The Hong Kong film producer Raymond Chow – who introduced martial arts legend Bruce Lee to the world – has died at the age of 91.
Their first film together, 1971’s The Big Boss, set new box office records at the time.
Chow also had success in the 1980s with films featuring another kung fu star, Jackie Chan.
Known as the “godfather” of Hong Kong film, Chow produced more than 600 films before retiring in 2007.
Tributes have poured in, with Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon thanking Chow for “taking a chance” on her father.
His friend Robert Chua told Singapore’s Straits Times that Chow had “brought Bruce Lee to the world and, in turn, Hong Kong to the world”.
Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam said in a statement that Chow’s “contribution to the golden era of Hong Kong movies cannot go unremarked”, the South China Morning Post reported.
Born in Hong Kong in 1927, Chow worked as a reporter in the city before entering the film industry.
He co-founded his firm Golden Harvest with Leonard Ho Koon-Cheung in 1970.
Subsequent films with Bruce Lee included Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon in 1972.
Enter the Dragon, made in 1973, was co-produced with Warner Bros and was the first co-production between Hong Kong and Hollywood.
Chow also made films for Hollywood, including 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a screen adaptation of the comic book series.
In 1998 he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star medal, Hong Kong’s highest honour, for his contribution to the local film industry.
However Golden Harvest suffered big financial losses during the Asian financial crisis and Chow sold it in 2007.
Source: BBC
