Forgive me if any facts are wrong here, this is something of an off the cuff rant!

I loved this movie. It wasn't until recently that I finally got my mitts on a copy and I wasn't disappointed at all! As some will know, this was the role for which Ms. Shang Kuan Ling-Feng received a Golden Globe for Best Actress, and I thought she deserved it!! This is a mellow-drama/comedy with a goodly mix of kung-fu thrown in - but it is not a martial arts movie per se! Back Alley was produced by Raymond Chow, directed by Lo Wei, and choreographed by Han Ying Chieh, rest his soul, about one year before Big Boss hit the screens. AND it has about half the cast from that movie! Even a knife wielding Lam Ching-Ying gets a very brief cameo (at the end of Angela Mao's fist!). The movie features a host of familiar faces, including Carter Wong, who has a (thankfully) minor role as teacher's number one pupil. But despite Angela Mao and Carter Wong's presence, this movie was all about Polly - she stole this flick! I can tell you that Shan Kuan and Mao fought very well as a team - in retrospect, I'm really glad they got their time on screen together.

THE STORY:
Polly Shan Kuan and Samuel Hui (Aces Go Places), who plays her sidekick, are Two street urchins trying to "con" their living while entertaining folks with their martial antics. Polly (who plays a character called Chili Boy), and Hui (whom Polly calls "Embroidered Pillow" - probably because she knocks the 'stuffing' out of him all the time as part of their act) meet up with a martial arts/ acrobatics troupe (which Carter and Mao belong to) headed by a kung fu master, played by Tien Feng (5 Fingers of Death, Fists of Fury etc. etc.). The troupe is down on its luck and Chili Boy, who has just been told by a fortuneteller that 'he' will achieve great things in life, jump-starts the troupe's business by winning over the crowds in the market place. She is, of course, immediately inducted into their 'family' as a key asset; for despite her ornery and mischievous nature, she gets the job done. The family is in constant financial trouble and Polly "lies, cheats, and steals" to come up with the cash that everyone needs. About an hour into this 2-hour plus yarn, Han Ying Chieh makes his appearance (Note: you may recall Tony Liu - who played Chieh's evil pimping son in Big Boss - this time plays it straight as a lawyer who befriends Chili Boy during a scam for cash). (The portly) Lee Kwan and Helen Ma (playing herself!) also cameo, though Lee's is an extended cameo. So anyway, Chieh is 'all about' kidnapping virgins, of course, and Polly and Mao come in to save the day by kicking some proverbial bad-guy ass. Good ol' Tien Feng and his students helps out (since his daughter winds up on the whipping post for "virgins who won't comply"!). The movie is a light comedy (sans bathroom humor) with moments of sporadic intensity and comes off really well, Shan Kuan is so cute (even with her butch hair-cut) that I found myself filled with appreciation time and again while watching.

This story is typical in that it has the seemingly ever-present elements of girl-napping, drugs, triads and prostitution. I swear this movie is the sister movie/predecessor of Big Boss. The story is almost the same, just told from the point of view of a heroine disguised as a boyish street urchin, rather than that of a country bumpkin (a la Bruce) rippling with martial talent. It's the action, more than the plot, which separates these flicks). In this flick, two wayward souls in life stumble into their fortunes basically by beating up the bad-guys (all well-known themes). You've heard it before and probably will again. But it's the delivery that counts, right? And that's why I liked this so much. Polly brought the great bounty of her charm and levity to a role that would have crumbled in less capable hands. Ms. Mao, for instance (who was fairly new, this being her fifth movie, following Invincible 8, Angry River, Lady Whirlwind and Hapkido), is a great fighter, but doesn't have the kind of self assured charm that Polly could bring forth (though they are both scrappers). Likewise, Shan Kuan would not have been the best choice for Mao's brief but important role in Enter the Dragon. Speculatively, another reason I imagine Mao was given the role of Bruce's sister over Polly may have been because though Polly would not contend with Bruce in the fighting department, she can absorb quit a bit of screen presence, and I doubt Bruce would have thought Polly's perkiness blended with his seriousness at all! In short: little Polly could carry a movie virtually by herself; she was just a very cool and confident lady on screen. Admittedly, I'm not a huge Mao fan (though I like her), but she fights well in this movie and gets her time during the second half (the first half belongs to Sam Hui). So I was a very happy camper with this flick. I sleep better knowing that this fine retired actress got her day in the sun and was recognized for the great character she was capable of bringing to her roles.

SIGHT:
If you snag the DVD (I got mine at HKFlix.com) you'll get a nice subtitled & widescreen. The print looks a lot better than other stock from the time; I had no complaints (didn't notice the usual dust and scratches these movies often have). It's a slightly worn print but better than most 30-year-old Hong Kong movies.

SOUND:
The movie is presented in 5.1 surround and is very good though, to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to the sound as it was subtitled anyway. Sorry! The subtitle are well done (redone) and conspicuously lack the usual HK absurdities of translation. Hey, the movie is still wonderfully funny.

Anyway, this oldie-but-goodie can be found pretty cheaply and I think is well worth it for the collector or for anyone who would like to see more of Shan Kuan. Buddha Bless You, Shan Kuan Ling-Feng!

...P.S. There is a sequel called China Town Capers that came out in 1974.