David Carradine - The Kung FU TV Series
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- Опубликовано: 8 дек 2014
- Actor of television and film David Carradine talks about how it came about that he was chosen for the lead role in the Kung Fu TV series. This excerpt was from the television program Conversation filmed in 1989. The interviewer was J.D. Gravenor. The program was directed and produced by John Richardson.
This series, Kung Fu; came into my life when I was a very young man, searching for meaning in a world that made little sense to me. Having been raised in a very conservative and repressive "Christian" cult, It set me on a path that I have followed my entire life, searching for the answer to the question of my being. I am now lacking a few weeks of 69 years, and am glad to say that I have found my answer and it was in front of me and within me the entire time. In a sense, I had to live this life to become the answer. I have always been grateful for this show, it certainly earned my gratitude.
You and millions more.
It's amazing how something as a TV show can so profoundly influence ours lives for the good. But after all, all truth ultimately comes from God, & we find truth in unexpected places sometimes.
I understand your feelings totally. I am Buddhist and loved the Kung Fu series. David Carradine was perfect in the role. The teachings very true and compassionate
The greatest show that was always a class I wanted to attend.
Thank you for sharing that with us. My reason was completely shallow a schoolgirl with a crush,😆 I loved his character and of course the series. England was probably a couple of years behind watching it.
David Kung Fu was and always will be the way to conduct ones self. your life s work with this show was something all us kids looked up to . Thank you Sincerely Frederick 🙏
Mystical guy for a Hollywood actor, and how much of himself he put into the part of Cain the mystical monk. At 3:30 he characterizes the shows' wise after-influence by the word ... (pause as David searches his mind for the precise term) ... "Um... maybe ... ETERNAL." Beautiful man, so wise and so good. Much Respect. Thank-you for your seriousness. RIP Mister Carradine.
David Carradine was my hero because of Kung Fu. A few years later I met him and hung out with him and he got me my first movie part. Later, I was lucky enough to work and meet his brother Robert in Revenge of the Nerds. Nice guys both.
I remember I was five years old in 1972 and watching the pilot episode of this amazing series🙂
I think, for many reasons, that Kung Fu is the best TV series ever made. It's message is indeed eternal, and it should be part of TV schedules forever, and shown in schools also
Kung Fu was absolutely amazing. I was glued to that every week as a kid.
I was 15yrs and and the show and its teachings has stayed with me for 52 yrs . I have many of my favorite sayings to memory ." If a man dwells on the past he may rob the future, but if a man ignores the past he may rob the present , the seeds of our destiny are nurtured by roots of our past" Master Po
As an actor, I have come to believe that David may have been a tremendously underrated actor - Man, so gifted and talented!
Watching this makes me choke up a bit. I guess that is as good a testimony to the man as any.
The best part is his acting which bought some "spiritual" into a drama which that point of time was not inside American dramas.
I saw it in fist syndication. KPTV out of Portland. Saturdays. The late-70’s. Still the best TV show ever. Ever.
I enjoyed the show, it had great lessons on how to be a better man, Master Poe & Master Khan were Amazing, so was David Carradine, & the show also had great guest stars, it was better than anything on the t.v. nowdays, i don't even watch t.v. shows anymore unless it's the News channel or the Nature Shows on P.B.
S., & occasionally a p.b.s. show like Masterpiece Theater which isn't as good as was in the 70's..dig it
I've only ever seen him young in Kung Fu or quite mature in Kill Bill. What a dude!
Vic from London
An amazing interview!
I loved this show
Rip ...
An interesting man. A B-movie legend. I never saw the original show. I saw the spin-off years later.
This was a great series. A good show to see what is the eaterm Philosophy.
I loved Kung Fu. But I used to think the fight scenes were poorly choreographed. However, when I watch them now, I realize that they were more realistic and natural than most of the over the top, exaggerated fights in many of today's modern martial arts films. This is what a Shaolin monk would probably move like, fighting a hoard of brawny cowboys.
I think bruce lee has noticed that Kung fu genre can be "something" in Hollywood as well as the World. Because the martial arts community was quite big around the world and very good actor who can show people impressive kung fu scenes and character was in demand. Hollywood just ignored bruce lee as the main attraction to the box offices and found David Carradine to start leadership in this genre of motion picture. But the Hollywod was destined to lose to Honk Kong industry. Chinese people were making kung fu movies very long time and when bruce lee came back to Honk Kong he became a star whose future movies had great potential to be a leader.
Bruce could have never been portrayed as half Chinese.
1:17. David feels rope marks from the last time he came to GRIPS with himself
Wow that makes sense a copy of the Bible Caine and Abel...
David Carradine was not a martial artist but great actor. Bruce Lee was the martial artist but was not near the actor David was. I loved it back in the day, never missed an episode
Gordon Rose I agree 👍😎
How do you know that you know him
"They" really bo not seem to have any idea!!!
Way back in the dim dark past I was hooked on this show.
Great Actor 🙂 David Carradine 💯
It is so weird to see him with short hair (instead of bald or long hair)! :-D
did you Know that 1 of the Actors From This TV Show Also Played in That Movie' Killer Clowns from Outer Space...
Amazing that actually Shaolin monks watched the show including my friend who was a Shaolin monk from Thailand
Y love Caine {David Carradine )
fue de lo mejor aprendi mucho
Bruce lee had his KATO moment, so both won. (The Green Hornet)
The Green Hornet was several years before Kung Fu. Also, would you feel like you won, if you pitched an idea to a network, they turned you down and then all of a sudden, they do the show without you and give you no credit?
@@LarryLeeMoniz Dude, Bruce Lee did not come up with the idea for Kung Fu. That's a myth created by the movie Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which was 90% fictionalized. Ed Spielman created Kung Fu in 1966 when he wrote the first draft of the script in New York City and submitted it to Warner Bros. around the same time that Bruce Lee had just arrived in Hollywood to work on The Green Hornet. Bruce Lee did come up with his own idea for a show called The Warrior years later, but the two stories were totally different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the late 1800s.
It was big because we were all entertaining Eastern, Asian, Oriental thoughts throo to paradox and Confucius say...... We all wanted wisdom xpansion. On the ground level we were all avoiding a 3rd WW with China that was always threatening. ..... Took it to the streets too in cool, wise swagger.
RIP, him and that great show. ♡♡♡♡
IDK if it will be timeless but it should be and great acting all around...Not like today...
He is the best at shaolin kung fu he is not to be messed with at all those shaolin guys are way more dangerous than those ufc dudes
ONE MASTER !!!
Folks the series was one of the late and respect young Cinese Ip man wing chun man graduate movie action actor Bruce Lee. ..but the studio's stole Mr. Lee's dream for TV in the late 60s early 70's, but that didn't stop the incredible late and in my opinion still great Bruce Lee.
Vincent parlante Bullshit. Stop believing what Hollywood movies like Dragon: The Bruce Lee story tell you. Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
This show is so great. Bruce Lee should have gotten some credit for developing the show. But Carradine nails it as the character Caine. Bruce Lee would have been too intense and his accent too distracting for it to be the HIT that it was. But I would have liked him to have at least gotten to shoot some test footage as Caine.
Victor Gaspar Sorry, but Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
Anyone see the series 'Shane' he did before this... that was almost exactly the same?
Ed Spielman wrote Kung. Fu. Bruce Lee did not develop, and as Carradine said, Bruce was not right for role, in that deep humility and peace is not what he was known for. Carradine made role of Caine his own.
are you surprised Carradine a non chinese getting a chinese role over a chinese person would say that in his own defence.
@@MrAhuapai Bruce Lee didn't get the role because he was still unknown at the time and most people only knew him from The Green Hornet. Also, his accent was still very thick at the time. Arnold Schwarzenegger's accent was dubbed over in his first film appearance. Also, the character was written as half-white and half-Chinese from the beginning.
"It's not magic, it's a debt that has been paid"
He aged well. Kung-fu was great
at least brandon got involved Bruce's idea stolen by directors that still held some racist thoughts and were scared ir would fail. Carradine was fantastic in the part and his western look was his original ticket to the part
dru greaves Sorry, but Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
No he was not revenging his teacher , he was attacked and could not flee his teacher at his time of death.
Hence , he was honorated by Master Kan.
Sigh , you should know better !
Winks
Lisa
Bullshit! He certainly revenged his master. But you know more than the actor, right? Child please!
Dear Lisa,
Caine avenged his master by killing the royal nephew in China. His master was defending himself from the bullying of royal guards because he and Caine was blocking the road when they were passing through. Royal nephew shot his master probably thinking he was embarrased by the old monk so he shot the master. Caine, who almost like a son to his master, threw a spear towards the royal nephew, killing him.
So he flee from China and towards the West after the Chinese government put a bounty on Caine's head.
And thus, Grasshopper, on how Caine starts his journey by himself.....
Sigh, Grasshopper, ability to speak does not make you wise without the good mind. And overflowing pride is nothing but a fool showing off.
La chilena fue un dolor de cabeza para el .si yo tube k llevar uno de sus hijos a su destiniom
I cannot but wonder if he was scratching his neck as a way of dealing with a drug addiction.
Great show and wonderful philosophy. But Bruce Lee should have been given credit for the idea or at least some acting parts. Bruce Lee was an awesome martial artist while David Carradine was a former ballet dancer who learned Kung Fu along the way.
almodovar251 No, Bruce Lee doesn't deserve any credit for anything connected with the Kung Fu TV show because he had nothing to do with the creation of the series. The entire story, concept, and characters were created by Ed Spielman in the early 1960's when he was a writer living in New York City's Chinatown, years before Bruce Lee ever came to Hollywood. The idea that Bruce Lee had anything to do with the Kung Fu series is a myth spread by Bruce Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, who was lying her ass off.
@@44excalibur I know I'm 3 years too late but you are WRONG.
@@esseker6320 No, YOU ARE WRONG! I'm going by actual historical facts, you're going by that BS Hollywood movie, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Ed Speilman wrote Kung Fu in the mid 1960s in New York City, years before Bruce Lee was even in Hollywood. Bruce Lee's idea for a show was called The Warrior, but aside from it being set in the old west in San Francisco, it had no similarities to the Kung Fu TV show.
one thing is sure.... for damn sure... we'll never know what Bruce Lee's character would have developed into so everybody's idea of what Bruce Lee would have played are just your own.... I'm sure Robert Conrad's character in Black Sheep or Vic Morrow's Kombat character could have gone to somebody else but it's not the way it happened how would you like to see somebody else do the prisoner without Patrick mcgoohan ? TV and movies are full of these stories
Further more Carradine was really slow and never as fast as Bruce Lee.
Or his son Brandon was better than David
David was better at shaolin kung fu but bruce lee was the best at martial arts and so.is brandon lee there top 3 jackie chan is good to
Bonnie Langley
Badass CArradine/CAine. lol
I have always thought that the original Kung Fu TV series from the 1970's is offensive or racist toward Chinese people but the American people did not want to listen to me. The late Actor: David Carradine is NOT Chinese or of Asian Descent.
Some of it is, for sure, but some ethnics are just whiny crybabies we don't listen to. It was great TV. He was supposed to be a half white as Kung Fu, by the way.
I feel that David Arthur Carradine !
Who is real Name is John Arthur Carradine !
I feel he should been in the healing Art's field ,
Yes he can be still be a Teacher , And a Master in Martial arts !
He should used is special gift & SPIRITUAL gift in the healing Arts , Not in Acting!
That's my thoughts!
Royal Prophet / seer /Intercessor - Sean O'Dwyer- 140 Hobson Street. Auckland City. 1010. New Zealand. . South pacific.''
I woke up on General LeMay`s birthday in 1993 and didn`t believe in god any more. The Phantomm Farm house.
La esposa chilena
Yo trabaje con ellos y todos los hijos k ka mujer tenia.no con el.
I found that out as well they stole Bruce lees idea for
shame the show was incredible and really good I give Bruce lee full credit God Bless his memory
Carstella Moore Sorry, but that's false. Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
We do know that Bruce Lee auditioned for the lead role and was turned down. The idea of a real chinese man playing a fictional chinese character was obviously a step too far for Hollywood. His disappointment in being rejected led him to return to Hong Kong where his talents would be recognized by the burgeoning martial arts industry and the rest is history. Given Lees personality one wonders the influence he would of wielded choreographing the fight scenes in Kung Fu. One thing you know there would of been a lot more of them and of a much higher quality..
Bruce Lee was a fine actor, but it's hard to imagine him pulling off intricate Kung Fu maneuvers the way Carradine could. There's a reason even after Kill Bill came out people said that "Kung Foo" was in it as The Bad Guy. By the same logic it's hard to imagine The Green Hornet with Kung Foo instead of Bruce Lee as Kato.
No sub 😕
je
Bruce Lee came up with the idea and he was to play Caine.Lee would have been wonderful and no slow motion needed.
The slow motion was because the censors at the time felt that the show was too violent. The producers came up with the idea that slowing down the action would take some of the perceived violence away.
That is an urban legend. Ed Spielman developed and created the show with David Carradine's input. Bruce Lee had a different show in mind and his ideas came after Ed Spielman.
As good as Lee was sometimes, he was no Kwai Chang Caine, the real name of Kung Foo.
Sorry, but Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
Interviewer: "So how do you think you're going to die?"
David Carradine: "by placing a rope around a part of my body."
interviewer: "Really? Where?"
David Carradine: "Right here" 1:18
;)
What a disrespectful comment to make.
Look how many people were amused.
No one...except you.
Disastrously unfunny. Lame.
@@theflyingninja1 Successfully hilarious. You're just overly sensitive. It's joke, princess.. *RELAX.*
there is a kung fu marathon on now. wish Bruce Lee did it.
Christianity is NOT a cult. Everything else is. But the Cain bible murderer is close enough to the Caine Kung Fu character.
I admit you were good playing the part carradine but it always should have gone to BRUCE LEE.
Thyalwaysseek No, it shouldn't have gone to Bruce Lee. Why do you people always assume that this role was Bruce Lee's because that bullshit movie, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, told you so? Bruce Lee had nothing to do with the creation of Kung Fu and was never intended for the lead role.
From the Wikipedia article (Wikipedia Kung_Fu_(TV_series)#Bruce_Lee's_involvement):
In her memoirs, Bruce Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, asserts that Lee created the concept for the series, which was then stolen by Warner Bros.[8] There is circumstantial evidence for this in a December 8, 1971 television interview that Bruce Lee gave on The Pierre Berton Show. In the interview, Lee stated that he had developed a concept for a television series called The Warrior, meant to star himself, about a martial artist in the American Old West (the same concept as Kung Fu, which aired the following year), but that he was having trouble pitching it to Warner Brothers and Paramount.
In the interview, Pierre Berton commented, "There's a pretty good chance that you'll get a TV series in the States called 'The Warrior', in it, where you use what, the Martial Arts in Western setting?"
Lee responded, "That was the original idea, ...both of them [Warner and Paramount], I think, they want me to be in a modernized type of a thing, and they think that the Western type of thing is out. Whereas I want to do the Western. Because, you see, how else can you justify all of the punching and kicking and violence, except in the period of the West?"
Later in the interview, Berton asked Lee about "the problems that you face as a Chinese hero in an American series. Have people come up in the industry and said 'well, we don't know how the audience are going to take a non-American'?"
Lee replied, "Well, such question has been raised, in fact, it is being discussed. That is why The Warrior is probably not going to be on." Lee adds, "They think that business-wise it is a risk. I don't blame them. If the situation were reversed, and an American star were to come to Hong Kong, and I was the man with the money, I would have my own concerns as to whether the acceptance would be there."[9]
Whether or not Kung Fu was based on a concept by Lee, he was undoubtedly considered for the starring role, according to Herbie Pilato in his 1993 book The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern Western (pages 32-33), and David Carradine himself in a 1989 interview mentions that Bruce Lee was passed over for the role.
@@trombonemunroe Read the Wikipedia article now. It has been expanded with new information from an authoritative biography of Bruce Lee. He didn't was the author of the Kung Fu series.
@@trombonemunroe Sorry, but Bruce Lee had nothing to do with developing the Kung Fu TV show. That's a myth perpetuated by Linda Lee Cadwell. The Kung Fu TV show was created by Ed Spielman when he was living in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960's and was influenced by Chinese culture, years before Bruce Lee came to Hollywood. Spielman first submitted his script(intended as a cinematic release) back in the early 60's, which is documented and proven. While it is true that Bruce Lee created his own concept for a TV series called 'The Warrior,' the storylines and characters for both shows were different, with the only similarity being that they were set in the old American west.
Selfish of him to have left the series after three years. Many were depending on him for a paycheck.