Dirty Ho

1979 1h 43m CN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 58

ActionComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A prince enlists a thief to serve as his bodyguard to protect him from assassins.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Wong Yu
Dirty Ho Ching
Gordon Liu
11th Prince, Wang Chin Chen
Lo Lieh
General Liang Jing Cheng
Johnny Wang Lung-Wei
Mr. Fan Tian Kong
Hsiao Ho
Xiao Lu
Wilson Tong Wai-Shing
Mr. Chu Yi Feng
Kara Wai Ying-Hung
Tsui Hung
Helen Poon Bing-Seung
Tsui Bing

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lau Kar-leung
Writers: Ni Kuang
Languages: Cantonese
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lau Kar-leung, shot by Peter Ngor Chi-Kwan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

AWARDS

Did you know

Wong Yu and Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0079432 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lau Kar-leung directs. Peter Ngor Chi-Kwan behind the camera. Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren scores. Chiang Hsing-Lung cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

147 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Lau Kar-leung, shot by Peter Ngor Chi-Kwan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Wong Yu and Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0079432 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 10 themes, including "martial arts", "kung fu", "assassination", "undercover".

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Ngor Chi-Kwan
Original score: Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren
Editing: Chiang Hsing-Lung
Costume design: Liu Chi-Yu
Makeup / hair: Wu Hsu-Ching
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: CN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Dirty Ho (1979)

Also by

Lau Kar-leung

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Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2025-11-09
★ 10/10
No ho's were actually harmed in the making of this film. This 1979 Shaw Brothers gem is pure joy from start to finish. The story is simple, the comedy is hilarious, and Lau Kar-leung's choreography is tops in its class - better than anything Bob Fosse created, lol. Those "fighting without looking like you're fighting" sequences are masterful. It's the kind of film that also reminds me of Jackie Chan's martial arts catalog. At 10/10, this is cinema as pure entertainment, executed with such skill and playfulness that it transcends its genre. Sometimes the best films are the ones that simply make you smile for 90 minutes straight.

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