1928: The rise of giant merchants

Public Settlement, Guiyang Road, Star Film Company.

Guiyang Road later became Guizhou Road in the HP District. Compared with the big roads that crisscrossed the concession, this small road was very inconspicuous. However, on this small road that is easily overlooked, there are a series of famous Shanghai beaches. landmark building.

Near Nanjing East Road is the ruins of the Laozha Capture House, and the Jinling Grand Theater near the northwest corner of BJ East Road is the place where the national anthem was sung for the first time, and it is also the most popular theater at the moment.

In Yongkang next door, there is a large area of ​​​​the automobile branch of Ye's Automobile Company, which is very eye-catching.

The Ford V8 drove along, and when he saw the Chevrolet 490 passing by occasionally, Ye Luo felt an indescribable sense of pride in his heart.

In three and a half months, he single-handedly changed the pattern of Shanghai's automobile industry. Now, just one Ye's Automobile Company is enough to create amazing monthly profits. While supporting a large number of Chinese people, he is also creating one after another. Chinese businessman.

At that time, he spent 50,000 yuan to buy Xiangsheng Automobile Dealership. Zhou Xiangsheng still had the idea of ​​using the 50,000 yuan to help his family live a wealthy life.

Now, as the general manager of Ye's Automobile Company, Zhou Xiangsheng's monthly salary is 1,800 oceans, not including annual share profit dividends!

50,000 oceans is no longer an astronomical figure to him.

Ding Li parked the car outside the Star Film Company, and Shi Jianqiao immediately got out of the car and opened the door for Ye Luo.

The splendor of Star Film Company cannot be compared with that of Tianyi Film Company. The company's headquarters on Guiyang Road is still rented and is just a small old Western-style building.

Lin Ruxian was wearing a green cheongsam and a shawl. Standing next to her was a middle-aged man with sparse hair and a small felt hat. Seeing Ye Luo approaching, Lin Ruxian chuckled and ran over to hold his arm, with a very serious attitude. close.

"Little aunt, is this the famous second young master?" Zhang Shichuan is 38 years old this year, but he calls Lin Ruxian, who is only 28 years old, his little aunt. It seems quite strange.

Ye Luo smiled and shook hands with him: "Boss Zhang, I have admired you for a long time."

"Ishikawa has a lot of guests at the training center today, and I would like to introduce them to you." Lin Ruxian bit his ear and whispered, and then gave him a look asking for praise like a little woman.

Only in front of Ye Luo could she show such a little daughter attitude.

Ye Luo smiled and nodded: "That's great. I'm actually quite curious about Boss Zhang's training center."

"It's just a small training center. The second young master may be disappointed haha." When mentioning the celebrity actor training center at No. 2 Guiyang Road, Zhang Shichuan suddenly had more to say.

In March 1922, Zheng Zhengqiu, Zhang Shichuan and others founded the first film school in China, the Star Film School (later renamed the Star Actor Training Institute).

Zheng Zhengqiu was the first principal, and was later succeeded by Gu Jianchen. The teachers included Zheng Partridge, Zhou Jianyun, Gu Jianchen, Tang Hao, etc. Chinese and Western celebrities were also specially appointed to preside over academic affairs.

The school opened intermittently for many periods. It was first closed in 1924 due to financial problems, and then closed again in 1927. The reason was that the principal came to Shanghai and felt that a mere movie star training center dared to be called a school. Actors The status is very different from that of intellectuals, soldiers, etc., so it should be distinguished, so Zhang Shichuan was ordered to stop it.

In 1928, Zhang Shichuan sought various connections and renamed it the Star Actor Training Center. Only then was it approved to reopen, and it was completely ended in the mid-to-late 1930s.

The purpose of the school is to cultivate performance talents for star film companies, so the teaching content is mainly performance.

Famous filmmakers such as Wang Xianzhai, Shao Zhuanglin, Yuan Shaomei, Li Pingqian, Zhou Wenzhu, Wang Jiting, Mei Xi, Li Qing, etc. all graduated from this school.

As soon as he walked into the star actor training center, Ye Luo heard the voice of the instructor giving lessons to the actor students. Zhang Shichuan walked in front, introducing the training model of the training center to Ye Luo as he walked.

In fact, his concept is very close to the Korean style dream factory assembly line of later generations. Many of the students attending the class are less than 16 years old and are still young girls.

Unfortunately, the domestic teaching resources are limited, and the influence and financial resources of Star Film Company are not enough to support the establishment of a real idol training camp. In the end, it became an assembly line factory for mass-producing ordinary actors and supporting actors for Star Film Company.

When we arrived at the studio, several heavyweights from the film industry had already gathered here. When they saw Zhang Shichuan coming with the newcomers, they all showed curious eyes.

"Boss Zhang, are these two your new star actors?" The speaker spoke with a strong Cantonese accent and a gentle appearance. He was attracted by the talented and beautiful Ye Luo and Lin Ruxian at a glance.

"Boss Luo, don't say this nonsense! Come on, let me introduce to you, this is my aunt Lin Ruxian, the former female boss of New World Amusement Park! This is the famous boss of Ye's Investment Company, Ye Luo, the second young master of Shanghai Beach!"

Zhang Shichuan introduced Ye Luo and Ye Luo to several people with a smile.

When they heard Lin Ruxian, several people's expressions were very exciting.

They all know that the real estate tycoon has found a concubine in Ruishan who is more than 20 years younger than him. She is also the most famous Hudong Lin Ruxian in Shanghai Beach.

It's just that Lin Ruxian's reputation in Shanghai is not good.

Killing her husband to seize the child, and having an unclear relationship with the second young master are despised.

Seeing the real person at this time, they admired Lin Ruxian's beauty in their hearts, and at the same time they were also curious about her relationship with Ye Luo.

But when Zhang Shichuan mentioned that this young man was the second young master Ye Luo, their expressions became even more exciting.

Good guy, the real owner is here!

Several people immediately came forward excitedly to shake hands and say hello, very enthusiastically.

They are all heavyweights in Huashang Pictures, but the film industry is very difficult now, and few investors are willing to invest in them. They have heard that Ye Luo intends to start a movie theater and film company, but they are miserable and have no way to meet this second young master. , seeing Ye Luo at this time, everyone wanted to imprint their own appearance into Ye Luo's mind.

"Second Young Master, this is the boss Luo Mingyouluo from Panyu, the general manager of North China Film Company. He basically opens the cinemas in the Beijing and Tianjin areas; this is Mr. Li Minwei, the boss of Minxin Film Company, and this is Mr. Luo Yongxiang, director of the technical department of Minxin Film Company, Mr. Guan Wenqing, artistic consultant, and Mr. Sun Yu, the well-known director."

As soon as Zhang Shichuan said his name, Ye Luo reacted.

Luo Mingyou is the king of the film industry in North China. He entered Peking University at the age of 18. In his second year of college, he opened a cinema in Peking and worked part-time as a cinema manager in his spare time.

In 1927, he founded the North China Film Company. In just one and a half years, Luo Mingyou's cinema empire spread across North China, controlling as many as 27 cinemas!

Lai Min Wai is even more famous as the father of Hong Kong films. His granddaughter Gigi Lai played a very famous movie role - the little stutter in Young and Dangerous.

Among the other four, Guan Wenqing and Sun Yu are both returnees. Guan Wenqing graduated from the University of California Film School, majoring in directing, and has also worked in Hollywood. Sun Yu studied at the University of Wisconsin and the New York Institute of Photography, and is a very famous person at the moment. A film director, in 1929 he filmed "Spring Dreams in the Old Capital", which became a hit.

The film stars Wang Ruilin and Ruan Lingyu, and the second female lead is Lai Minwei's wife Lin Chuchu. It is one of the last glories of the silent film era.

Seeing them, Ye Luo remembered that at this point in time, it was almost the time when North China Film Company, Minxin Film Company, Greater China Lily Film Company and Shanghai Film Company jointly formed Hualian Film Production Company.

As Tianyi Film Company became more and more prosperous with the support of the three tycoons, and Mingxing Film Company was in trouble because Zhang Shichuan offended Lu Yusheng, the later Hualian Film Production Company was established to compete with Tianyi.

Tianyi, Mingxing, and Hualian were the three largest film companies in Shanghai during the Republic of China.

"Hello, bosses." Ye Luo shook hands with them one by one, with a kind expression and a natural demeanor. He did not look like a super rich man with millions of assets.