His favorite song is "Let the (dead) bodies hit the floor".
- "I’m the singing killer""Fist is a fist, Knife is a knife""Kung fu, judo and karate, I specialize in all""If you dare, come and try me""The singing killer is me"Johnny, the Singing Killer
The Singing Killer is a 1970 movie produced by Shaw Brothers, starring David Chiang as the title character.
Johnny (Chiang) used to be a mob hitman and assassin, but has since gone straight where he took on a job as a nightclub singer. Leaving his past behind intending to start a new life with his girlfriend Lily, unfortunately Johnny's former mob, led by the ruthless Boss Fung, wants him back to perform a robbery for them. With Lily's life being threatened, Johnny decides to return to a life of killing.
The Singing Killer includes examples of:
- Badass Adorable: Johnny is probably one of the most adorable and lovable characters David Chiang has played (and that's saying a lot), being a nightclub singer with a snarky, jazzy personality and a polite demenour, but he's also a skilled fighter and a devil with a gun when taking names.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Johnny appears in a slick black-and-white suit in every scene he's in. While the moments where he's a nightclub singer might justify this, however there's no reason why he's wearing this same outfit in the final shootout, other than fulfilling this trope.
- Beautiful Singing Voice: Johnny, multiple characters praises his voice throughout the film, and crowds go wild when he's on stage.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Johnny may be a Nice Guy and a friendly nightclub singer who is chill with every character he meets, but he's secretly a mob assassin and killing machine.
- Big Fancy House: Boss Fung's mansion. In the climax Johnny infiltrates the building from its balcony and engages several of Fung's bodyguards in a shootout.
- Boom, Headshot!: While Johnny is beating the snot out of Boss Fung, one of Fung's thugs tries pointing his gun on Johnny, only for Detective Wang (accompanied by the police) to suddenly put a round in the mook's head.
- The Cameo: David Chiang's long-time collaborator and best friend Ti Lung shows up as Johnny's guitarist in one scene.
- The Cavalry: At the peak of the final shootout, the police notified by Brother Wan arrives right on time, arresting Fung and his minions.
- The Chanteuse: Johnny's day job is a chanteur, when he's not performing hits and taking names.
- Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: Sergeant Wong shooting a mook about to shoot Johnny in the finale.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Johnny managed to expose the criminal activities of Boss Fung while proving his innocence to Detective Wang, resulting in Fung's arrest. Surviving the final shootout, he's finally granted his old life as a singer back, as well as ensuring the safety of his girlfriend.
- Extreme Mêlée Revenge: Johnny beating the snot out of Fung for threatening his girlfriend Lily, forcing him back into the mob business, and blackmailing him to perform a robbery for the mobsters, although by the end of the day Fung merely ends up arrested.
- Face Framed in Shadow: Johnny, during the scene
he snuck out at night to secretly meet with Lily. - Hitman with a Heart: Johnny, a former assassin who became disillusioned with life in the mob, and opts to take a job as a nightclub singer.
- Human Shield: Johnny's first kill in the final shootout is a henchman he used as a meatshield when other mooks start firing at him. He later uses another mook as a bulletshield in the same scene.
- Job Title: A two-fer, considering the protagonist is a singer AND a hitman.
- Musical Episode: Among David Chiang's catalogue of films.
- Professional Killer: Johnny, until he decides to leave the mob. The final shootout where he guns down a dozen of Fung's bodyguards with ease proves that he hasn't lost touch with his skills yet.
- Secret Identity: Johnny the nightclub singer is formerly a mob assassin and one of the best killers. Hence the title.
- Serenade Your Lover: Johnny towards his girlfriend, Lily, in more than one bonding scene.
