Directing

Tso Kea

Born — Died

1916-01-01 — 1997-01-17

Place of birth

Nanhai, Guangdong Province, China

Known for

Directing

Credits

28 titles

Tso Kea, also known as Cho Kei, was a prominent Chinese film director and screenwriter born on November 30, 1916, in Nanhai, Guangdong, China. He began his career in the film industry in the 1940s, initially working as a music director and composer. Tso Kea directed and wrote numerous films across various genres, including drama, romance, and musical. Notable works include The Love Eterne (1963), The Love Parade (1966), and The Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967). His adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights into the film Love Lingers On (1957) is particularly acclaimed for its profound portrayal of passion and vengeance.

Known for

The Kid poster
6.2

A 10-year-old Bruce Lee stars as Kid Cheung, an orphan boy who sells comics in a little stall in the slums to survive. He and his two siblings are looked after by his Uncle Ho, a teacher. When the wealthy Hung Pak-ho surveys the slums to build a school for orphans, he is robbed by the vicious Blade Lee and his gang. Cheung helps Blade Lee escape and earns his friendship, but Uncle Ho convinces him to return the gold necklace Lee stole. Hung rewards Ho by hiring him as his private secretary.

The Kid

1950

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case poster
NR

Centered around the seizure of a family's property, police investigate a series of knife murders.

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case

1961

My Intimate Partner poster
9.0

Adapted from a popular 'three dime novel' the story revolves around two down-and-out buddies, one streetwise and quick-witted the other naïve and kind-hearted. This oddball duo go through up and downs and eventually get their break in life.

My Intimate Partner

1960

No artwork available
NR

Our Love Solid as Gold

Our Love Solid as Gold

1962

The Prince's Romantic Affairs poster
NR

Morris the Tailor seeks to get even with Gilbert, Earl of Chen who has stolen a set of expensive clothes from him. Morris bumps into Princess Jenna and the two fall in love at first sight. But the king voices his opposition since Morris is from the grassroots. Gilbert suggests that Jenna's aunt adopts him as her foster son. In a split second, Morris is elevated to a royal and becomes the king's son-in-law.

The Prince's Romantic Affairs

1958

No artwork available
NR

Ho Pui-lan was the secretary of the writer Wu Him, but she died suddenly at home. Ho's mother commissioned private detective Chan Kin-chau to investigate and found out that Pui-lan and Him were having an extra-marital affair, and also discovered that the contents of Him's fiction were similar to the contents of Pui-lan's suicide note. When Kin-chau finds out that the contents of Him's fiction are similar to the contents of Pui-lan's suicide note, he and Pei Lan's sister Yuk-lan reenact the murder case, and Him is stimulated and hallucinated to reveal the truth of the murder...

The Detective

1966

Behind the camera

The Kid poster
6.2

A 10-year-old Bruce Lee stars as Kid Cheung, an orphan boy who sells comics in a little stall in the slums to survive. He and his two siblings are looked after by his Uncle Ho, a teacher. When the wealthy Hung Pak-ho surveys the slums to build a school for orphans, he is robbed by the vicious Blade Lee and his gang. Cheung helps Blade Lee escape and earns his friendship, but Uncle Ho convinces him to return the gold necklace Lee stole. Hung rewards Ho by hiring him as his private secretary.

The Kid

1950

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case poster
NR

Centered around the seizure of a family's property, police investigate a series of knife murders.

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case

1961

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case poster
NR

Centered around the seizure of a family's property, police investigate a series of knife murders.

Dial 999 for 24-Hour Murder Case

1961

My Intimate Partner poster
9.0

Adapted from a popular 'three dime novel' the story revolves around two down-and-out buddies, one streetwise and quick-witted the other naïve and kind-hearted. This oddball duo go through up and downs and eventually get their break in life.

My Intimate Partner

1960

No artwork available
NR

Our Love Solid as Gold

Our Love Solid as Gold

1962

The Prince's Romantic Affairs poster
NR

Morris the Tailor seeks to get even with Gilbert, Earl of Chen who has stolen a set of expensive clothes from him. Morris bumps into Princess Jenna and the two fall in love at first sight. But the king voices his opposition since Morris is from the grassroots. Gilbert suggests that Jenna's aunt adopts him as her foster son. In a split second, Morris is elevated to a royal and becomes the king's son-in-law.

The Prince's Romantic Affairs

1958

The Prince's Romantic Affairs poster
NR

Morris the Tailor seeks to get even with Gilbert, Earl of Chen who has stolen a set of expensive clothes from him. Morris bumps into Princess Jenna and the two fall in love at first sight. But the king voices his opposition since Morris is from the grassroots. Gilbert suggests that Jenna's aunt adopts him as her foster son. In a split second, Morris is elevated to a royal and becomes the king's son-in-law.

The Prince's Romantic Affairs

1958

No artwork available
NR

Ho Pui-lan was the secretary of the writer Wu Him, but she died suddenly at home. Ho's mother commissioned private detective Chan Kin-chau to investigate and found out that Pui-lan and Him were having an extra-marital affair, and also discovered that the contents of Him's fiction were similar to the contents of Pui-lan's suicide note. When Kin-chau finds out that the contents of Him's fiction are similar to the contents of Pui-lan's suicide note, he and Pei Lan's sister Yuk-lan reenact the murder case, and Him is stimulated and hallucinated to reveal the truth of the murder...

The Detective

1966

No artwork available
NR

Songstress Mui Yee-wah falls head over heels for painter Wai Tik-fung despite their age difference. Because Wai is a married man, Mui's mother is against the match. Mui falls ill from grief. Rich heir Siu Kar-wai seizes the chance to successfully propose to Mui. However, Siu is unable to let go of Mui's past. In a fit of anger, he fires a deadly shot at Wai.

A Lovely Girl's Lovely Dreams

1958

No artwork available
NR

Songstress Mui Yee-wah falls head over heels for painter Wai Tik-fung despite their age difference. Because Wai is a married man, Mui's mother is against the match. Mui falls ill from grief. Rich heir Siu Kar-wai seizes the chance to successfully propose to Mui. However, Siu is unable to let go of Mui's past. In a fit of anger, he fires a deadly shot at Wai.

A Lovely Girl's Lovely Dreams

1958

The Tender Age poster
NR

Han Xiangying temporarily resides at her classmate Fan Daini's resplendent mansion. Mrs Fan eggs her on to attend a party at which she is raped by a rich businessman. It turns out that Mrs Fan is in fact a procuress exerting control over her three daughters of the ruined family. Han manages to escape the clutches of Mrs Fan with the assistance of the honest young man Gong Liqun.

The Tender Age

1957

The Tender Age poster
NR

Han Xiangying temporarily resides at her classmate Fan Daini's resplendent mansion. Mrs Fan eggs her on to attend a party at which she is raped by a rich businessman. It turns out that Mrs Fan is in fact a procuress exerting control over her three daughters of the ruined family. Han manages to escape the clutches of Mrs Fan with the assistance of the honest young man Gong Liqun.

The Tender Age

1957

The Sorrowful Lute poster
NR

A Hong Kong drama

The Sorrowful Lute

1957

The Sorrowful Lute poster
NR

A Hong Kong drama

The Sorrowful Lute

1957

Henpecked Husband poster
NR

Based on a short story found in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (1640–1715)

Henpecked Husband

1957

Henpecked Husband poster
NR

Based on a short story found in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (1640–1715)

Henpecked Husband

1957

No artwork available
10.0

Based on the novel Qijian Xia Tianshan.

Seven Swordsman Leave Tianshan

1959

No artwork available
9.0

A film about a mysterious murder

Mysterious Murder

1964

Love Lingers On poster
NR

Tso Kea was adroit in adapting film and literary classics from the West, organically transplanting stories and characters onto Chinese soil and nurturing them to glorious fruition. Love Lingers On is based on the gothic novel Wuthering Heights and Tso shepherds Emily Brontë's tale of profound passion, thwarted love and bitter vengefulness with a perfect balance of broad narrative strokes and delicate orchestration of mise-enscene. He wisely concentrates on the lead characters' simmering mental troubles, greatly enhanced by stars Cheung Ying and Mui Yee, who overcome glaring age differences with their characters to bring life to this saga of vivid emotions.

Love Lingers On

1957

Love Lingers On poster
NR

Tso Kea was adroit in adapting film and literary classics from the West, organically transplanting stories and characters onto Chinese soil and nurturing them to glorious fruition. Love Lingers On is based on the gothic novel Wuthering Heights and Tso shepherds Emily Brontë's tale of profound passion, thwarted love and bitter vengefulness with a perfect balance of broad narrative strokes and delicate orchestration of mise-enscene. He wisely concentrates on the lead characters' simmering mental troubles, greatly enhanced by stars Cheung Ying and Mui Yee, who overcome glaring age differences with their characters to bring life to this saga of vivid emotions.

Love Lingers On

1957

The Chair poster
NR

After inheriting his father's estate, Cheung Ka-bo leads a life of debauchery after getting know Blackie Yuen, who profits at others' expense, and Yee-Wah, who working at a night club. As the family wealth diminishes, he always squabbles with his wife and finally separates from her. She returns a diamond bracelet, kept by Uncle Chan, to her mother-in-law. Bo's mother hides the bracelet in a chair. Later, Wah resides at Bo's home. To flatter Wah, Bo wants to get the bracelet by any means from his mother and give it to Wah. Later, Bo's mother falls ill. In the hospital, she tells Bo of the bracelet's whereabouts but the chair has already been sold to Uncle Chan by Wah. Bo, Wah and Yuen stealthily enter Chan's home to get the chair, but have a big fight when they try to take the bracelet. Knowing that Bo has huge debts, Wah intends to leave him after getting the bracelet. Wah exposes her gluttonous self in her pursuit of the treasure. Bo learns his lesson and returns to his wife.

The Chair

1959

Perfect Match poster
NR

Comedy from Hong Kong directed by Cho Kei.

Perfect Match

1952

Perfect Match poster
NR

Comedy from Hong Kong directed by Cho Kei.

Perfect Match

1952

No artwork available
5.7

Vagabond singer Ali is embroiled in a dispute over love and is compelled to return to his own country. Ali is mistaken for the future queen's consort and chances to meet her majesty Law Yee. Law falls head over heels for Ali and they get married not long after. However, Ali finds royal formalities unbearable and decides to run away from the palace. Disregarding all rules, Law follows her man to wherever he goes.

My Kingdom for a Husband

1957

No artwork available
5.7

Vagabond singer Ali is embroiled in a dispute over love and is compelled to return to his own country. Ali is mistaken for the future queen's consort and chances to meet her majesty Law Yee. Law falls head over heels for Ali and they get married not long after. However, Ali finds royal formalities unbearable and decides to run away from the palace. Disregarding all rules, Law follows her man to wherever he goes.

My Kingdom for a Husband

1957

No artwork available
9.0

The sins of the patriarch filter down to the next generation in Tso’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play, Ghosts. Eighteen years after he was sent overseas by his suffering mother (Wong), the son (Cheung) of an affluent household returns as a shadow of himself – both physically and spiritually – before unwittingly falling for his philandering father’s illegitimate daughter (Ha), conceived through the rape of a housemaid. No doubt ironically titled, Motherhood presents a restrained subversion of the Cantonese family melodrama tradition.

Motherhood

1960

Princess Cheung Ping poster
7.0

A Chinese screen opera

Princess Cheung Ping

1959

No artwork available
NR

A Hong Kong historical drama

Sunset on the River

1962