Early in the morning, Shanghai-po (a laundress tenant) goes to fetch a bucket of water from the slum’s public water pump, but quickly has trouble making the water come out. The film then goes on to introduce the many tenants living in the slum and how helpful and friendly they are to each other. Once the water pump starts working, Pak-ku (The slum’s cruel landlady) scolds the tenants to turn off the water because they're using too much. Shanghai-po reminds Pak-ku saying that everyone pays their share of the water bill and how she made a deal with Pak-ku, saying that in return for unlimited buckets of water, Shanghai-po irons and washes Pak-ku’s laundry free of charge. Pak-ku makes a new rule for all the tenants, saying that from now on, everyone only gets one bucket of water a day! Shanghai-po is outraged by this because she runs a laundry washing service. However, Ah Fook (a really smart olive vendor tenant) backs Shanghai-po up by saying that everyone can save half of their daily water aside for Shanghai-po (meaning Shanghai-po will get at least 32 buckets of water a day!). Pak-ku then drags Shanghai-po out of her house to argue with her, but while they were arguing, the pants that Shanghai-po was ironing got a hole burnt through them. After thinking that the pants belonged to Dr. Kim (A doctor tenant), they actually belonged to Chow Bing Ken (Pak-ku’s sleazy husband). This results in both Pak-ku and Chow Bing Ken physically abusing Ah Heung (their adopted daughter). However, Fat Chai (the newly moved-in cobbler tenant) defends Ah Heung. Fat Chai and Chow Bing Ken get into a fight. During the fight, Pak-ku steals a beautiful piece of cloth from Mr and Mrs Chan (a couple who are tailors) and stuff the cloth into her husband’s pocket; however, he is caught in the act by Ah Fook!
Part 2
Ah Fook ends up being robbed of his money in a scheme by 369 (a corrupt police officer who is secretly being bribed by Chow Bing Ken). When Ah Fook goes back home, his wife went to borrow money to pay for a doctor's visit because their baby has a fever. However, she ends up being robbed by thieves on the way back home. After all of the tenants pitch in to give their money to Ah Fook’s wife, Fat Chai gets into an argument with Pak-Ku which involves him knocking out her floorboards. Pak-ku then leaves, Chow Bing Ken tries raping Ah Heung but is stopped by Fat Chai who screams fire after witnessing Ah Heung scream. The firefighters then force Chow Bing Ken and Pak-ku to pay for a false alarm (especially after finding out they are the landlord and landlady and that they are rich)!
Part 3
Chow Bing Ken tries making 369 arrest Fat Chai, but this just results in 369 getting a nail jabbed into his foot and several of his teeth being pulled out. Pak-Ku then tries kicking out Uncle Yeung (a cigar-selling old man tenant), but all the tenants pitch in to pay Uncle Yeung's rent. Even Mr and Mrs Han (Mr Han is a college student while Mrs Han is a college graduate who works as a prostitute to pay their rent) sacrifice Mr Han's medicine money (Mr Han has tuberculosis).
Part 4/Finale
Chow Bing Ken and Pak-Ku then try making 369 arrest Mrs Han, but his plans are foiled by Ah Fook. They then try framing Fat Chai for stealing, but their plans are foiled by Ah Heung who loves Fat Chai. Ah Heung is then forced into an arranged marriage to the local governor by Pak-ku and Chow Bing Ken. However, they come up with a plan that works – Ah Heung is rolled into a carpet and is delivered out of the slum by Fat Chai who pretends that his friend who has Cholera is rolled into the carpet. Everyone then pretends that they have Cholera, and Dr Kim even slips a medicine that causes diarrhea into a glass of tea that Pak-ku is drinking. Fat Chai and Ah Heung are safely delivered to a train station together, Pak-ku and Chow Bing Ken are arrested for their crimes. 369 is also arrested for taking bribes, and the tenants no longer need to worry about being kicked out or their home being turned into a brothel, and they lived happily ever after![2][3]
The House of 72 Tenants can be considered to have started a new era for Hong Kong film industry. Before the release of this movie, most high-class movies filmed in the then British colony were shot and recorded in Mandarin, while the less-respected ones would be shot and recorded in Cantonese. However, since the debut of the movie, which was filmed in Cantonese, and the popularity it achieved, subsequent major Hong Kong films switched their language from Mandarin to Cantonese.
Parodies
Parodies of this movie are found in many of Hong Kong's films and television series.
