31 Facts About Runme Shaw

Runme Shaw was a philanthropist who started the Shaw Foundation, a charitable organisation.

Runme Shaw was the third of six sons of Ningbo city textile merchant, Shaw Yuh Hsuen.

Runme Shaw had his own import-export company, and was the owner of an opera hall in which Runme Shaw's brother, Runje Shaw, was its principal playwright and director.

Runme Shaw was educated in traditional Shanghainese schools, learning Confucian classics and classical Chinese literature.

Not satisfied with their domestic market, the Runme Shaw brothers wanted to seek business opportunities elsewhere.

Runme Shaw, who was the distribution manager, was given this task.

Originally, Runme Shaw's destination was Indochina where he hoped to meet with the film distributors, but he was denied permission to land there.

Runme Shaw arrived in Singapore in 1925 to test the market for the Shaw brothers' films.

Runme Shaw was later joined by Run Run and they together founded the Hai Seng Co in Singapore in 1927.

However, for new arrivals like Runme Shaw, finding distributors and exhibitors for their brand of silent movies proved a hurdle.

Undaunted by the opposition and prejudice, Runme Shaw and Run Run persevered to carve out a market share for themselves.

Runme Shaw travelled to small towns and major cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Ipoh, to distribute and show his films.

In Singapore, the Runme Shaw brothers expanded The Empire and moved to a brick building, the Alhambra, on Beach Road.

The Shaw brothers not only made their own movies, but imported foreign ones which Runme brought in the early 1930s.

Besides the film industry, the Runme Shaw brothers expanded into the business of amusement parks, first in Singapore, then in Malaya.

The Runme Shaw brothers started amusement parks in major cities in Malaya like Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.

Runme Shaw and Run Run had planned to leave for Australia with their families, but their plans were dashed when a quota based on age was enforced on young men leaving the country which Run Run did not qualify.

The Imperial Japanese Army wanted Runme Shaw to produce and distribute propaganda films.

All Runme Shaw cinemas were immediately seized by the Japanese propaganda body known as the Bunka Eiga Gekijio and the Runme Shaw brothers interrogated.

Runme Shaw was paid $350 each month to run the films during World War II, and he continued to supervise the operation of theatres in Singapore and Malaysia.

The Runme Shaw brothers were allowed to reopen their amusement parks to the public.

The movie industry thrived after the end of World War II, and Runme Shaw saw his company's profits multiply.

The Runme Shaw brothers had the widest cinema network in Singapore.

Besides movies, the Runme Shaw brothers had diversified into various commercial and residential property developments, and have more than 15 subsidiaries operating office blocks, apartment buildings, shopping arcades, hotels, amusement centres and multiplexes.

Runme Shaw served on the boards of several government bodies and corporations, besides his own Shaw Organisation group of companies.

Runme Shaw was the chairman of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board from 1969 to 1976.

Runme Shaw was a director at the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, Fraser and Neave, presidents of St John Ambulance Brigade and Alliance Francaise, and served at the Bank of Singapore, Bukit Timah Saddle Club, National St John Council and the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.

Runme Shaw was a patron of the National Kidney Foundation, Metropolitan YMCA, Singapore Association for Mental Health, Singapore National Heart Association, St John's Council, Society for Aid to the Paralysed, Diabetic Society of Singapore and the Singapore Academy of Medicine.

Runme Shaw set up the philanthropic Shaw Foundation in 1958.

The Runme Shaw Foundation donated millions of dollars to many charitable organisations and causes.

Runme Shaw was married to Peggy Soo Wei Ping, and had two sons and four daughters.