Bruce Lee: Action on Screen

From the tender age of 3 months old, in 1941, until his move to the United States in 1959, Bruce Lee was featured in over 20 films in Hong Kong. Bruce's father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was a well know Cantonese opera singer and film actor. Titles included "Thunderstorm" (1957) and "The Orphan" (1959). Bruce is pictured here in a scene from "The Orphan". 

"The Green Hornet" TV show lasted only one season, totaling 26 episodes, including 3 crossover episodes with the wildly successful "Batman" show (pictured). "Batman" was also a William Dozier production. Although short-lived, Bruce's performance in the show introduced him to American audiences, and was a driving force for his eventual popularity in Hong Kong. Audiences in Bruce's home town were quick to refer to the show as "The Kato Show" rather than it's actual title. Bruce was unaware of his growing popularity in Asia, but would soon find out. 

A combination of Bruce's performance as "Kato" as well as his growing list of celebrity students, were instrumental in his early film and television roles in Hollywood. Influential figures like Stirling Silliphant and James Coburn both played pivotal roles in Bruce's career. Silliphant wrote Bruce into the 1969 film version of "Marlowe" as a well-spoken, and equally as well-dressed, gangster "Winslow Wong" who is sent by his boss to intimidate detective Marlowe (James Garner, pictured). This role, and others including "Lee" in "Longstreet", gave Bruce a platform to showcase not only his acting skills, but his explosive martial arts moves, and philosophy, to new audiences. Other celebrity students included Steve McQueen, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate and Kareem Adbul Jabaar.

In the late 60's, Bruce found that opportunities in Hollywood for him were few and far between. As well as his work on "Marlowe" and "The Wrecking Crew", bit parts in "Blondie", "Here Come The Brides" and "Ironside", weren't enough to keep Bruce and his young family afloat. After returning to the US from his eye opening visit to Hong Kong, it was friend and student James Coburn (right) who encouraged Bruce to leave the struggles of Hollywood behind him and go to Hong Kong to make movies. Coburn also told Bruce this move could serve as a platform to show Hollywood producers what he could really do. 

When the opportunity to film "Enter The Dragon" came up, filming on Bruce's current project at the time, "Game Of Death", was stopped. Sadly he would pass away before filming could continue. The film was eventually completed in 1978 with doubles standing in for Bruce's role and overdubs, but his ultimate vision for the film never came to fruition.