Huaju Film Company

Huaju Film Company

Production logo from Lustrous Pearls (1927)
Native name	Template:Infobox Chinese/Chinese
Industry	Film
Founded	1925 (1925) in Shanghai, Republic of China
Founders	Zhang Qingpu Zhang Huimin
Defunct	1932
Fate	Closed after destruction during the January 28 incident
Headquarters	Shanghai , Republic of China

The Huaju Film Company () operated as a Shanghai-based film studio from 1925 until 1932. Established by the brothers Zhang Qingpu and Zhang Huimin, it specialized mainly in producing wuxia genre films featuring Huimin alongside his co-star Wu Suxin. The company also issued a promotional periodical. Its activities ended after its facilities were demolished in the January 28 incident.

History

The studio was founded toward the end of 1925 by Zhang Qingpu and Zhang Huimin, sons of an affluent Cantonese entrepreneur. The company benefited from ties to their sibling, Zhang Huichong, who founded Lianhe Film Company and later contributed to several of Huaju’s projects. While Qingpu oversaw business operations, Huimin took on leading roles in most productions. Their base was located at the junction of Sichuan North and Haining roads in Shanghai. In October 1927, Huaju became part of the Liuhe Film Sales Company alliance to improve its film distribution network.

In 1926, the studio created a short documentary centered on the Shanghai Fire Brigade. To complement Zhang Huimin’s performances, they recruited actress Wu Suxin—formerly with Tianyi Film Company—who emerged as their principal actress, assistant director, and Huimin’s partner. For a brief period, Cai Chusheng was employed after being discovered during filming in Shantou, while director Chen Tian was involved from 1926 onward.

Among Huaju’s significant films were White Lotus (1927), adapted from a Cantonese opera but featuring a rescue-focused plot instead of death; and Lustrous Pearls (1927), a drama revolving around female protagonists who recover kidnapped pearls. Inspired by the success of Mingxing Film Company's The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple, Huaju released Hero in Fire (1928), portraying a hero joining a fire brigade to save a woman. Another notable title, Orphan of the Storm, merged melodramatic elements with action sequences influenced by D.W. Griffith’s Way Down East.

To promote its productions, Huaju periodically published the Huaju Special Issue (), under editors He Ken and Huang Zhigang. This magazine combined company updates with poetry and essays exploring screenwriting and film theory, emphasizing cinema’s role in serving the Republic of China’s interests while referencing Western literary figures such as Lord Byron, Henrik Ibsen, and Oscar Wilde. One article advocated for "smash[ing] the silver screen" to advance a new cinematic approach.

By the early 1930s, government restrictions impacted the popularity of the wuxia genre; martial arts films were prohibited by the Kuomintang administration for allegedly encouraging superstition. Consequently, film production diminished. The destruction of Huaju’s studio during the 1932 January 28 incident resulted in the company’s closure.

Partial filmography

Huaju's film productions mainly centered on the wuxia genre, blending elements of adventure and detective fiction. A number of these works were inspired by serialized dramas and Westerns. Prominent performers included Zhang Huimin and Wu Suxin, with characters frequently portrayed in contemporary clothing and interacting with modern technology. Wu Suxin often took on roles of heroines disguised as men, partnering with male fighters and becoming the object of female affection.

The majority of Huaju's films are considered lost, though complete copies of Orphan of the Storm and Lustrous Pearls have been preserved. Only a 27-minute segment of The Valiant Girl White Rose is extant.

Key

†	Denotes surviving film

Huaju Film Catalogue

English Title	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Year Released	References
Hero of Troubled Times	Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	Template:Ndash
The Bandit of Shandong	Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1927	Bao 2005, p. 216; Hong 2022
White Lotus	Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1927	Bao 2015, p. 83; Hong 2022
Lustrous Pearls †	Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1927	Bao 2015, p. 85; Hong 2022
The Beauty and the Tiger	Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	Template:Ndash

English Title	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Year Released	References

Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1928	Hong 2022; Zhang 2005, p. 214
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	–	Bao 2015, p. 78; Hong 2022
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	–
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	–
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1928
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	–
Template:Zhi	Template:Zhi	1929
{{zhi	t=雪中​​孤雛	s=雪中孤雏	1929	Template:Harvnb Bao 2015 p84; Template:Harvnb Hong 2022|
{{zhi	t=英雄與美人	s=英雄与美人	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=女盜蘭姑娘	s=女盗兰姑娘	1930	Template:Harvnb Hong2022;Template:Harvnb Zhang2005 p227|
{{zhi	t=萬俠之王	s=万侠之王	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=恐怖之夜	s=恐怖之夜	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=流芳百世	s=流芳百世	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=九死一生	s=九死一生	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=努力	s=努力	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|
{{zhi	t=花花世界	s=花花世界	–	Template:Sfn Hong2022|