Kung Fu the tv show

[chud]

I think both David Chow and Kam Yuen really tried to work with David Carradine, but he was physically inept and prone to egoism and so was a terrible student.

Chuck Norris also stated that Carradine was more or less an outright idiot when it came to martial arts.

Wasn't Bruce Lee originally supposed to get that role, but they gave it to Carradine instead?

[Bär]

I think it was Bruce's idea even, no?

[Bill]

On one of the dvd documantries they have the producer talking about the time Bruce Lee came in and auditioned for the role. He said he was physically impressive but he was unable to understand a word he said. That's why Bruce didn't get the roll.

[Bär]

Don't think; fee-ew. It's like a finga pointing away to da moon. Don't concentwate on the finga, or you will miss all the heavenly glowy.

[kenneth delves]

Around 1970 Alan Lee and some of his students[myself included] met up with the writers
in New York and through out some ideas on the show, unfortunately it was made on the west coast otherwise, who knows[sighs].Coincidentally I met up with Kam Yuen that year as he came through from Hong Kong, met him again a couple of years ago. The show was hollywoodised like many shows at that time, there were a few good scenes but DC, although charismatic[saw him in Cannes in 75] left much to be desired in terms of skills, the show was termed 'fortune cookie philosophy' at the time.

[Interloper]

The whole "Kung Fu" thing was Lee's idea, and he designed the role of Kwai Chang Caine for himself. Apparently, he didn't get to play it for more reasons than just his "heavenwy gwowy" Elmer Fudd accent, which could have been reduced or eradicated with the help of a vocal coach, which actors often use.

I recall reading an interview with Joe Hyam, a former student of Lee's, who said that back then the producers were afraid to use an actor who was "too non-Caucasian" in a leading role. So they put Carradine in, hoping his vaguely almond-shaped eyes (helped with makeup) would give just enough "Asian" appearance in an otherwise safely Caucasian-looking character (the Kwai Chang Caine character being half Chinese/half Anglo-Saxon). Ironically, Lee was "more qualified," ethnicity-wise, to play Caine than was Carradine, since Lee was 1/4 Euro-Caucasian (one of his grandmothers was German, I believe) while Carradine has no Chinese or Asian ancestry.

Understandably, Lee was very, very pissed at the snub, and no amount of apologetic explanation could appease his anger. Apparently, that's what ultimately caused him to return to Hong Kong, where he knew he could achieve stardom among "his own." And, of course, his fame spread far outside the Asian milieu.

[Interloper]

When did you start MA's ?

Um. Shortly after watching the "Kung Fu" series and some Bruce Lee movies.
Surprised?

[dragontigerpalm]

I don't think that Lee was passed over because he was non-caucasian since Bill Cosby had already had a starring role in I Spy in 1965. I think it was anti-Asian predjudice that was the reason.

[Interloper]

You are likely quite correct, dragontigerpalm. And probably, I am not recalling Hyam's wording correctly. It's been a couple of decades since I read that article.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

Lee was passed over because he was "too chinese" didn't look like a halfbreed which was part of the show, had too strong of a canto accent and wouldn't be received well by the american public at the time who were just at the end of a war in south east asia. I watched the show from the beginning as well. So, that's how old I am. lol

[Bill]

When did you start MA's ?

Um. Shortly after watching the "Kung Fu" series and some Bruce Lee movies.
Surprised?

Surprised ?
Heck no, that's when I started. 1974.

[Interloper]

Ditto. I started with a "self-defense" program run by a couple of Shotokan karate guys at a local community center (not exactly "kung fu," but it was all the same "kickass" to me), and it snowballed from there.

Thanks Kwai Chang and Bruce.

[Bill]

Right
I would also thank Run Run Shaw for all those great kf flicks. 5 fingers of Death etc... I went to see all those.

[Andy_S]

One can understand Bruce being pissed off if it was, indeed, his own concept. That'd be a monster arse shag. Still, he showed em in the end. I wonder how many Hollywood producers were pulling their hair when his international fame peaked?

BTW, how was it that a Caucasian was living/studying at Shaolin? Carradine did look vaguely Asian, but the kid in the temple scenes was a real "mom n pop all American boy" IIRC.

And whoever said Carradine was physically inept never saw THIS:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i2q2cpMJM ... re=related
Our man doing gongfu (or something...) with a length of hose...

[Darth Rock&Roll]

bruce only ever made one american movie that was hot with the MA crowd and virtually no one else. Go around mentioning "enter the dragon" today and be prepared for the same blank stares that meet you when you say "the beatles were great" lol.

Our time has passed. Let's move on here.