Bruce Lee: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of Actors Book 7) by Hourly History

Author:Hourly History [History, Hourly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hourly History
Published: 2018-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Making it in the Movies

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”

—Bruce Lee

Lee wanted to return to his acting career in America but soon realized he would have to overcome endemic institutional racism to do so. At the time, Chinese actors in America were sometimes cast in small parts as servants, warlords, or opium pushers but never in mainstream movies as complex protagonists. Even if, on rare occasions, a movie required an Asian actor for a leading role, the part would go to a white actor wearing makeup.

By this point, Linda Lee had given birth to a son, Brandon, and Bruce was trying to support his family through his martial art school. Back in 1964, Lee had been introduced to television producer William Dozier who wanted to cast him in a TV show. After auditioning for a show called Number One Son that was never made, Lee won the role of Kato, sidekick to the title character of The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet ran for one season between September 1966 and March 1967 before being canceled. Lee picked up a few small parts in other Dozier-produced TV shows over the next year but struggled to find other acting roles.

For a time Lee focused on working behind the scenes in the movie industry and gave martial arts tuition people like Roman Polanski and Steve McQueen. He also choreographed fight scenes for The Wrecking Crew (1969) starring Dean Martin and Sharon Tate and A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970) with Ingrid Bergman. In 1971, Lee was still unable to find a role for himself on television so he decided to write his own. The Warrior was a TV series starring a Shaolin fighter in the Old West who battled cowboys without the use of guns. Lee pitched this show to Warner Brothers who resisted giving the lead role to a Chinese actor, blaming their decision on Lee’s “thick accent.” Soon after, Warner Brothers launched a show called Kung Fu that had a very similar concept to The Warrior. David Carradine was cast in the role of the Shaolin fighter.

Frustrated by the lack of opportunity in Hollywood, Lee made the decision to return to Hong Kong in 1971. By this time, the Lees had two children, Brandon who was born in 1965 and Shannon, born in 1969. Unknown to Lee, The Green Hornet was released in Hong Kong and had proved a massive success. In Hong Kong, the series was even marketed as The Kato Show, giving Lee huge exposure and popularity. On the back of The Kato Show, Lee was now a household name in Hong Kong and as soon as he arrived was able to negotiate with major production companies, Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest.

In 1971, Lee signed a contract with Golden Harvest to develop and star in two martial arts movies. The first movie Bruce Lee made with Golden Harvest was The Big Boss (1971). The U.S. distributor changed the name of this movie to Fists of Fury, which may have been the result of a mix-up.

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