I have been a Bruce Lee fan as long as I can remember. I saw Return of the Dragon at the drive-in when I was 10 or 11 and was just blown away by him. Even today, 30+ years after his death, Bruce Lee remains one of the most influential martial artists of all time.
Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco while his parents were touring with the Cantonese Opera Company. Although he would not become known in the West for many more years, young Bruce was a child star in Hong Kong, starring in several movies. Bruce studied martial arts under Yip Man, the first master of Wing Chun, and Bruce proved to be an excellent student.
At nineteen, Bruce left Hong Kong for America. He enrolled in the University of Washington where he would meet his future wife Linda. To make extra money for school, Bruce began teaching his martial arts skills to others. He opened his first Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute in 1963 in Seattle. Bruce was one of the first Asians to teach martial arts to people of all races. Prior to this, most martial arts schools only taught to people of their own race and because of this, most martial arts were shrouded in mystery. Bruce became a well-known name in the martial arts community, but it was in 1964 that he really made a name for himself. At the Ed Parker Long Beach International Karate Championship, enthusiasts saw Bruce perform not only his two finger push-ups, but also his amazing one-inch punch. A television producer saw him and contacted him about a screen test. That meeting led to Bruce starring as Kato in The Green Hornet. It is also around this time that Bruce reevaluated his fighting style. He stripped down the fighting techniques he knew (including not only many styles of martial arts, but kick boxing as well) to create the Jeet Kune Do (the Way of the Intercepting Fist) style. The Green Hornet was cancelled in 1967 after only one season, but Lee continued to find small roles in Hollywood. He also began to train many Hollywood stars including James Coburn, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, and NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Despite Lee’s apparent success, Hollywood did not offer many roles for Asian Americans in the late 60s, early 70s. Disappointed, he moves his family back to Hong Kong where he learns that he is known as a big star, due to his role as Kato in The Green Hornet. He begins working with producer Raymond Chow on The Big Boss (later released in the U.S. as Fists of Fury). The Big Boss becomes a big hit in Hong Kong, as does Lee’s follow up movie, Fists of Fury (released in the U.S. as The Chinese Connection). He begins writing and filming scenes for his own movie, Game of Death, in his spare time. He starts his third movie, The Way of the Dragon (released in the U.S. as The Return of the Dragon) and he has almost complete control of the writing, directing, and casting. He casts his friend Chuck Norris in what proves to be a famous fight scene that takes place in the Roman Coliseum. Hollywood finally takes notice and Bruce’s fourth film, Enter the Dragon, is a U.S./Hong Kong production, the first of its kind.
In April 1973, Bruce was dubbing his voice for Enter the Dragon when he suddenly collapses on the set and is rushed to the hospital. Released, Bruce still complains of headaches. On July 20, 1973, he visits the home of Betty Ting Pei to discuss Game of Death. Still suffering from a headache, she offers him medication, which he takes, and he decides to lie down for a bit. Later, Betty, unable to wake Bruce, calls an ambulance. He is taken to the hospital, where he is pronounced dead at the age of 32. Much mystery surrounds his death as people wonder how someone as physically fit as Bruce could die at such a young age. The official ruling was cerebral edema (swelling of the brain), although to this day, many argue that fact. Although Bruce is buried in Seattle, over 25,000 people attend a funeral held in Hong Kong. In August 1973, Enter the Dragon premiered at the Graumann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The movie was a huge success and in death, Bruce achieved worldwide fame. Game of Death was never completed.
As a footnote, my husband and I went to Spago in Beverly Hills about five years ago. We didn’t see many celebrities, but I was thrilled to see James Coburn sitting near our table. My husband, knowing I had not seen many James Coburn movies, was a bit puzzled by my excitement. It wasn’t until I exclaimed that James Coburn, an Oscar winning actor whose career spanned 45 years, was a pall bearer at Bruce Lee’s funeral that my husband understood.
Learn more about Bruce’s life by purchasing The Bruce Lee Story (written by Linda Lee) at Amazon.com.