The Last Message

The Last Message
DVD cover
Directed byMichael Hui
Written byMichael Hui
Lau Tin-chi
Louis Sit
Produced byRaymond Chow
StarringMichael Hui
Samuel Hui
CinematographyCheung Yiu-cho
Yu Chun
Edited byPeter Cheung
Music bySamuel Hui
Joseph Koo
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release date
  • 21 August 1975 (1975-08-21)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryBritish Hong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$4,553,662
The Last Message
Traditional Chinese天才與白痴
Simplified Chinese天才与白痴
Literal meaning"The Genius and the Idiot"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTián Cái Yú Bái Chī
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingTin1 Coi4 Jyu2 Baak6 Ci1

The Last Message (Chinese: 天才與白痴) is a 1975 Hong Kong comedy film directed by and starring Michael Hui, and co-starring Samuel Hui, with a cameo appearance by Ricky Hui. This is the second film of the Hui Brothers.

Plot

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Tim (Michael Hui) and Lee (Samuel Hui) are employees of a mental hospital working as an orderly and nurse respectively. One day a crazy man named Cheng Ming (Roy Chiao) is institutionalized who carries a bag of trash. Tim and Lee discover that the bag is full of artifacts from the Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, they are all broken pieces and cannot be traded for money. Then, Cheng talks about a Princess and Tim and Lee figure that Cheng knows where are the artifacts from. Later on, Cheng dies from heart attack and Tim and Lee find Princess (Eileen Humphreys) and find out that she is Cheng's daughter. Princess tells them that her father discovered a sunk boat at the coast of Hong Kong. Tim and Lee starts to plan for their luxurious life, including quitting their jobs, and set out to find the artifacts. They do discover tons of it and brings it to trade for money. However, the ones Tim and Lee find are revealed to be fakes. With their fancy of luxury over, Lee gets his job back and Tim got insane and became a mental patient.

Cast

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  • Michael Hui as Tim
  • Samuel Hui as Nurse Lee
  • Ricky Hui as waiter on skate
  • James Tien as traffic cop
  • Roy Chiao as Cheng Ming
  • Ray Cordeiro as Policeman
  • Dean Shek as hotel clerk
  • Eileen Humphreys as Princess
  • Lau Yat-fan as Police Chief
  • Chiang Nan as antique dealer
  • Siu Kam as Arab bodyguard
  • Wong Sam as Dr. Wong
  • Fung Ngai as Mr. Chow
  • Joseph Koo as doctor in operation
  • Tsang Cho-lam as schizo, Chan Keung
  • Hao Li-jen as mental patient, dies in bed
  • Ho Pak-kwong as hospital attendant with crabs and frogs
  • Ching Siu-tung sd student scuba diver
  • Fung King-man as mental patient, Barbitone
  • Kam Lau as Tim's mother
  • Chu Yau-ko as mental patient, eating disorder
  • Sai Gwa-Pau as mental patient, likes death
  • Hong Ka-yan as Nurse
  • To Sam-ku as Ms. Chow
  • The Lotus as band
  • Luk Chin as Catholic priest at hospital

Partial soundtrack

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Tin choi yu bak chi (天才與白痴) is an album by Samuel Hui, released in 1975 by Polydor Records in Hong Kong. The first four tracks of the album are heard in the film.

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicEnglish translationLength
1."天才與白痴" (tin choi yu bak chi)Sam Hui, Louis Sit 薛志雄Sam HuiThe Genius and the Idiot 
2."天才白痴往日情" (tin choi bak chi wong yat ching)Samuel Hui, Louis SitSam HuiOld Love 
3."天才白痴錢錢錢" (tin choi bak chi cheen cheen cheen)Samuel Hui, Louis SitSam HuiCash, Cash, Cash 
4."天才白痴夢" (tin choi bak chi mung)Samuel Hui, Louis SitSam HuiDreams 
5."情人離別去" (ching yaan lei bit heui)Ricky HuiPaul Vance, Eddie Snyder[n 1]Farewell, Lover 
6."青春夢裡人" (ching cheun mung leui yaan)Sam HuiKen Tobias[n 2]Dreams of a Young 
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicEnglish translationLength
7."獨上西樓" (dook seung sai lau)Sam HuiBarry Gibb, Robin Gibb[n 3]Lonely at the West Tower 
8."齊齊唱首歌" (chai chai cheung sau gaw)Sam HuiSam HuiThe Choir Sings 
9."莫等待" (mok dang doi)Sam HuiSam HuiDon't Wait 
10."歡樂桃源" (foon lok tou yuen)Ricky HuiRicky HuiJoy in Taoyuan 
11."故苑懷舊" (koo yuen wai gau)Ricky HuiRicky HuiVintage Estate 
12."天才白痴往日情(音樂)"  Old Love (instrumental) 

Lyrics

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    人皆尋夢 夢裡不分西東     片刻春風得意 未知景物矇矓 
    人生如夢 夢裡輾轉吉凶     尋樂不堪苦困 未識苦與樂同 
  *天造之才 皆有其用     振翅高飛 無須在夢中 
  #南柯長夢 夢裡不知所中     醉翁他朝醒覺 是否跨鳳成龍 
    重唱 *,#,* 
    何必尋夢 夢裡甘苦皆空     勸君珍惜此際 自當欣慰無窮     何必尋夢 

Notes

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  1. ^ Rendition of the 1963 song "What Will Mary Say" by Johnny Mathis
  2. ^ Rendition of the 1970 song "Stay Awhile" by The Bells
  3. ^ Rendition of the 1967 song "Holiday" by the Bee Gees
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