Golden Harvest

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Golden Harvest (嘉禾娛樂公司) is a film producer and distributor based in Hong Kong. It was the first Chinese film company to be fully successful in the Western market as well. Golden Harvest ceased film production in 2003. Among the more famous names of the company are that of the old producer Raymond Chow and that of Leonard Ho Koon Cheung. Chow and Ho were executives in partnership with another major firm, Shaw Brothers, which ended in 1970. Golden Harvest was successful due to a different organizational approach than Shaw Brothers' centralized model. Golden Harvest contracted with independent producers and bought various talents and creative freedom for their money. In 1971, he struck a deal with martial arts superstar Bruce Lee , turning down Shaws' offer for low pay. In 1972, he entered into a deal with Concord Production Inc. and in 1973 entered into a pioneering co-distribuction with Hollywood for the English-language film Enter the Dragon, a worldwide hit co-produced by Warner Bros. with Concord Production Inc. Golden Harvest replaced Shaw Brothers as the top production house in Hong Kong from the late 1970s to the 1990s . Since 1980, he has produced almost all of Jackie Chan 's films , box office stars in Asia. Golden Harvest has also produced a number of films for Jet Li and Donnie Yen. The company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1994. Li Ka-shing and EMI became shareholders of the company in 2004 . Golden Harvest's business has declined in recent years. In 2003, film production was abandoned to focus on financing, distribution and management, in Hong Kong and mainland China.^[1]