The House of 72 Tenants

A water dispute compels the colourful renters of a tenement building to resist the abusive landlady looming over their heads. Director Chor Yuen (Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan; The Magic Blade), tasked with remaking a 1963 film adapted from a Shanghainese play, insisted on staging his own version in Cantonese, convinced it would best connect with his audience. His instinct was right: this comedic Hong Kong miniature, featuring a cast of beloved TVB actors, became the highest-grossing film of 1973, outpacing even Bruce Lee’s Enter The Dragon, with a tale of community building and everyday solidarity. Remembered today for its trove of star cameos, expert set-bound mise-en-scène and influence on Stephen Chow’s 2004 Kung Fu Hustle, The House of 72 Tenants, proved to be a landmark film for Shaw Brothers Studio, helping change the course of Hong Kong cinema by reintroducing Cantonese to its Mandarin-dominated market.