Trivia for
Shanghai Knights (2003) More at IMDbPro »

• This film marks the first on-screen battle between Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen, who both have had success in Hong Kong but never fought each other on screen.
  
  
• During the fight with the ruffians, Jackie falls into a coffin. The sign on the wall behind him reads "Sowerberry". Mr. Sowerberry is the funeral Director/Mortician from the book, Oliver Twist. During this scene the first four notes of the theme to "The Addams Family" are heard.
  
  
• When Roy is fantasizing about his future family life, he mentions his kids' names as "Vera, Chuck, and Dave." These are the names of the grandchildren in Paul McCartney's fantasy from the Beatles song, "When I'm Sixty-Four".
  
  
• There are several references to Sherlock Holmes in this movie. One of them is that the "bad guy" is named Lord Rathbone. Basil Rathbone was one of the first actors to play Sherlock Holmes in a movie.
  
  
• This film is the first English-language role and Hollywood debut for Fann Wong.
  
  
• Lord Rathbone in the movie is referred to as "the finest swordsman in England". Actor Basil Rathbone was the star of many swordplay films, and was considered the finest swordsman on the silver screen.
  
  
• When Chon Wang and Roy are crossing the street in London, Chon pulls Roy back before he is hit by horses pulling a carriage. Roy says "Hey, I'm walking here!" - a reference to Midnight Cowboy (1969).
  
  
• When Chon Wang and Roy are entering the Jubilee party, the string quartet plays a uncredited baroque version of the Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black" (just before the piece by Boccherini).
  
  
• Fann Wong trained for her stunts despite not having a martial arts background. She has a background in ballet, which helped to a certain extent.
  
  
• When Chon Wang meets Roy at the Ritz, the music playing in the background is the music used as background music in The Little Rascals and other Hal Roach talkies; it is called "In My Canoe".
  
  
• Director David Dobkin had a difficult time choosing a suitable Asian actress who could do movement work, emote well and speak decent English. He then saw clips of Fann Wong's videos "Wo lai ye" (2001) and "Qing she yu bai she" (2001) and requested to audition her in London, which she did attend. She subsequently got the role and her number of scenes was increased by 30%.
  
  
• The old guy bouncing in the pillow fight scene is actually first assistant director Mirek Lux.
  
  
• Music from Singin' in the Rain (1952) is heard during the fight with umbrellas.
  
  
• In the scene where Wang fights Rathbone's guards, they are constantly making sure that no priceless antique urns are broken. This is the same exact action by Jackie Chan's character in the climax of Rush Hour.
  
  
• At some points, Lord Rathbone and Wu Chow speak in iambic pentameter. Most notable is the stable scene: "I was taught to be neither seen nor heard/ Where is the seal? (I'm a man of my word.)"
  
  
• David Dobkin was personally chosen by Jackie Chan.
  
  
• The scene where Chong Wayne gives Doyle Roy's watch to see what can be learned from it is a direct allusion to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Sign of Four" when Watson gives Holmes his watch to see what the great detective can deduce from it.
  
  

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