Shanghai Noon

Trivia: As usual, Jackie Chan made his stunts all by himself, but with a new trick on the list: he had never ridden a horse before.

Trivia: At one point, Roy casually mentions his real name is "Wyatt Earp." Wyatt Earp was a famous frontiersman who among other things was a gambler, gunslinger and lawman. He was also involved in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

TedStixon

Trivia: As of 2021, this is the only film featuring Brandon Merrill, who plays Chon Wang's Native American wife. She's actually more renowned for being a successful, award-winning rodeo champion.

TedStixon

Factual error: The evil man request 100,000 pieces of gold for ransom. Each gold piece looks to be about 10 ounces, and 100,000 of those would make the entire thing weigh about 31 tons, but 2 guys are carrying it around in a little chest throughout the movie.

More mistakes in Shanghai Noon

Roy O'Bannon: Yes, John, I've heard all about the Emperor. Must be one hell of a man.
Chon Wang: He's only twelve.
Roy O'Bannon: Are you kidding me? You're sitting here, waiting to die for someone whose balls haven't even dropped?

More quotes from Shanghai Noon

Question: What was the meaning of John's ponytail? Why didn't he want it to be touched or cut off?

Answer: During the Qing Dynasty it was compulsory for men to wear a queue to prove loyalty to the Manchu rule. Refusal to follow can result to execution considering that as treason. Also, he not only prevented him from going back to China but also preventing him from informing the Emperor of his crimes without his queue.

Yes, but in fact, Jackie Chan wasn't wearing a queue in the movie. He only had the pony tail. His head should have been shaved half bald, especially if he was the Emperor's Guard. They just didn't want to show Jackie Chan in a half-bald hairstyle.

Similarly happened in 1976 film Hand of Death in which Jackie co-starred in. That film too was set in the Qing Dynasty but all men still had their queues but no shaved temples. The slaves in Shanghai Noon however some of them did actually have that hairstyle correctly having both queue and front temples shaved bald.

Answer: The queue is loyalty submission to Manchu rule during the Qing Dynasty. Refusal to wear that hairstyle is considered treason and punishable by death. Fong cut it off to make it as if he's a slave with no honour and would label him a traitor to China. He not only prevented him from coming back but he also cannot report his actions to the Emperor if he were to go back to China (but cannot because of Fong cutting off his queue).

Answer: In the Qing Dynasty (which was in power at the time the film was set), all soldiers were required to wear the Manchurian hairstyle of the queue (Chon Wang's "pony tail"). Cutting off his queue ensured that he would not be able to fight in the Chinese army for a while.

Answer: His religion states, more or less, that if his hair is ever cut then he cannot enter heaven.

Phixius

More questions & answers from Shanghai Noon

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