The Contract
Traditional Chinese賣身契
Simplified Chinese卖身契
Hanyu PinyinMài shēn qì
Jyutpingmaai6 san1 kai3
Directed byMichael Hui
Screenplay byMichael Hui
So Chi-hung[1]
Produced byRaymond Chow
StarringMichael Hui
Samuel Hui
Ricky Hui
CinematographyTom Lau
Edited byPeter Cheung
Music bySamuel Hui
Production
company
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release date
3 August 1978 (1978-08-03)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$7,823,019[2]

The Contract (Chinese: 賣身契) is a 1978 Hong Kong comedy film written, directed by and starring Michael Hui. The film also co-stars Hui's brothers, Samuel Hui and Ricky Hui. It was very successful at the Hong Kong box office being the highest-grossing film there at the time.[3]

Cast

  • Michael Hui as Sit Chi-man
  • Samuel Hui as Chiu Sai-kit
  • Ricky Hui as Sit Chi-ying
  • Tiffany Bao as Ms. Wang
  • Ellen Lau as Chu Ling-ling
  • Yeung Wai as Ms. Wang's eye-path assistant
  • Cheng Fu-hing as King Kong
  • Russell Cawthorne as Guru
  • Chan King-cheung as MTV chairman
  • Cheng Siu-ping as Mrs. Li
  • Kwong Kwan-ning as Mr. Kwong
  • Lee Pang-fei as Cat TV manager
  • Chiu Chun as MTV board of director
  • Fong Yue as Woman coming out of elevator
  • Huang Pa-ching as Mrs. Li
  • Man Sau as Man's mother
  • Pan Yung-sheng as Audience for alien show
  • Kwan Yan as Audience at magic show
  • Cheung Sek-Au as Audience at magic show
  • Johnny Koo as one of three bank robbers
  • Kam Tin-chue as MTV board of director
  • Si Lau-wa
  • Lau Cheun
  • Hoh Wan

Reception

The Contract was a commercial success, earning HK$7,820,019 at the box office[4]

In The Hong Kong Filmography, 1977-1997, John Charles described The Contract as "totally disarming and one of The Hui's Brothers most consistently amusing efforts"[5] while Stephen Teo in his book Hong Kong Cinema: the Extra Dimensions wrote "Michael Hui ended the decade with arguably his best film".[6]

The film was nominated for three Golden Horse Awards in 1978, and was Michael Hui's first and last nomination for a Golden Horse Award, until his nomination for Best Actor for his work in the 2016 film Godspeed at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards.[7]

Accolades

Award Date Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
15th Golden Horse Awards 1978 Best Film Editing Peter Cheung Won [8]
Best Director Michael Hui Nominated
Best Feature Film Golden Harvest (HK) Limited Nominated

Album

The Contract is Sam Hui's fifth Cantopop album with the title track being the film's theme song. In Asia soundtrack has shifted 500,000 units.[9]

The Contract
賣身契
Studio album by
Sam Hui
ReleasedJuly 1978
GenreCantopop
LanguageCantonese
LabelPolyGram
Sam Hui chronology
The God of Wealth Has Arrived
財神到
(1978)		 The Contract
賣身契
(1978)		 79 Summer Song Collection
79夏日之歌集
(1979)

Track listing

  1. "賣身契"
  2. "舞伴"
  3. "男兒漢"
  4. "世事如棋"
  5. "應該要自愛"
  6. "人生的道路"
  7. "學生哥"
  8. "杯酒當歌"
  9. "拜拜"
  10. "相思萬千重"
  11. "飲勝"
  12. "父母恩"
  13. "太空舞"（音樂）

References

  1. ↑ "Mai shen qi (1978)". internet movie database. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Hong Kong's 20 Alltime Top Pix". Variety. 3 January 1979. p. 42.
  3. ↑ "The Contract - Hong Kong Film Archive". www.filmarchive.gov.hk. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Tong Cheuk Pak; Botang Zhuo (2008). Hong Kong New Wave Cinema (1978-2000). Intellect Books. p. 44. ISBN 9781841501482.
  5. ↑ Charles, John (14 June 2015). The Hong Kong filmography, 1977-1997 : a complete reference to 1,100 films produced by British Hong Kong studios. Jefferson, N.C. p. 61. ISBN 9781476602622. OCLC 911054921.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Teo, Stephen (1997). Hong Kong cinema : the extra dimensions. British Film Institute. London: BFI. p. 143. ISBN 0851704964. OCLC 38303187.
  7. ↑ "Hong Kong comic actor Michael Hui out to direct films after 25-year gap". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Leo, Christie (29 September 1979). "Polygram Gets Local Acts In Malay Drive". Billboard. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 October 2022 – via Google Books.


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