Albert Odell (1924–2003) was born in Hong Kong into a British Jewish family and studied at the University of Hong Kong; he worked in film distribution and production management. During the war with Japan he went to Chongqing, where he distributed films for the American company RKO and worked at the British embassy, making many friends in film circles. After the war he joined a Singapore company, and in 1951 moved to the Singapore-based International Organisation, heading International Films Distribution, which handled Hong Kong pictures and brought them to Southeast Asian markets. In 1954 he was posted to Hong Kong to found International Films, the forerunner of Motion Picture and General Investment (MP & GI), and became its general manager. That year he set up its Cantonese production unit, turning out many Cantonese films, and backed Yan Jun and Bai Guang in forming the Mandarin production companies Cathay and Guoguang. In 1955 he helped Loke Wan-tho take over the Yung Hwa studios, supervised construction of the new studio and became its head, raising and stabilising the quality of International and MP & GI films and posing a strong challenge to Shaw Brothers, making him a key figure in the company's early years; it went on to release Mandarin pictures such as Sun, Moon and Star and A Marriage of Laughter and Tears. He resigned in 1957 and spent about three years with Shaw Brothers, and from the 1970s distributed videotapes and ran video shops in Singapore. He died on 23 September 2003.
In MP & GI's early years Albert Odell handled distribution and production, running its Cantonese unit and supervising the building of the new Yung Hwa studio; his work helped International and MP & GI establish themselves and made Shaw Brothers face a formidable rival, marking him as a key figure in the reshaping of Hong Kong cinema in the 1950s.
Achievements
- 1954 · Was posted to Hong Kong to found International Films, the forerunner of MP & GI, and served as its general manager.
- 1955 · Helped Loke Wan-tho take over the Yung Hwa studios, supervised construction of the new studio and became its head.
- 1957 · Left International and spent about three years with Shaw Brothers.