A GREAT WALL SUPER-PRODUCTION
"BRIDE HUNTER"
In Color
—The Story—
(In performance of Shaoshing Opera)
Chow Wen-ping, a literary genius of Hangchow, is a great woman-impersonator. He is so good at impersonating that even his best friend, Tso Chih-shan, fails to find out.
In the temple at the Lantern-Featival, where their gamble is to be held, Wang Tien-pao, the "Tiger", is snatching beautiful girls to be his bride. Wen-Ping intervevenes, but he is anatched at once himself, for he is in the attire of a woman. "Tiger Wang" could not believe that it is not a rare beauty he has snatched.
In Tiger's own house, Wen-ping is confined in the younger sister Hsiu-ying's room. Wen-ping had proposed marriage through a match-maker year ago but was refused by the elder brother and their mother on the ground that Wen-ping was only a poor scholar. Hsiu-ying complains of them that night and pities her youth, wasting and waning. Wen-ping hears and is hopeful in heart. The woman-impersonator exposes himself and they make a vow. They talk to daylight.
"Tiger" is very busy the whole morning, for the preparation of the wedding ceremony, thinking a beauty is in hand at last! But Tso Chih-shan arrives unexpectedly, and exposes the whole truth. Peeping at his younger sister's window, "Tiger" discovers that Hsiu-ying is crying for her lost virginity and intends to throw herself into a river to end herself— at Wen-ping's direction, of course!
The old lady have to promise her daughter's hand to protect her family from infamy and "Tiger" is speechless for all is his fault. They ask Tso Chih-shan to act as the go-between which is to his heart's desire.
Chih-shan demands Wen-ping and Hsiu-ying marry in haste—otherwise change would occur. They make use of "Tiger's preparation, right then!
The Hangchow people call "Tiger" the "Brother-in-law Dear". And so the legend of the bride-hunter who snatches a brother-in-law is till today a good legend and "Tiger Wang" is still a legendary figure.