Chapter 21 Laughter

Novelist Zhang Henshui's first novel was published in the "World Evening News" hosted by Mr. Cheng Shewo.He described all kinds of social classes in Beiping in the Beiyang era vividly and delicately, and his writing became famous for a while.The protagonist Yang Xingyuan's poems on apricot blossoms are pretty and elegant, and he is even called a poet of apricot blossoms in the literary world.After it was published, I wrote another one, which was serialized in the "World Evening News", which alludes to some influential families at that time, which is even more fascinating.

At that time, someone in Shanghai asked Henshui to write a movie novel, and he was searching everywhere for information.It just so happens that I have a friend Zhang Zhanyuan, whose respect is the executive director of Tangshan Yaohua Glass Company. He himself has just graduated from Chaoyang University. By chance, he went to Tianqiao to listen to music. I accompanied the Zong sisters to hang their voices and ride bicycles at the Temple of Heaven.With just such a love history, Hen Shui is embedded in the novel written by Zhang Zong and Zhang Zong based on their words, expressions, and actions.This novel seems to be published in the supplement "Happy Forest" of "Shanghai News". "Shanghai News" and "Shenzhen" were the two newspapers with the most readers in Shanghai at that time.The novel was not finished yet, but Zheng Zhengqiu took a fancy to it and thought it was an excellent subject for making a movie, so he asked Qiu Baxiang and Zhou Jianyun to rewrite the screenplay into a screenplay and prepare to make a movie.

After Hu Die changed from "Tianyi" to "Star" in the 16th year of the Republic of China, Shao Zuiweng first used Japanese technology to produce the first sound film with pronunciation on film.Jin Yan, a young student from Lianhua, was hailed as the movie emperor by a group of trendy audiences. Zheng Zhengqiu and Zhang Shichuan were not willing to be left behind, and Hu Die was also promoted through newspapers and magazines as the film queen. Although there were as many as fifteen or six film companies in Shanghai at that time, in terms of financial resources and talents, it was obvious that Xingxing, Tianyi, and Lianhua were three-pointers.A group of fans who support Lianhua said that Lianhua's films are all realistic and follow the line of literature and art. If it is not within the scope of the Mandarin Duck and Butterfly School, it can no longer meet the needs of the audience, and it is too outdated.Star Company saw that the situation was ominous, and after the planning of the think tank, Zhou Jianyun proposed a script "Flower of Freedom", which is a moving story that combines the heroic beauty of Cai Songpo and Xiao Fengxian, a famous prostitute in Peking, with the righteousness of the nation. In order to improve the standard of the film, and then restore the star's reputation as a leader in the film industry in the early days.

"Flower of Liberty", "Falling the Lonely Duck" are all set in the old capital. Director Zheng Zhengqiu resolutely decided that these three plays will not hesitate to increase expenses, and all of them will be on location, far away. To go to Peking for filming, Hong Shen and Dong Tianya were sent as the advance team, and they first went to Peking to contact and arrange.Hong had worked with Gao Yi'an (Ms. Yan Jupeng) in "Old Times Jinghua" in Beiping, and he knew the way well. As soon as he arrived in Beiping with Dong Tianya, he started scouting locations in Sanhai, Central Park, and the Summer Palace.When the preparatory work was roughly completed, a group of more than forty people from the location team took the Jingpu Express and came to Peiping in a mighty way.This trip was originally led by Zheng Zhengqiu, but unfortunately he suffered from an old problem of wheezing, so he had to be led by Zhang Shichuan temporarily, and Zheng stayed in Shanghai to recuperate.

Star Company plans to shoot three films in Beiping: "Flower of Liberty" is a sound film produced by Zheng Zhengqiu with all his efforts; it is a so-called "dubbed film" with intermittent sound effects;Before the location team arrived in Beiping, Gao Yi'an rented a house in Dongsi Pailou. It is said that it was the residence of a prince in Xunqing. Each occupies a room, which is much brighter and more comfortable than staying in a hotel!However, the four American technicians were not used to Chinese food, so they had to stay at the Liuguo Hotel in Dongjiaomin Lane. It was the first time for the actors and staff of the location team to come to Peiping. They had seen the Bidian Danyuan and Cuiwa Jinpu several times. While working, they visited various historical sites and places of interest. Unknowingly, more than two months passed.First, Xia Peizhen found out that all the clothes she brought were too tight and too small, and all the actresses were no exception, so everyone had to diet as much as possible to lose weight.Yan Yuexian only drank a glass of lemonade with every meal and ate two slices of white bread for dinner. After two weeks, she lost eleven pounds.

Just when everyone was happily filming the film, and the film was halfway through the filming process, it happened that the film censorship law and review standards proposed by the Ministry of Education were sent to the Legislative Yuan for review and approval, and they were officially promulgated for implementation.The decree was newly promulgated, and Zheng Zhengqiu, Zhang Shichuan, and Zhou Jianyun, the heads of star companies, have never paid much attention to the decree. The legal production of adapted, registered and published novels has not gone through the procedures for obtaining the production rights first.Gu Wuwei, the manager of the Great China Film Company, got a glimpse of the inside story of this matter, so he applied for registration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Education with lightning speed.After obtaining the legal filming rights, the Shanghai Shen and Xin newspapers published the filming notice in a huge space.

Zheng Zhengqiu knew the seriousness of the situation only after reading the newspaper, and immediately informed Zhang Shichuan in Beiping by telegram.Zhang Su is known for his sophistication and stability, but when he encountered such an unexpected incident, he panicked for a while.At this time, most of the shooting was done, and huge sums of money had already been invested.The stars go out on location every day, which is already quite a sensation in the society. In addition, Zhang Henshui writes some tidbits in the newspaper at any time, and Mei Lanfang invites banquets with famous people in Peking. This movie has been hyped to the point that everyone knows it .It will be staged in the future, and the box office is 100% sure.

Gu Wuwei is known as the "King of Disruption" in the film and television industry. Although he does not have the capital and courage to compete with star companies, his threshold is very good. The film "Cry" was not made, so he proposed to compensate him for part of the loss and transfer the legal filming rights he had obtained.His abacus is completely foolproof.After careful consideration, Zheng, Zhang and Zhou Jianyun had no choice but to beat the pain.But because of Zhang Shichuan's strict refusal, they couldn't change their words for a while, so their good friend and owner of Shenzhou Film Company Wang Xuchang asked Mr. Du Yuesheng, a social celebrity who specialized in solving disputes in Shanghai at that time, to come forward to mediate.Star Company spent a considerable amount of compensation to settle the matter.As the saying goes, "spend money to eliminate disasters", because of the dispute over the double-package case, it has achieved unexpected publicity effects, selling money everywhere, and the venues are full.

Gu Wuwei got a transfer fee with a not-so-glamorous background, and took advantage of the hot hype period to organize a Dahua drama troupe to stage the adaptation into a drama everywhere.When it was staged in Nanjing, Bai Xia was a sensation, so he recruited troops to expand the organization, led Zhu Se, Lin Xueyi, Liu Yixin, Chen Qiufeng, Lu Cuilan, Lin Ruxin, Gu Baolian, Zhu Qiuhen, Lin Meiyu, a thousand male and female artists to the north, and played at Kaiming Theater in Peking. , The Central Cinema is divided into day and night shows, and staged dramas. The Dongfang Hotel where they stayed is close to the Eight Great Alleys, where slutty girls and flamboyant prodigal sons build their nests. Among the actors, Liu Yixin and Chen Qiufeng were all romantic drama clubs in the Yishi Drama Club in the Southern Amusement Park. Xiaosheng, sad and beautiful.Knowing the way, the old horse, the prodigal son, and the prostitute, hit it off, and several famous ladies were also involved. The police did not allow them to make too much noise, so they mobilized a large number of people to check the rooms at the Oriental Hotel.Not only were men and women mixed up, but there were also opium smoking utensils on the bed, so a thousand criminals were deported and sent to Tanggu to be put on a seagoing ship going south, and the case was ended.

Some people say that Gu Wuwei is quick-witted and good at opportunistic tricks. Although he tasted the sweetness of the star company's clever and ruthless move, he was disgraced in Beiping and returned home.Who said there is no reward for good and evil?Later, Li Lihua and Mei Xi re-shot "The New Cause of Laughter", and the grand occasion is still unabated.This "laughter and laughter" double-package case almost brought it to court.Half a century has passed in a flash, and nine out of ten of those influential figures at that time have materialized, and even those who are still alive, they are all chicken-skinned and gray-haired, and they are no longer Zhang Xu's day.