Ren Pengnian

Ren Pengnian (Chinese: 任彭年; pinyin: Rén Péngnián; 1894 in Shanghai – 23 February 1968)[1] was a Chinese film director who created the first standard-length narrative film in China. He started a film company in 1926 called Dongfang Film Studio.[2]

Ren filmed over forty films during his career as a director, and also starred in some of them. His 1921 film Yan Ruisheng was the first narrative film in China to be of full-length.[2] The movie was based on a real murder that occurred in Shanghai.[2]

Filmography

Films[2][3][4]
Year Title
1919 The Gambler
The Dilemma
1920 Li Dashao
Robbery en Route
Fierce Backward Glance
Winning Gold in the Wild Mountains
Winning First Prize
1921 A Stupid Son-in-Law's Birthday Greetings
The Woman of the Wicker House
Han Da Catches a Thief
Yan Ruisheng
1922 The Lotus Falls
Talking Lost Property
Righteousness before Family
The Filial Woman's Soup
An Empty Dream
The Good Brothers
1923 Patriotic Umbrella
By Pine and Cypress
1925 Misfortune in the Realm of Love
Stepmother's Tears
1926 The Tale of Lijing
A Workman's Wife
1927 The Dream of Red Mansions; directed with Yu Boyan
1927–1928 The Picture of the Eight Beauties of Jiaxing (3 parts); directed with Ren Yutian and Chen Hanping
1928 Fang Shiyu Takes Up the Challenge
Through the Milky Way
Di Qing Causes Uproar in the Wanhua Tower
1929 Uproar at Mount Wutai
1930 Strange Destiny in the Robber's Lair
1931–1932 Mistress of the Spear (6 parts)
1931 The Destruction of Fierce Tiger Town
The Flying General
The Heroine Black Peony
1933 A Real Man
Her Heart
Letter Written in Blood
Secret in the Picture
Evil Neighbor
1934 The Person in the Curtains
1935 Dazed and Crazy

References

  1. ^ "任彭年". maoyan.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d Tan, Ye (2012). Historical Dictionary of Chinese Cinema. Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 46, 104, 116. ISBN 9780810879133.
  3. ^ "Feature Films, Operas and Cartoons/Lungometraggi, Film-Opera, Cartoni Animati". Griffithiana (54): 7–54. 1995. ProQuest 217723313.
  4. ^ Shuk-ting, Kinnia Yau (2009). Japanese and Hong Kong Film Industries: Understanding the Origins of East Asian Film Networks. pp. 53, 55. ISBN 9780203874271.