Happy Ghost (released in the Philippines as Magic to Win 3: The Origin[2]) (Chinese: 開心鬼) is a 1984 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko. Produced and written by Raymond Wong, the film stars Wong, Boonie Law, Loletta Lee and Sandy Lamb. The film was the 12th most grossed films in Hong Kong of 1984.
The film is about three high school students, Bonnie (Bonnie Law), Juliet (Rachel Lee (actress)) and Venus (Sandy Lamb), in their last year in school together, go on their last picnic before their examinations. Taking shelter from a sudden storm in an abandoned temple, Bonnie finds a piece of rope and takes it home. With this rope she brings home a spirit of Scholar Pik (Raymond Wong Pak-ming), whose archaic ways of thinking obviously clashed with the values held by a twentieth century teenager. Yet, they began to make friends with each other. The three girls started to depend on Scholar Pik's magic for everything. After their exam, they realize it, the girls begin to derive a more positive and hardworking attitude towards life through his encouragement.[3]
In the Philippines, the film was released by South Cinema Films as Magic to Win 3: The Origin on 12 January 1989, after Happy Ghost II and III (respectively released as Magic to Win and Magic to Win 2).[6]
In his book Horror and Science Fiction Film IV, Donald C. Willis stated that Happy Ghost was "fairly elaborate and inventive, but tends to run off in all directions".[7]
^"Magic to Win 3". Manila Standard. Manila Standard News, Inc. 18 December 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 20 June 2020. Still with Wong in this chapter are his reliable Golden Girls together with pretty and fresh faces like Loletta Lee..., Bonnie Law and Sandy Lamb.
^"Opens Today". Manila Standard. Manila Standard News, Inc. 12 January 1989. p. 15. Retrieved 20 June 2020. The Box-Office Strength of 'Magic to Win 3 - The Origin' Has Been Proven in Southeast Asian Countries Outgrossing 'Magic to Win' 1 & 2.
