Black Rose Dir: Chor Yuen Scr: Ho Pik-kin Cast: Nam Hung, Connie Chan Po-chu, Patrick Tse Yin 1965   B&W  Beta   SP  Cantonese  94min

Director Chor Yuen had always been eager and also skillful in incorporating Western influence in his work, and his introduction of James Bond elements into Black Rose likely kickstarted the Jane Bond genre. This was in turn thrown into the mix with the Cantonese cinema’s penchant for combining the relatively new Jade Girl phenomenon of Chinese cinema with the longtime tradition of xia dao, a Robin Hood-like figure who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. The film was a box-office success, spurning imitators that quickly materialized into a genre.