no information is available on lie's activities between 1932 and 1941. he left tan's in 1932, reportedly as his approach no longer matched tan's low-class target audience and caused the works to go over-budget; the company itself was closed between 1932 and 1938. lie resurfaced in 1941 when he joined with the tan brothers – the owners of tan's film – to establish standard film company, under the management of the british-trained touw teng iem.