On September 28, 1986 (the 25th lunar month), film artist Tao Jin passed away.

On September 28, 1986, the famous film artist Tao Jin passed away in Guangzhou at the age of 70.

Tao Jin (1916-1986), formerly known as Tao Bingjun, male, performing artist and choreographer, was born in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province and grew up in Peiping.

In his youth, Tao Jin studied painting and calligraphy at Peking Essence Art College. In 1934, 18-year-old Tao Jin applied for both Hangzhou Jianqiao Aviation School and Yan Zhewu's drama training class in Jinan, and both were accepted. He chose the path of studying drama art. In 1935, Tao Jin returned to Peiping to join Tang Huaiqiu's China Travel Repertory Troupe. In the same year, he traveled and performed dramas such as "La Traviata","Thunderstorm","sunrise", and "Resurrection" in Peiping, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Nanjing. In 1936, Tao Jin married Zhang Manping, a colleague of the "China Brigade". During this period, he wrote a reportage describing his experience with Jiang Ming, Li Jingbo and other "China Brigade" friends who were arrested and imprisoned by the military police in Peiping, exposing the Kuomintang's dark rule of political corruption and rampant secret agents. The work was published in the supplement to Shenbao edited by Mao Dun. This incident scared Tang Huaiqiu, the regiment commander, and was afraid of implicating the troupe, so he advised Tao Jin to withdraw from the "China Travel Service". In the same year, Tao Jin entered the film industry and joined the freshman film company. He became the lead role of "Huangpu Riverside" when he first filmed it. Later, he starred in "Female Classmates".

In 1937, he starred in the film "Yangliu Village". After that, he quit "Tianyi" and joined the Shanghai Amateur Experimental Theater Company. After the "August-13" Incident, he joined the Fourth Shanghai National Salvation Drama Team and rushed to the rear to engage in drama performances promoting anti-Japanese aggression. He participated in performances in dramas such as "Cold Spring","Fragrant Grass and Horizon","Transformation", and "sunrise". "A New Official" was co-starred by him and his wife Zhang Manping in Chongqing, which caused a sensation in the mountain city.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937, Tao Jin moved from Shanghai to Wuhan and finally arrived in Chongqing. He participated in "Middle Production" with some progressive filmmakers. Since then, he has made films about the Anti-Japanese War, such as "Victory March", "Young China", "Japanese Spies" and "Return My Hometown".

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Tao Jin returned to Shanghai and joined Kunlun Film Company. In 1947, at the invitation of Shi Dongshan and Cai Chusheng, he starred in two films: "Eight Thousand Miles of Roads, Clouds and Moon" and "A River, Spring Water Flowing Eastward".

After filming these two films, he transferred to Cathay Pictures Company. In 1948, he co-starred in "The Murderer" with Shu Xiuwen. His performance was well received again. He then went to Hong Kong and joined Yonghua Films. In 1948, he starred in four films: "Soul of the Nation","Tears of Mountains and Rivers","Cremation" and "Sea Oath" in "Yonghua". In "Cremation", his acting skills were highly praised again. In 1949, he starred in "The Blood Sea" of "The Great Wall", and then directed "The House of Poetry and Rites".

Tao Jin's artistic talent is the crystallization of talent and hard work, and it is also integrated into his personal experience of life. He dropped out of school halfway to study painting, and became a monk halfway to study drama. During the Jinan drama training class, in addition to the prescribed courses, he often went to the big library to read his favorite drama books to enrich his knowledge. During the Anti-Japanese War, he trekked to the mountains, rivers, cities and villages in the mainland. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he and Zhang Manping took two children and drifted from Chongqing by wooden boat for two months before returning to Shanghai. His family suffered all the hardships of the war and suffered the crime of "victory". He was exposed to different social environments and different lives. The experience in real life enriched his knowledge and became an inexhaustible source of art for him. Therefore, he was able to create a realistic and moving image on stage and screen.

After the liberation of the country, Tao Jin returned to Shanghai from Hong Kong. He directed Zhou Bo's last film "Dove of Peace" at Daguang Film Company. In 1954, Tao Jin participated in the filming of the film "Song Jingshi", successfully portraying Song Jingshi's close comrade-in-arms, the brave and fierce peasant revolutionary leader Yang Dianyi, who was praised by the audience. Since then, Tao Jin has specialized in directing. For more than 20 years, he has directed films such as "The Fifteen Passages", "The Nurse's Diary", "The Children of the Miao Family", "The Second Plum", "Qi Qiujiang", "Fighting Sharks" and other films. Among them, the operas he directed are unique and innovative, and are deeply loved by the audience. ()

In the spring of 1981, Tao Jin's "A River of Spring Flows Eastward" was screened in the United States and was a great success. Many American filmmakers and cultural figures excitedly congratulated the movie star who was all the rage in the 1940s. During his time in the United States, he did not forget to contribute to the promotion of domestic production. He and Shuihua saved living expenses and brought the remaining US dollars to buy a video recorder and 8 film tapes back to China and presented them to the Ministry of Culture. In the same year, Tao Jin directed the film "Two Sisters".

Tao Jin was sincere and lived a simple and frugal life. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was fashionable to wear suits, but he bought his suits at old stalls. He does not talk about pomp, extravagance and waste, does not care about personal fame and wealth, and does not like to go to social places. He is not interested in anything but the script. He is always serious and meticulous about the roles he plays and the films he directs. Tao Jin has a happy family. He and his wife Zhang Manping, daughter Tao Baili, and son Tao Lingchang are all film workers. His wife Zhang Manping was more famous than Tao Jin in the drama world in the 1930s. After appearing on the screen, she filmed films such as "Streets and Alleys","There is a Family", and "Demons". After liberation, he starred in films such as "Thought Problems" and "Tracking and Pursuing". Her daughter Tao Baili starred in "Shanghai Girl" as early as 1958. After the defeat of the Gang of Four, she played a major role in films such as "Shark Fight","Little Flowers", and "On This Land". Tao Lingchang works in film in Hong Kong. Tao Jin talked about drama with his children in daily life to enlighten their acting skills.