# "Kung Fu": What was the backstory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658 "2005-01-20T02:17:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/21 "2005-01-21T05:01:48Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > I need the Straight Dope. Now, I know the Bruce Lee biopic played it that Lee was promised the role, but the producers backed out, or something like that. I seem to recall hearing that this may be an urban legend, and that Lee may never have been seriously considered… > > Anybody know definitively? > > Sir Rhosis I recently heard his wife, Linda, on television recollect that the producers were definitely impressed by Lee’s talents–and initially considered him–but decided an Asian man couldn’t pull if off. Can’t verify if Lee was the inspiration behind Kato, in the Pink Panther series, but Blake Edwards, too, thought Lee was extraordinary. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/22 "2005-01-21T06:59:59Z")
Okay, here’s the poop on Bruce Lee and **Kung Fu:** > [@](#): > > While the show (_The Green Hornet_) was not a success, Lee’s outstanding action performances created an enormous fan audience for Bruce himself, and, upon _Hornet’s_ cancellation at the end of the year, he sent out feelers about new projects that would put Lee – and kung fu – at the center of the spotlight. > > Lee met with producer Fred Weintraub, and developed with him the idea of a show about a wandering Chinese loner in the old West, a man with a mysterious past who uses ancient wisdom – and kung fu-- to protect the weak and punish evil. Unfortunatey, TV executives doubted that a Chinese man could draw an audience base, and cast white actor David Carradine in _Kung Fu,_ in the role Lee had created for himself. _Source:_ **Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture,** “Bruce Lee,” page 96 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/23 "2005-01-22T11:12:18Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > I recently heard his wife, Linda, on television recollect that the producers were definitely impressed by Lee’s talents–and initially considered him–but decided an Asian man couldn’t pull if off. > > Can’t verify if Lee was the inspiration behind Kato, in the Pink Panther series, but Blake Edwards, too, thought Lee was extraordinary. Kato was the Green Hornet not Pink Panther. Pink Panther movie features Ed Parker, the founder and proponent of modern American Kenpo Karate. Ed Parker had a studio in IIRC Pasedena, and through that got hooked up with Hollywood people. Bruce Lee also stayed with Ed Parker for roughly 6 months when he first came to the US. Story I heard was Ed introduced Bruce to said same hollywood people. A former Kenpo instructor of mine told this tale: Bruce Lee trained a lot of hollywood stars including steve McQueen and the white guy in Enter the Dragon. These guys all bought Bruce a kicking bag and filled it with ball bearings. Invited Bruce to try it out in the dojo, and Bruce almost broke his leg. That said, within a short period of time, Bruce figured out how to kick the shit out of that bag. Take it with a grain of salt but that was what was told to me. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/24 "2005-01-22T11:30:15Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > It dated surprisingly well, nowhere near as cheesy as I thought it might be. Childhood memories don’t always fare that well when the favorite “entertainment” is experienced again as an adult. My friends call this the “Alf Effect”. I saw the pilot a few months ago, and your right, it’s suprisingly good. Given how derivitive the concept of the shows seems (“what show are popular now”. “westerns and kung-fu shows” “I know, lets make a western-kung-fu show”) it is impressive someone was able to make something interesting out of it. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/25 "2005-01-22T14:24:51Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > Kato was the Green Hornet not Pink Panther. But there was a chop-socky character named “Cato” in several of the Pink Panther movies. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/26 "2005-01-22T14:27:13Z")
**pushes back his cowboy hat and says to the assembled cowboys** Well lookie what we got ourselves here, a thread about Kung fu. **trouble ensues** FWIW TV Tome credits Bruce Lee with being a co-creator of the show – along the lines **rjung** posted, less along the lines of producers of a preplanned show not finding him suitable. [http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2162/Kung\_Fu/](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2162/Kung_Fu/) ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/27 "2005-01-22T15:40:10Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > Kato was the Green Hornet not Pink Panther. Pink Panther movie features Ed Parker, the founder and proponent of modern American Kenpo Karate. Ed Parker had a studio in IIRC Pasedena, and through that got hooked up with Hollywood people. Bruce Lee also stayed with Ed Parker for roughly 6 months when he first came to the US. Story I heard was Ed introduced Bruce to said same hollywood people. > > A former Kenpo instructor of mine told this tale: Bruce Lee trained a lot of hollywood stars including steve McQueen and the white guy in Enter the Dragon. These guys all bought Bruce a kicking bag and filled it with ball bearings. Invited Bruce to try it out in the dojo, and Bruce almost broke his leg. That said, within a short period of time, Bruce figured out how to kick the shit out of that bag. Take it with a grain of salt but that was what was told to me. No, no, no. “Kato” was in both the Green Hornet AND Pink Panther–different characters, different actors, same name, same martial arts theme. In the former, Bruce Lee was the sidekick of the Green Hornet. Whenever Kato got in over his head with the bad guys, GH would come to his rescue. :rolleyes: Bruce Lee inspired the role of Kato in the Pink Panther series. Where does Ed Parker appear in the Pink Panther? I totally missed that. One story re: Bruce Lee and a kicking bag found a dubious Ryan O’Neal (IIRC) at the estate of Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews, watching Lee workout and saying he was impressed with his speed, but doubted Lee had much power behind his moves. Lee asked O’Neal to hold a kickbag and then gave it a wicked sidekick and sent him flying into Edwards’ swimming pool. O’Neal emerged and said he had never felt such power in his life. That said, it might have been Lee’s demonstration of his one-inch punch. Can’t recall. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/28 "2005-01-22T16:16:20Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > “Kato” was in both the Green Hornet AND Pink Panther–different characters, different actors, same name, same martial arts theme. In one of the _Pink Panther_ movies, Clouseau tells Cato, “Bring out the Silver Hornet!” This turns out to be a huge, wallowing tub of a car, with body styling of 1940s vintage but on steroids, which for no apparent reason falls to pieces the moment Clouseau pulls out of the driveway. _Homage,_ anybody? 😃 > [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Where does Ed Parker appear in the Pink Panther? I totally missed that. According to the imdb, the actor who played Cato (not Kato) in _Return of the Pink Panther_ (1975), _The Pink Panther Strikes Again_ (1976), _Revenge of the Pink Panther_ (1978), and even the regrettable, Sellers-deprived _Trail of the Pink Panther_ (1982) and _Curse of the Pink Panther_ (1983), was Burt Kwouk. However, Ed Parker did play “Mr. Chong,” a character I can’t even remember, in _Revenge_ and _Curse._. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/29 "2005-01-24T07:07:27Z")
IIRC, Big Ed was in Revenge of the Pink Panther. a very short ass kicking role. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/30 "2005-01-24T08:13:21Z")
was to attend the festival of the _blank_ on the _blank_ day of the _blank_ moon of the year of the _blank_. He tells the young student Caine this early on in the movie. Caine makes a point of attending this festival in the hopes of seeing his old master again, once he (Caine) has left the temple. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658/31 "2005-01-24T11:28:19Z")
I’m thinking May 13th is the observation of the Buddha’s birthday…? As regards Ed Parker in _Revenge Of The Pink Panther_, I think he was the guy who was the front door man/bodyguard at what had been Clouseau’s apartment and had just become the house of ill repute. The password was “Inspector Clouseau.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-what-was-the-backstory/285658.md?page=1)