Raymond Chow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raymond Chow Man-wai OBE GBS
鄒文懷
Raymond Chow at the 5th Asian Film Awards in 2011
Born	(1927-10-08)8 October 1927 Hong Kong
Died	2 November 2018(2018-11-02) (aged 91) Hong Kong
Education	B.A
Alma mater	Saint John's University, Shanghai
Occupation	Film producer
Spouse(s)	Felicia Yuen
Partner(s)	Ng Suk-fong
Children	Roberta Chow (daughter), with Yuen Felix Chow (son), with Ng Terence Chow (son), with Ng
Awards	Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Film 1986 Police Story Lifetime Achievement Award 2008
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	鄒文懷
Simplified Chinese	邹文怀
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zōu Wénhuái Wade–Giles Tsou Wen-huai Yale Romanization Dzōu Wénhuái IPA [tsóu̯ u̯ə̌nxu̯ǎi̯] Hakka Romanization Tseu1 Wun2 -fai2 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jáu Màhn Wàaih IPA [tsɐ́u mɐ̏nwȁːi] Jyutping Zau1 Man4 Waai4

Raymond Chow Man-wai (8 October 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a very important film producer from Hong Kong. He helped make martial arts movies and Hong Kong films famous around the world. He started a film company called Golden Harvest. Through Golden Harvest, he worked with huge stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung.

Early Life of Raymond Chow

Raymond Chow was born in Hong Kong in 1927. He was part of the Hakka people. He learned martial arts from a master named Lam Sai-wing. He studied journalism at Saint John's University, Shanghai. He graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, he worked for the Hongkong Standard newspaper. In 1951, he joined the Voice of America office in Hong Kong.

Raymond Chow's Film Career

Chow's exciting career in movies began in 1958. He first worked at Shaw Brothers, a big film company. He started as a publicity manager. Soon, he became the head of publicity. For 10 years, until 1970, he was the head of production. He helped manage many films during this time.

Founding Golden Harvest Films

In 1970, Raymond Chow left Shaw Brothers. He started his own film company called Golden Harvest. He teamed up with another film producer, Leonard Ho. Chow saw that Shaw Brothers had some problems. Their system limited how creative filmmakers could be.

Chow used this to his advantage. He convinced Bruce Lee to join Golden Harvest. This was a huge step. After Bruce Lee's film The Big Boss came out in 1971, Golden Harvest became a serious competitor to Shaw Brothers.

Golden Harvest's Global Success

Raymond Chow's films with Bruce Lee were very popular. They were the first Hong Kong films to reach a large audience worldwide. Under Chow's leadership, Golden Harvest became a leader in Hong Kong cinema. They led the Hong Kong box office for 20 years. This was from the 1970s to the 1980s.

Golden Harvest also expanded into international film distribution. This means they helped show Hong Kong films in other countries. In 1981, Chow was honored by the National Association of Theatre Owners. They named him their International Showman of the Year. This was because of his important work in the US film industry. It followed the success of his film The Cannonball Run.

Retirement from Film Production

Raymond Chow officially announced his retirement. This happened in Hong Kong on 5 November 2007. He had a long and successful career in movies.

Raymond Chow's Personal Life

Raymond Chow was married to Felicia Yuen Hei-wah. They had a daughter named Roberta Chow, born in 1963. Chow also had two sons, Felix Chow and Terence Chow.

Outside of his film work, Chow enjoyed playing contract bridge. He competed in international tournaments. He was also a regular at the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club.

Passing of Raymond Chow

Raymond Chow passed away in Hong Kong on 2 November 2018. He was 91 years old. He is remembered for his huge impact on the film industry.

Chow's star on the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

See also

In Spanish: Raymond Chow para niños