WONG Kee Hung
Singapore Film Industry,
Accession Number 002986
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 6
Total Reels
- Michelle Low
Interviewer
- 05:43:47
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 6
Metadata
- 30 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born in Seremban, Malaysia in 1911. Father was dentist from China. Origin of name Locke Road. His siblings. Used kerosene lamps when studing at night. Studied Chinese from private tutor. Later enrolled in St Paul's Institution. Awarded scholarship to study in Raffles College, Singapore (1930) but did not get through exams. Gave private tuition. Worked as clerk in NS Aerated Water Company Limited. Mother was illiterate. Childhood games. Used to peep into make-shift mobile cinemas. Screened Cantonese opera movies. About kite flying. Nonya neighbours slaughtered by Japanese for sheltering British soldiers. Recalled Japanese trucks moving down to Singapore.
Description of father's shop and surroundings. Sister helped father in clinic. Incidents at father's clinic. Recalled religious brothers in school. Daily schedule. Learnt Chinese classics through Chinese tutor. Languages spoken. About tachers. Slept on floor. Happy to leave Seremban for Raffles College. Played many games. Happy life in hostel, seldom left College. Mosquito buses. Satay Club at Beach Road. Gave private tuition upon his return. Student teacher in St Paul's. Punishments inflicted on students. Majestic (Metropole) Theatre in Seremban showed live Cantonese wayang. Sapphire Theatre screened silent, black-and-white pictures. Action hero Eddie Polo. Description of Sapphire Theatre. No more mobile cinemas. Publicity by lorries.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 6
Metadata
- 30 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:36
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
More about Sapphire Theatre. First and second class seats divided by a fence. Floor turned red when they showed Tamil talkies. Kacang putih pushcart. Interior lighting. Incident of ceiling fan crashing down. Description of box office and tickets. Seldom went to Sapphire Theatre. Lady who brought several children using only one ticket. Champion swimmer Esther Williams. Other cinemas in Seremban: Odeon, Capitol. Boys distributed handbills on the streets. Learnt about World War II from radio broadcasts. Gave up teaching when teachers were arrested by Japanese. Boycott of Japanese goods.
Declined British invitation to join Red Cross. Stored up a lot of rice mixed with lime. Japanese occupation. As civilians, could only hope for the best. Anti-Japanese volunteer force. British used to be aloof. Japanese taught in school. Incident involving Japanese soldier who stopped his car. Usually avoided them. Banana notes. Life was hard under Japanese. Worked as clerk for friend's transportation business. Later worked in aerated water factory and dance hall. Paid in instalments. Father's dentistry practice continued. Routine house-to-house check by Japanese. Japanese prostitutes in Locke Road in the past. Japanese civilians imprisoned before war. Rice rations. Japanese shop. Working in dance hall.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 6
Metadata
- 6 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Learnt Japanese from booklet. Few Japanese civilians. Friend from MPAJA (Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army) was sent to England for training. Several of his friends were communist-inclined. Still celebrated festive occasions during Japanese occupation. Played basketball in the evenings. Did not watch Japanese pictures in cinema. Only place to go was Port Dickson. Unaffected by news about bombing of Japan. Felt relieved when war was over. No more British 'tuan besars' after occupation. Moved out of Seremban to TT at beginning of occupation. Those with rubber estates continued to tap. Learnt about hardship from occupation.
Negri Sembilan Aerated Water Company. John Ede from Cathay wanted to convert shed to cinema hall. Applied to join Cathay. Sent for training in Singapore. Assigned to manage Alhambra and Marlborough Theatres in Singapore and later Batu Pahat. More on training in Singapore. Shadowed Wordaign in Cathay. Loke Yew's background. Found cinema business very interesting. Description of Cathay building's interiors and seats. Why bottom of cinema walls painted black. Alhambra showed English and Chinese pictures; Marlborough showed Indian movies. Interiors of cinemas. Festive seasons were good. Recalled people crying after Cantonese picture Tears of Yangtze.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 6
Metadata
- 21 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:27
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Background of Loke Yew and Loke Wan Tho. Loke Wan Tho was easy-going and approachable person. Live striptease singers in theatres. Mrs Loke Yew was nice to interviewee's family. Maria Menado's pictures not allowed to be shown in Pahang. Wrote to Dato Loke to request for loan to build his home in Jesselton. Little contact with him except during opening of cinemas. Dato Loke's presence during cinema openings. Astute businessman. Transferred to Singapore after Dato Loke's and other Cathay executives' death.
Offered flat in Cathay Building. Became close friends with Mrs Loke Yew. Impressions of her. Invited his family to lunch. Description of apartment in Cathay Building. Occasionally invited to parties at Ocean Park Hotel in Katong. Shocked upon news of Dato Loke's death in plane crash on 20 June 1964. Little contact with new boss. No experience in film distribution. Film distribution process. Stayed in office most of the time. No skills needed. Rental of film depended on box office takings. Hard to tell if public would like picture. Rivalry between Cathay and Shaw. Burnt old films. His work as cinema manager and film distributor. Few problems. Film's popularity depended on stars. English serials. Festivals were good seasons.
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