Biography
From Mainland China, he arrived in Hong Kong along with Lam Tien-Hung and Shaw Bros' (soon to be famous) director Chang Cheh. Like many of the directors in the early days, Lo found work at the Shaw Bros. studio, and like most of the directors around this time, Lo jumped ship from the Shaw Brothers studio to work at Golden Harvest, along side another Shaw Bros' renegade Raymond Chow. While many fans saw him as a hack, he was actually, a very good director and an excellent writer. He owned his own production company (Siwei) in (1957) and even had his good friend Chang Cheh writing scripts for him.
Lo directed excellent swordplay epics like The Golden Sword and Raw Courage, which were big in the 60's. But as the times would soon change, everyone was looking for something "new" and "exciting", something that would make the world sit up and take a serious look at the Far East. That "something" new came in the form of Bruce Lee. Though Lo took "credit" for discovering Lee, (who was actually seen on television by a relative of Lo's), he can be credited for helping to launch his career by keeping this brash young man with the big ideas (and ego to boost), in the film.
Lo directed excellent swordplay epics like The Golden Sword and Raw Courage, which were big in the 60's. But as the times would soon change, everyone was looking for something "new" and "exciting", something that would make the world sit up and take a serious look at the Far East. That "something" new came in the form of Bruce Lee. Though Lo took "credit" for discovering Lee, (who was actually seen on television by a relative of Lo's), he can be credited for helping to launch his career by keeping this brash young man with the big ideas (and ego to boost), in the film.
Lo and Lee clashed on many things such as: the use of Trampolines, while filming the flying kicks and the way the dogs were used in the filming. Where they were to attack Lee (if you look closely how they were jumping at Lee, they were actually being thrown at him!) It was also stated that he and Lee got in such a heated argument that Lee threaten to kill him. After Lee died, everyone was searching for the next Bruce Lee, and again it was Lo Wei who would discover him. This time in the form of Jackie Chan. Many say, Lo was a gambling man, who liked to gamble away thousands of dollars on the horses.
Later in life, when he had gambled way tons of money, it was said that he even tried to put the squeeze on Jackie, going as far as to threaten him (seems Lo was supposedly connected with the Triads) and the Man from Hong Kong - Jimmy Wang-Yu was the one who help ease relations between the two. Now, whether this story was true or not, (3) things will always remain true : (1) he was a director with a very good eye for noticing great talent-in-the-making, (2) he brought us Bruce Lee, (3) and he gave us Jackie Chan. So, since the early 60's, Lo Wei has made his mark in the film world. Love him or hate him (but) we still have to respect him, because everyone knows Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan and it's because of what Lo Wei capture on film, that helped to make them icons.
Later in life, when he had gambled way tons of money, it was said that he even tried to put the squeeze on Jackie, going as far as to threaten him (seems Lo was supposedly connected with the Triads) and the Man from Hong Kong - Jimmy Wang-Yu was the one who help ease relations between the two. Now, whether this story was true or not, (3) things will always remain true : (1) he was a director with a very good eye for noticing great talent-in-the-making, (2) he brought us Bruce Lee, (3) and he gave us Jackie Chan. So, since the early 60's, Lo Wei has made his mark in the film world. Love him or hate him (but) we still have to respect him, because everyone knows Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan and it's because of what Lo Wei capture on film, that helped to make them icons.