Supporting faces on IFD

IFD wanted to continue Intercontinental Films working ways on its productions so they try to hire popular names to play the leading roles. Intercontinental Films had hired Chris Mitchum in the past, now IFD did something similar hiring Richard Harrison first & Bruce Baron later. But as it is commom among Chinese studios like Shaw Bros or Golden Harvest, IFD had a regular troupe of supporting actors whom we could find out movie after movie. Many of these supporting actors were later seen in some Filmark movies hiding themselves after " creative names".
I would like to honor these supporting people who played ninjas, Cia agents, henchmen & villains who never played lead roles but they were always on screen movie after movie.

-Andy Chrorowsky was a chubby blondie guy who played a dumb police officer in Ninja The Protector. His role in this movie was supposed to be serious but the dialog lines & the overacting skills demande by Ho from his actors made him funny!

Policeman in Ninja The Protector

Andy Chrorowsky played a villain in Diamond Ninja Force, he was one of the members of the Eight Hawks gang who helps Donald Kong Do trying to elimate Richard Harrison.

Assassin in Diamond ninja Warrior even using the same oufit seen in ninja the protector

Mr Chrorowsky not only worked for IFD, we met him also in another cut and pasted movie from First Distributors: Ninja Holocaust ( aka City ninja, Aka 108 golden Killers). This movie just was a re-edited version of a korean- Hong Kong coproduction titled Rocky Love Affairs. A really strange movie that try to imitate the IFD ways.

With Chan Wai Man in City ninja ( aka 108 golden killers..

aka Ninja Holocaust, aka Rocky Love affairs...)

oh, I would like to add something...At the end of 2003, some days before Anita Mui passed away, I was in Hong Kong. One afternoon I entered in Wellcome SuperStore in Great George St, Causeway bay, the one in front of Windsor House next to Ikea closed to victoria park to buy some snacks. When I was queuing to pay I noticed Mr Chrorowsky or someone who looked like his twin brother was already paying his bill. I wanted to ask this person if he was the actor from those movies but I felt shy at that moment & I said nothing, after I paid I tried to find him in the street but it was too late, he had dissapeared among all the people walking around that area. I am pretty sure he was the guy, but my English at that moment was not so good ( well, now it is not so good as well!) & the shyness was more powerful than my wish to question him!

Andrew Chrorovsky altogether with another gweiloh in City ninja

Chrorowsky in a cameo appereance of Frankie Chan's Burning Ambition

I don't know if Andrew Chrorowsky is still in Hong Kong. It would be great if so.

-Clifford Allan was the moustached friend-in-arms of Andy Chrorowsky in both Ninja the Protector & Diamond ninja force. As Mr Chrorowsky, Clifford Allan played a dumbass police officer in Ninja the Protector and a evil gangster in Diamond ninja force.

Can he be a bad boy???

Yes, Clifford Allan is a bad boy in Diamond Ninja Force

Appart from this two movies, I haven't been able to find more clues or movies about this gentleman. Any information about him will be very welcomed.

-Martin Lee: The first time I saw him was in Ninja Dragon playing Richard Harrison's friend. His role in the movie was just a shot & it has nothing to do with the story. that's why I kept an eye on him.

Don't smile, the devil ninjas are after you!

Lee's face & Harrison's back in Ninja Dragon

Anyway I knew I had seem him somewhere else. After I started to collect pics from gweiloh actors I remembered he played a gangster in 108 Golden killers ( aka city Ninja, aka ninja Holocaust, aka Rocky love affairs) together with Andrew Chrorowsky.

Martin Lee

Chrorowsky & Lee together in a non IFD ninja movie

Title credits for 108 Golden Killers

Finally, some years ago, I also "met" him while I was watching Dean shek's Kung Hey Fat Choi a Chinese New Year comedy from 1985, the same year he played his tiny role in Ninja Dragon & 108 Golden Killers.

Martin Lee in Dean Shek's Kung Hey Fat Choi

-Melvin Pitcher was another moustached supporting actor in 2 ninja movies from IFD. First he played one of the Eight Hawks gang members in Diamond Ninja Force. His role is remembered because he is rollerskated killer who met death in a park while practicing his hobby.

Is this an evil face or just sleepy?- Melvin Pitcher in Diamond Ninja force

His second appareance for IFD was in Ninja Dragon where he only has an episodic presence at the opening of the film where all the gweilohs have a poker game.


Arnaud Lanuque from www.hkcinemagic.com did in 2002 an interesting site about gweilohs in Hong Kong cinema. He wrote Melvin Pitcher is australian, from Melbourne, he had appeared as actor in some films in his place. He moved to HK in 1985 to try his luck in the local industry. His filmography in Hong Kong, to my knowledge can be resumed in these two movies from IFD only but Arnaud Lanuque added some other titles.
His info can be found here:
http://cine-hk.chez-alice.fr/Hkcine/SITE/ARTICLESJ_L/gweilos/GWEILOS.HTM#Melvin%20Pitcher

John Ladalsky, Melvin Pitcher & Donald Kong Do are a devil trio in Diamond Ninja Force

More to come!