Street Angel (1937 film)

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For the comic book series, see Street Angel (comics).

For the silent film of the same name, see Street Angel.

Street Angel
Zhou Xuan as Xiao Hong in Street Angel
Directed by	Yuan Muzhi
Written by	Yuan Muzhi
Starring	Zhou Xuan Zhao Huishen Zhao Dan
Distributed by	Mingxing Film Company
Release date(s)	1937
Running time	87 min
Language	Chinese (Mandarin)
IMDb profile

Street Angel (Simplified Chinese: 马路天使; Traditional Chinese: 馬路天使; pinyin: Mǎlù tiānshǐ) is a Chinese black-and-white film released in 1937. Directed by Yuan Muzhi and starring the popular singer Zhou Xuan.

[edit] Synopsis

The film deals with two sisters, Xiao Hong (Zhou Xuan) and Xiao Yun (Zhao Huishen) who live under the brutal thumb of their landlords. Xiao Yun has already been forced into prostitution while her sister serves as a teahouse singer. Soon the sisters realize that the landlords have decided to sell Xiao Hong to a wealthy patron, whereupon they seek the aid of their neighbors, a street musician, Xiao Chen (Zhao Dan), and his misfit friends.

Street Angel is often praised for its mix of melodrama and comedy. One sequence in particular, where Xiao Chen and his friends attempt to act as barbers reveals a moment of slapstick or physical comedy in the otherwise dreary third act.

[edit] Reputation

Praised for its portrayal of the downtrodden in Shanghai at the time of its release, today, Street Angel is often considered one of the classics of the "leftist" filmmaking period that reached its peak in the 1930s. It was selected as one of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Picture Ever Made by the committee of Hong Kong Film Awards, ranked 11th.