Betty Loh Ti

Betty Loh Ti
Background information
Chinese name 樂蒂 (traditional)
Chinese name 乐蒂 (simplified)
Pinyin Lè Dì (Mandarin)
Jyutping Lok6 Dai3 (Cantonese)
Birth name Hsi Chung-yi (奚重儀)
Born (1937-07-24)24 July 1937
Shanghai, China
Died 27 December 1968(1968-12-27) (aged 31)
Hong Kong
Years active 1953–1968
Spouse(s) Peter Chen Ho (1962–1967)

Hsi Chung-yi (24 July 1937 – 27 December 1968), known by her stage name Betty Loh Ti, was a Hong Kong actress originally from Shanghai, China. Often described as a 'Classic Beauty', she was very popular with moviegoers in the 1960s.

Biography

Born in Shanghai as Hsi Chung-yi (simplified Chinese: 奚重仪; traditional Chinese: 奚重儀; pinyin: Xī Zhòngyí), Betty was raised by her maternal grandmother following her parents' death. With her family, she left Shanghai in 1949 and settled in Hong Kong.

Loh started her acting career in 1952 and appeared in 44 films until her death in 1968. During this period, she joined three film production companies: Great Wall Film Production Limited (1953–1958), The Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Limited (1958–1964), and Motion Picture and General Investments Limited (1964–1968). In her 44 films, she played varied roles which showcased her skill as an actress.

Her brother Kelly Lei Chen was also an actor with MP&GI. Loh married actor Peter Chen Ho in 1962, but they divorced in 1967. On 27 December 1968, Loh was found dead in her apartment in Kowloon owing to barbiturate overdose. Several sources suggest that she committed suicide, although her cause of death is subject to debate.

Chen Ho died two years later in New York City of colon cancer. He was 40.

Major films

The Enchanting Shadow

In 1960, The Enchanting Shadow (倩女幽魂) was shown at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. The film produced by the Shaw's Brother Production is the first Mandarin film in colour to take in a major international film festival. An enthusiastic reception was given by the Cannes audience to the film, and Betty was praised as 'The Most Beautiful Star of the East'.

Dream of the Red Chamber

In 1962, she played the role of Lin Daiyu in this film, based on the world-renowned piece of literature of the same name written by Cao Xueqin during the Qing Dynasty, the love tragedy of the graceful girl with her cousin Jia Baoyu. Though the play was not well received, fans were touched by her performance.

The Love Eterne

In 1963, Betty Loh Ti became the Best Actress of Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan for her role in the legendary blockbuster The Love Eterne. This film had broken the box office record in many South East Asia countries, Taipei even became 'the crazy city'.

Filmography

Her films for Great Wall Film Production Limited were as follows:

Her films for The Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Limited were as follows:

Her films for Motion Picture and General Investments Limited (MP&GI) were as follows:

See also

External links

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