}} Meanwhile, Zhou Jianyun{{sndash}}through his friend ]{{sndash}} brought in leftist writers such as ] and Zheng Baiqi;{{sfn|Jin|2009|p=136}} this was intended, in part, to stave off the perception that the studio was unable to produce serious works.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=108}} Mingxing made more than forty films in 1933 and 1934, with production of silent films continuing until 1935.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=284–315}}

===Final years and closure===
The success of '']'' in 1934, a drama starring Hu Die and ] that earned 200,000 yuan through domestic and international distribution, improved Mingxing's stability.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|200,0000|cursign=¥|1934|r=-3}} / 15250) round -3}}}} in 2019.}}<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=54}}; {{harvnb|Zhang|2005|p=xxv}}</ref> In April 1934, the company reorganized itself, taking a three-tiered structure and establishing its own animation unit under the ].{{efn|Three Wan brothers{{sndash}}], ], and ]{{sndash}}were at Mingxing. A fourth, ], had established his own photography company after experimenting with animation {{harv|Giesen|2014|pp=36, 40}}.}}<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=54}}; {{harvnb|Giesen|2014|p=40}}</ref> However, financial difficulties continued, which were compounded by the death of Zheng Zhengqiu in July 1935. His death, after having long served as a mediator between Zhang Shichuan and Zhou Jianyun, brought the personal issues of Mingxing's creative and financial directors to the forefront.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=56}}

Several efforts were made to improve Mingxing's standing. The company moved to new studios in the Maple Grove Bridge area of Chinese Shanghai, which Mingxing occupied in 1936 after a year leasing studios from another company. A hundred people, a third of the company's staff at the time, were fired in August 1935,{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=55}} and a loan of 160,000 yuan was received from the state-run ] in June 1936.{{efn|This is equivalent to ¥{{formatnum:{{#expr:({{Inflation|CN|160,0000|cursign=¥|1936|r=-3}} / 15250) round -3}}}} in 2019.}} With these funds, a second studio simply known as {{nowrap|Studio II}} was launched in July 1936 with the intent of accelerating production{{sndash}}and providing Zhang Shichuan and Zhou Jianyun with their own domains.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=56}} {{nowrap|Studio II}} was closed seven months later, having released only four films.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=57}}

As the ] continued, the Japanese ] in late 1937.{{sfn|McKenna|2024}} Mingxing's film production stopped almost completely, with its premises used as barracks by Japanese troops. Although Zhang Shichuan attempted to stimulate film production, and several of Mingxing's pre-occupation films were premièred in 1938, the company did not survive the occupation. On 13 January 1939, the Mingxing warehouse was destroyed in a fire;{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=57–58}} its major competitors Tianyi and UPS likewise closed.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|p=18}} Zhou Jianyun later moved to Hong Kong, where he established a series of short-lived studios before retiring from film in 1949.<ref>{{harvnb|Jin|2009|p=141}}; {{harvnb|Xiao|Zhang|1998|p=394}}</ref> Zhang Shichuan, meanwhile, became the director of production at the Japanese-established China United Film Production Company; for this, he was subsequently accused of ].{{sfn|Xiao|1998d|p=390}}

==Legacy==
]'' (1922), the oldest Chinese film to survive in its entirety]]
Early film production houses in China were generally smaller affairs, with ''Yan Ruisheng'' having been made by a group of students;{{sfn|Chen|2021}} others were divisions of established enterprises such as the ].{{sfn|Qian|2024|p=52}} The film historian Zhang Zhen thus describes Mingxing as "the first full-fledged Chinese film enterprise."{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=89}} By 1933, Mingxing was recognized as one of the largest film studios in Shanghai, together with Tianyi and UPS.{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=80}} The company's ''Labourer's Love'' (1922) has been recognized as the oldest Chinese film to survive in its entirety,{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=90}} and its ''Sing-Song Girl Red Peony'' (1931) has been called the first sound film in China.{{efn|This appelation is not universal. As dialogue and songs were recorded to a ], which was played together with the film during showings, the ]'s ''Spring on Stage'' (1931){{sndash}} which used ] technology{{sndash}} has also been given this label {{harv|Xu|2012|p=456}}.}}<ref name="First">{{harvnb|Luo|Ye|Zhu|2024|p=46}}; {{harvnb|Yeh|2002|p=84}}; {{harvnb|Zhu|2022|p=41}}</ref>

In the ], official histories of cinema have identified the arrival of leftist writers such as Qian Xingcun and Xia Yan in 1933 as marking the conversion of Mingxing into a "hub of of left-wing film production".{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=103}} The ]ese film historian Du Yunzhi likewise noted leftist leanings in the company at this point.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=106}} Such hirings were risky, as the KMT government was strictly opposed to the involvement of ] members in cinema,{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=115}} and under Chiang Kai-shek it had ] communists in Shanghai in 1927.{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|p=14}} Scripts by communist writers, thus, were anonymized to avoid censorship.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=115}} Facing such pressures, including threats of physical violence, the leftist screenwriters withdrew from Mingxing in 1934;<ref>{{harvnb|Jin|2009|p=139}}; {{harvnb|Xiao|1998a|p=14}}</ref> some returned in subsequent years, including workers from the closed ].{{sfn|Huang|2023}}

==Analysis==
===Style===
The Mingxing founders differed in their views of cinema's function. Zheng Zhengqiu advocated for an understanding of film as a means of promoting social reform, while Zhang Shichuan emphasized the commercial and entertainment value of the medium.{{sfn|Xiao|1998d|p=390}} He argued that it was necessary to "always pursue the current attractions and tastes in order to bring out merry laughter from the people."<ref>quoted in and translated by {{harvtxt|Zhang|2005|p=108}}</ref> Consequently, the former advocated from the company's inception for films with educational messages, while the latter tended to follow trends.{{sfn|Xiao|1998d|p=390}} Later directors also in their approaches. Hong Shen, who had studied under ] in the United States, promoted the ] stylings of ] and ].{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=93}}

Mingxing adapted numerous films from novels, including ''Lonely Orchid'' (1926) and its 1935 remake, as well as ''Plum Blossoms Fall'' (1926) and ''Fate in Tears and Laughter'' (1932).{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=51, 88}} Other films based on novels included ''The Phoenix Knight'' (1927), from the work by Li Hanqiu, and ''Taohua Lake'' (1930).{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=99–100}} Where works were not adapted from novels, the involvement of famed writers such as ], ], Xu Banmei, and Chen Lengxue were highlighted.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=100, 122}} Other source materials included Peking opera, which were popular with audiences in the late 1920s and early 1930s;{{sfn|Luo|Ye|Zhu|2024|p=85}} elements of the genre featured in ''A Passionate Actress'' (1926) and ''Resurrection of Conscience'' (1926),<ref>{{harvnb|Huang|2014|p=124}}; {{harvnb|Zhang|2005|p=39}}</ref> and four opera songs were included with ''Song Song Girl Red Peony''.{{sfn|Luo|Ye|Zhu|2024|p=85}}

===Themes===
]''; Mingxing's first films were comedies.]]
The first films produced by Mingxing were slapstick comedies, a genre that represented almost half of Chinese filmic production in 1922.{{sfn|Huang|2022|p=278}} ''The King of Comedy'' looked outward, with ]{{sndash}}played by impersonator Richard Bell{{sfn|Huang|2022|p=286}}{{sndash}} visiting Shanghai and becoming involved in such gags as becoming trapped in a ] or encountering a baby driving an ].{{sfn|Huang|2022|p=283}} ''Labourer's Love'', meanwhile, drew its humour from the hijinks of a carpenter-turned-fruit monger in love with a doctor's daughter; it also featured elements such as a reference to ]'s "The Boy" character as well as a ] in which the main character Carpenter Zheng splits a melon, referencing a contemporary euphemism for taking a woman's virginity.{{sfn|Rea|2021|pp=23–30}} The three-reel ''Havoc in a Bizarre Theatre'', meanwhile, followed a distracted chef as he stumbles his way to stardom.{{sfn|Huang|2022|p=284}}

With the success of ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' in 1923, Mingxing focused predominantly on family melodramas. Through 1926, most of its output consisted of moralizing dramas,{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=128}} which were deemed suited for allowing "business plus conscience."{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=90}} Such works promoted specific values, such as the importance of providing public education, and were often paired with some form of moral retribution;{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=128}} such retribution was not necessarily violent, but could involve a ] balancing wherein the virtuous are rewarded and the vengeful are punished.{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=183}} Mingxing was followed in the production of such films by other companies, such as Shenzhou.{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=144}}

Meanwhile, following the success of ''The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple'' (1928), Mingxing produced some 27 costume dramas and martial arts films.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=223}} In the original series, the company used a combination of the ] and hand-drawn special effects to simulate accelerated combat, while ] was employed for aerial fights.{{sfn|Teo|2015|p=32}} The popularity of films stimulated the emergence of a subgenre of ''wuxia'' film, emulated by other Shanghai studios.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=42}} However, critics of the genre decried it as pornographic and feudal in mindset,{{sfn|Teo|2015|p=38}} and the genre was banned as promoting superstition by the KMT government in 1931.{{sfn|Teo|2015|p=9}}

After the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1931, Mingxing{{sndash}}as with other Chinese production houses{{sndash}}produced a series of nationalistic films, including ''Iron Youth'' (1931) and ''Resurrecting the National Spirit'' (1932).{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=107}} Through the remainder of the decade, films dealing with contemporary issues remained popular.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=108}} For example, ''Wild Torrent''{{sndash}}directed by Cheng Bugao from a script by Xia Yan{{sndash}}dealt with the flooding of the ] and conflicts emerging from the disaster. This film was praised both by leftist writers such ] as well as the KMT government.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=116–117}} Other films with dealing with social issues included ]'s ''The Uprising'' (1934), which sympathetically followed salt miners rebelling against the capitalist business owners, and ]'s ''24 Hours in Shanghai'', which explored the hardships of Shanghai's ].{{sfn|Xiao|1998a|p=15}}

Several of Mingxing's productions have been taken as examples of ]. ''The King of Comedy Visits Shanghai'' (1922) featured the titular king of comedy on a tour of the nascent studio and its film school, which the Chinese film historian Zheng Junli identifies as likely drawn from ] and his work with ] in the 1910s.{{sfn|Luo|2024|p=7}} Mingxing explored facets of stardom in ''A Passionate Actress'' (1926).{{sfn|Harris|2012|p=191}} With '']'' (1931), which has been described as semi-biographical in its following of the Xuan Jinglin-played protagonist rise from prostitution to film stardom, the company itself as a "magic workshop of virtual reality" that used modern lighting, extravagant set-pieces and innovative special effects.{{sfn|Zhang|2005|p=xxiii}}

==Partial filmography==
{{Main|List of Mingxing films}}
During its fifteen years of operation, Mingxing produced 174 narrative films, including 128 ]s and 46 ]s. The majority of these were directed by Zhang Shichuan (69 films) and Zheng Zhengqiu (55), with other major directors including Cheng Bugao (37), Xu Xinfu (11), and Hong Shen (10). Most of the company's output is lost, with only twenty-four feature films known to have survived in whole or in part.{{sfn|Huang|2014|pp=284–315}} The company also made five short cartoons,{{sfn|Giesen|2014|pp=41-42}} as well as newsreels and documentaries.{{sfn|Huang|2014|p=107}} Films produced by Mingxing include:

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* '']'' (1922)
* '']'' (1922)
* '']'' (1923)
* '']'' (1923)
{{col-3}}
* '']'' (1926)
* '']'' (1928)
* '']'' (1931)
* '']'' (1931)
{{col-3}}
* '']'' (1933)
* '']'' (1934)
* '']'' (1934)
* '']'' (1937)
* '']'' (1937)
{{col-end}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

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{{refend}}


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Revision as of 13:12, 27 December 2024

Former Chinese film production company Not to be confused with Minxin.
Mingxing Film Company
明星影片公司
Production logo
IndustryFilm
Founded1922
FounderZhang Shichuan,
Zheng Zhengqiu,
Zhou Jianyun
Defunct1937
HeadquartersShanghai, China

Mingxing Film Company (Chinese: 明星影片公司; pinyin: Míngxīng Yǐngpiān Gōngsī; lit. 'Bright Star Film Company'), also known as the Star Motion Picture Company, was one of the largest production companies during the 1920s, and 1930s in the Republican era. Founded in Shanghai, the company lasted from 1922 until 1937 when it was closed permanently by the Second Sino-Japanese War.

History

Founded in 1922 by Zhang Shichuan, Zheng Zhengqiu, and Zhou Jianyun, Mingxing emerged along with Dazhonghua Baihe Film Company, and Tianyi Film Company as one of the three dominant film studios of the 1920s. During this period, all three studios were known for producing "light" entertainment though even at this early time there was a sign of social criticism, inherited from the May 4th Movement.

The film company struggled in its first few years with comic shorts like 1922's Laborer's Love. In 1923, the company produced Orphan Rescues Grandfather which became a commercial success and with it Mingxing's fortunes were assured. By the early 1930s, Mingxing had become the leading film studio in China, and dominated the market with its upstart rival, the Lianhua Film Company (which had co-opted Dazhonghua Baihe) as a close second. In 1931, the first Chinese sound film Sing-Song Girl Red Peony was made, the product of a cooperation between the Mingxing Film Company's image production and Pathé's sound technology. However, the sound was disc-recorded, and the first sound-on-film talkie made in China was by Tianyi Film Company. Tianyi also continued to produce films throughout the 1930s, though its output did not match the two leaders. By the mid-1930s, both Mingxing and Lianhua became major production houses for films in Shanghai. With the death of co-founder Zheng Zhengqiu in 1934, and the advent of full-scale war in 1937, Mingxing was forced to close its doors permanently.

Elements of the Mingxing operation would be resurrected by Zhang Shichuan in 1938 as the Guohao Film Company.

Notable films

Main article: List of Mingxing films

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Zhang, Yingjin (2003-10-10). "A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  2. "Hong Kong Shanghai: Cinema Cities". Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery Of Modern Art. 2007. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  3. Gary G. Xu (2012). "Chapter 24 - Chinese Cinema and Technology". In Yingjin Zhang (ed.). A Companion to Chinese Cinema. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1444330298.
  4. Fu, p. 9

References

External links

Film production companies of China
Active
Defunct
See also
Category
Mingxing Film Company
Founders
Directors
Writers
Actors
Films
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