Li Ping-Qian

Biography

Li Pingqian (1902 – 18 November 1984), also known as Jack Pingqian Li, was a Chinese filmmaker who directed over 100 films in his career in mainland China and Hong Kong. He is probably best known for his works with actresses Gong Qiuxia and Xia Meng, who each starred in more than a dozen of his films. Moreover, his 1964 Huangmei opera film Three Charming Smiles starring Chen Sisi was a huge hit in China. Li was born in Hangzhou and was originally given the name Chunchou. He moved to Shangai in the 1920s to begin a career in filmmaking after leaving Hujiang University in 1919, where he studied sociology but did not graduate. In 1924, he co-founded Shenzhou Film Company with Wu Xuchang. The company went bankrupt in 1927 and Li joined Tianyi Film Company. He eventually moved on to Mingxing Film Company, until that was destroyed by Japanese bombardments during World War II. In the 1950s, Li moved to Hong Kong and became directing Cantonese films for companies such as Yonghua and Great Wall Film Company. Many of Li's earlier works are lost.