A Maid from Heaven

A fairy from heaven descends to Earth and finds love with a mill owner’s servant in this blend of fantasy film and Chinese huangmei diao musical opera. The film was originally begun by The Love Eterne’s Li Han-hsiang, until he left it (and Shaw Brothers) to start a new company in Taiwan. (Its first film? A different version of the same story.) The Love Eterne’s Ivy Ling Bo fortunately stayed around, starring (yet again) as the male lead, here forced to deal with a whimsical, celestial princess on one hand and a tyrannical boss on the other. Fanciful Wizard of Oz–level special effects add to the film’s all-ages, goofy charm.