Zou Wenhuai

Raymond Chow Man‑wai GBS OBE (born Chow Ting‑hin; 17 May 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a Hong Kong film entrepreneur and producer. He served as chairman and executive director of Golden Harvest Group. He was educated at St Stephen’s College in Hong Kong and Shanghai St John’s Youth High School, and graduated from Shanghai St John’s University in 1949 before returning to Hong Kong. In 1998 he was awarded the Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong government. His younger brother was Chow Ting‑au, former vice‑chairman of Golden Harvest.

Career

Chow was born in Hong Kong in 1927. After graduating from Shanghai St John’s University in 1949, he worked as a sports reporter for the English-language Tiger Standard. In 1951 he joined the United States Information Service to host Radio Free Asia broadcasts. In 1959 he became publicity officer at Shaw Brothers Studio, rising to production manager by the mid‑1960s.

In 1970, dissatisfied with salary limits at Shaw Brothers, Chow resigned and co‑founded Golden Harvest with partners including Raymond K. Ho and Leonard Ho. They acquired the former Cathay studios site and renamed it Golden Harvest Studio. In 1971 Chow signed rising martial arts star Bruce Lee to a high‑pay contract. Lee’s 1972 breakout film Fist of Fury made Golden Harvest a formidable competitor. After Lee’s sudden death in 1973, the studio faced challenges.

In 1974 actor‑writer Sammo Hung and the legendary Hui brothers (Michael, Samuel and Ricky) joined Golden Harvest, producing a string of hit comedy films—Games Gamblers Play (1974), The Naughty Stewardesses (1975), The Private Eyes (1976), Money and I (1979) and others—that topped the box office in Hong Kong and sparked an international craze for the “Mr. Boo!” series.

In the 1980s, Jackie Chan joined Golden Harvest and starred in a series of successful kung fu comedies, further elevating the studio’s profile. In 1989 Golden Harvest co‑produced the Hollywood hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, bringing Chow international recognition as “the godfather of Hong Kong cinema.”

After 1997 and the handover of Hong Kong, the local film industry declined and Golden Harvest faced financial strain, especially following the death of key partner Leonard Ho. The company shifted to real estate and cinema operations, becoming a holding company.

In 2007 Chow sold his Golden Harvest shares to mainland businessman Wu Ke‑bo and announced his retirement on 5 November, as his daughter had no interest in running the business. Two years later Golden Harvest was renamed Orange Sky Golden Harvest.

Chow died on 2 November 2018 at age 91. At the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2019, the industry paid tribute to him among other late film figures.

Honors

• 1998: Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• 2008: Lifetime Achievement Award, 27th Hong Kong Film Awards

External links

• Golden Harvest Film Company (archived)
• Shaw Brothers vs. Golden Harvest: A history overview (archived)