The legend of Don Juan dates all the way back to the 14th century. Originally showing up in a play by Tirso de Molina, this ancient story has been retold countless times in all manners of artistic expression. The story, in most retellings, focuses on a prosperous libertine man who has dedicated his life to seducing women of all sorts. This character has become synonymous with the Western concept of the “ladies man.” This is a character that is obsessed with copulation, the opposite sex, and holding dominance over these women. I put forth to you today that the greatest variation of this mythos within the East would be through the cinematic lover known as Charlie Cho. He, unfortunately, remains little known to those outside of the darkest recesses of Hong Kong cinema, but for those who have seen his work: there becomes a desire, something that is impossible to resist, that they must help spread his reputation within the west.
Little is known in the West about Charlie, outside of his actual career in movies. There has been decidedly little clamor for his films here in the West, so that means that few writers have compiled information about the actor. Thankfully, with a tremendous amount of help with translation by my good friend Sylvia over at ActionLand.org, we have compiled a decent amount of data via an interview he did in 2011 with a publication known as Southern Entertainment Weekly (article is in Chinese). Although there is still much to know about this crazy world of CAT III wild men, at least we can get to know the face of this movement a little better.
The CAT III market was exploding during the early 90s, and Charlie was riding the wave. Audiences were getting a kick out of libido-driven humor, and there were few men who were wholly capable of portraying insatiable perverts that could still elicit a few good laughs. This was Charlie’s gift, to be sure. His persona was that of a weasly man who could be unsettling if he needed to be (see China Dolls (1992), where Charlie plays a slave trader of sorts), but could also stand out as a rather charming individual. Charlie Cho’s knack for the adult-comedy market made him an instant star. Between 1992-1993, Charlie made more than 40 CAT III rated films. When speaking about the speed of these productions, Cho was quoted as saying, “At that time, CAT III films were shot very quickly; ten days for a film. My part would be 5-6 days. I’d work on an average of three films a day. Because it sold tickets at the box office, the name “Charlie” made money.”
Charlie Cho in My Neighbours are Phantoms (1990)
Indeed, the name Charlie did indeed make money. This man, during his career, starred alongside celebrities such as Donnie Yen, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, and Jackie Chan. However, it was the CAT III market that brought him his greatest finances. On his earnings, Charlie said that the money was “okay,” but in nearly the same breath he also stated that he “… bought a house pretty quickly.” Charlie was a daily worker, as opposed to salary. So, working on three films per day, he was able to make exponentially more than some of the other actors within that market. His roles were not ones that would be the envy of most actors. A dimwitted, sex obsessed businessman is not something that one would find in a major string of films, but Charlie filled a void that was somehow necessary during this period.
His work is decidedly low class, and his filmography is solely for the select few who dare to venture into the wacky world of CAT III adult comedies, but Charlie Cho represents the idealized cinematic pervert. As an actor, he was unabashed when stripping down to his tighty whiteys, and ultimately his work continues to live on. His films inhabit a strange universe that many film-goers are not familiar with. His sexual adventures, alongside other cocksmen such as Elvis Tsui, Lee Chung-ling, and Stuart Ong, they have a very special place in the history of Asian cinema. If you’ve never seen Charlie onscreen, great places to start would be False Lady, in which he has a secretary named Milka who provides him with fresh daily milk for his coffee… in the most perverted fashion possible, Love is Over (1993), where Charlie gets naked with numerous women while also sharing the screen with Lee Chung-ling, Pauline Chan, and Stuart Ong, and then either the aforementioned China Dolls, where you can see a sadistic Charlie Cho do awful things with a handful of butter and a popsicle stick, or Devil of Rape (1992). While Devil of Rape is hardly what one should consider to be a “good” movie… it does have Charlie Cho possessed by a ginseng root, running around in his tighty whiteys, and then farting out an animated bolt of light from his anus.
If you’re not clued into it by this point, Charlie Cho’s cinematic library is filled with some fairly amazing movie moments. When he is at his best, as a performer, he has the ability to engage an audience. Either through his over-the-top performances or through his lack of inhibition, Charlie grabs his audience. Now, it can’t be stressed enough just how very niche this audience can be, because on must be able to tolerate the content of these debaucherous films first of all, but if you have the taste for it, this is a world of film that has unfortunately been buried for only a few scavengers to come across. While Charlie Cho’s prime may be behind him, he has left behind a smorgasbord of filth to be enjoyed by each and every reader of this. If you think you are a brave enough soul to enjoy these sordid creations, then your quest should begin this very day. Enjoy!
Editor’s Note: Once again, Sylvia over at actionland.org must be thanked a million times for her help in putting this article together. She went far and above what was asked of her. Without her translations, this article would have been guided solely by random guesses. Thank you, Sylvia, yet again!