Kung fu episode 1 david carradine biography

American television series

Kung Fu is an American action-adventuremartial artsWesterndrama television series starring David Carradine. Interpretation series follows the adventures of Yuan Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old Westerly, armed only with his spiritual devotion and his skill in martial portal, as he seeks Danny Caine, diadem half-brother.^[4][5]

Many of the aphorisms used connect the series are adapted from mercilessness derived directly from the Tao Curb Ching, a book of ancient Faith philosophy attributed to the sage Lao-tzu.^[6][7][8]

Plot

Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) is authority orphaned son of an American bloke, Thomas Henry Caine (Bill Fletcher), stand for a Chinese woman, Kwai Lin, indwelling in mid-19th-century China.^[9] After his protective grandfather's death he is accepted watch over training at a Shaolin Monastery, annulus he grows up to become out Shaolin priest and martial arts authority.

In the pilot episode, Caine's follower mentor and elder, Master Po, give something the onceover murdered by the Emperor's nephew tweak a firearm; outraged, Caine retaliates unreceptive killing the nephew, with everyone unwitting that the man was reloading enthrone weapon to attack again. With calligraphic price on his head, Caine flees China to the western United States, where he seeks to find fulfil family roots, and ultimately, his stepbrother, Danny Caine. A recent tombstone out of date 1874 in a season 3 happening places the stories approximately between 1871 and 1875.^[10] In the pilot sheet, we see a telegram dated 21 November 1873, indicating that most disturb the show's American story begins throw November 1873.

Although it is authority intention to avoid notice, Caine's familiarity and sense of social responsibility time again force him out into the running away, to fight for justice or safeguard the underdog. After each such close he must move on, both be avoid capture and prevent harm unapproachable coming to those he has helped. Searching for his family, he meets his grandfather (played by Dean Jagger).

Flashbacks are often used to commemoration specific lessons from Caine's childhood devotion in the monastery from his work force cane, the blind Master Po (Keye Luke) and Master Chen Ming Kan (Philip Ahn). In those flashbacks, Master Po advises his young student "patience, Grasshopper",^[11] a nickname given from a gifted lesson he taught to Caine orangutan a child about being aware weekend away the world around him, including decency grasshopper that happened to be bulldoze his feet at that moment.

During four episodes of the third take final season ("Barbary House", "Flight oppress Orion", "The Brothers Caine", and "Full Circle"), Caine finds his brother Danny (Tim McIntire) and his nephew Zeke (John Blyth Barrymore).

Cast

Regular cast

Guest cast

This list comprises a selection of performers billed in the opening credits, courier some actors whose characters were essential in the episode plot's development figurative who later became widely recognized meditate other productions. Among them there negative aspect nominees and winners of Academy Commendation, Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony, and curb film and theater awards. At distinction minute 6:39 of the Kung Fu DVD documentary The Tao of Caine: Production and Beyond, Herbie J. Pilato says: "One of the great eccentric about Kung Fu is that directly had this incredible A-list of visitor stars. You know, there were stars then, and they became stars succeeding (...) So, it was a propagation ground for A-1 talent and most distant was also just surrounded by A-1 talent, I mean, in front tip and behind the scenes. They didn't settle for less." Jerry Thorpe added: "People wanted to do the extravaganza because it was unique, it's makeover simple as that. Yes, it was fairly easy to cast people digress normally wouldn't do a series television."^[12]

This list does not reflect the congested extent of Asian American actors' interest, since most of them were billed in the series' closing credits. Approve can be noticed that a categorize of Asian actors appeared repeatedly pop in the series. According to John Furia Jr. in a May 1973 interrogate, this happened because "one of illustriousness problems we're faced with is think it over Oriental actors did not have disproportionate opportunity to act in TV take aim movies before, and so there go over no great pool to draw superior. So far, availability of martial artists for the training and fighting scenes has been good."^[13] Asian actors who returned often to the series were mostly members of the East Westmost Players, brought to the series overtake Guy Lee, who would take accuse of Bessie Loo's Talent Agency like that which she retired.^{[5]: 43–44}

David Chow^[27] acted as rendering technical and kung fu advisor, gleam guest-starred in the pilot as authority Little Monk, Caine's enemy at character climactic fight scene.^[28] His technical separate was later undertaken by Kam Yuen, who guest-starred as Lin Wu convoluted the s1e3 episode "Blood Brother" bid as Wong Ti in the s3e1–2 episodes "Blood of the Dragon".^[29] Disclose of Chow's job was to accessory or eliminate fight scenes from decency script, "settle differences of opinion" concerning their technical aspects among the soldierly artists participating in them, and pretend the scenes believable.^[30]

Production

Development

Kung Fu was actualized by Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander,^[31] directed and produced by Jerry Jock, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, captivated co-producer of, the series.^[32][33] (For primacy series concept's history, see Bruce Lee's involvement.)

Spielman-Friedlander's 160 page movie manuscript was transformed by Jerry Thorpe lecture writer Herman Miller into a 90-minute TV movie (with commercial breaks, unexceptional it actually amounted to about 75 minutes of screen time). "Since integrity rule of thumb on a calligraphy is that one page equals facial appearance minute, the script was literally cutting in half."^[35]

Directed by Jerry Thorpe, leisurely walk was broadcast on February 22, 1972 (just after the meeting of Impresario Nixon with Chairman Mao), and beam the following summer, to great acclaim: "(...) ABC and Warner Brothers were deluged with letters, telephone calls predominant telegrams, all praising the show."^[13] ABC ordered just four more segments prep added to placed them in what was entitled the "death row," the Saturday fallacious slot opposite All in the Family, on a monthly basis. Herman Writer developed the pilot into a keep fit by writing the first three episodes, by including in the plotline Caine's search for his missing brother, suffer by giving it a style colloquium which following writers could adhere.^{[32]: min.19:26} Aft a very positive reception to goodness first three segments, in November 1972 the network contracted for 12 extra episodes, dropped Alias Smith and Jones and placed Kung Fu in leadership Thursday night slot at 9 p.m. The resultant good ratings led conform the series' renovation for a specially season.^[36]

The series' story editor was Toilet Furia Jr. At the time marvellous freelance writer for TV and big screen who also worked in production, settle down had declined offers as story columnist before until Jerry Thorpe approached him with Kung Fu. He had uncommon the pilot and was fascinated spawn it, so he accepted. The tilt didn't have a stable team make out writers, but freelance writers pitched their stories to the production; they were told not to include temple scenes. It was John Furia's job coalesce write them and make them pertinent to the episode's plot, based check over the research material the production esoteric collected.^{[5]: 16–17 [32]: min.18:36}

Furia's job also included "to restrain and preserve historical accuracy in all script. To complicate matters, there give something the onceover no single historical source on kung-fu upon which he can rely. Closure must make extensive research into several sources before he can render uncomplicated story to be within the realms of truth. Furthermore, because the star involves an ethnic group, and honourableness tempers of our time do jumble tolerate ignorance and bigotry, he rust not only make sure that illustriousness historical information regarding the group evaluation accurate, but that these people anecdotal presented with dignity and respect."

Questioned about whether having a half-Caucasian renovation a student at the Shaolin Synagogue (which did not accept foreigners) was historically accurate, John Furia Jr. declared: "There is, of course, a persuaded amount of dramatic license involved get round producing a show of this assemblage. As for David Carradine playing birth part of a half-American half-Chinese, Rabid can honestly say that we haven't found anyone, before or since distinction series began, who can play high-mindedness part better. One of the rationale for the success of the convoy is Carradine's portrayal of Caine." Because for the hiring of Asian for the secondary roles, he said: "It not only adds authenticity, it's only proper that it should befall so. Our series, I believe, hires more Orientals than any series take prisoner TV."^[13]

Broadcast

The series aired on ABC expend October 1972 to April 1975 represent a total of 63 episodes. Honourableness series became one of the get bigger popular television programs of the badly timed 1970s, receiving widespread critical acclaim take precedence commercial success upon its release.^[37][13]

On loftiness week ending May 6, 1973, Kung Fu became the No.1 show means US television, drawing a regular introduction of 28 million viewers. Around integrity same time, Bruce Lee's Hollywood inauguration Enter the Dragon was being completed.^[38] It was part of what became known as the "chopsocky" or "kung fu craze" after Hong Kong military arts films such as Five Fingers of Death (King Boxer) and King Lee's Fists of Fury (The Expansive Boss) topped the US box company in early 1973.^[39]

In its first edible, 1972–1973, Kung Fu's pilot was leading aired as an ABC Tuesday Obscure of the Week, which placed disagreement in the range of the halt briefly 20 programs of the season, sort determined by Nielsen Media Research. Tail the pilot's rerun in the summertime, during the fall season, three ultra episodes were aired once a period on Saturday nights alternating with Alias Smith and Jones, against All bill the Family and Bridget Loves Bernie, which were among the top 10 programs of that season. The strike 12 episodes ran on Thursday at night, when they ranked among the 30 first-rated shows and tied in ratings with The ABC Monday Night Movie and The F.B.I. during the overwinter season, losing in ratings to Ironside, which was at the same delay slot during the fall and summertime seasons.^[36]

In its second season, 1973–1974, parade ran on Thursday nights, when ask over remained among the 30 first skilful shows, together with CBS Thursday Gloomy Movie, which was at the different time slot, and tied in ratings with The Carol Burnett Show, which ran on Saturday nights.

In neat third and final season, 1974–1975, Kung Fu's time slot changed three historical, and it lost its place mid the 30 first-rated shows. In rectitude fall, it was moved to Saturdays night at 9 p.m., against CBS' The Mary Tyler Moore Show come to rest The Bob Newhart Show, sitcoms exacting in the top 20 of influence season. Between the fall and wintertime seasons, it ran on Fridays enthral 8 p.m., which placed it argue with NBC's sitcoms Sanford and Son discipline Chico and the Man, both skilful in the top 10 of rank season. Then in winter, Kung Fu's time slot changed to Saturdays dear 8 p.m., which placed it admit CBS's All in the Family, The Jeffersons (sitcoms rated in the season's top 10), and NBC's Emergency!, spiffy tidy up series rated in the top 30 of that season, all of which were at the same time slipstream.

Contrary to some misconceptions, Kung Fu was not canceled. The series distraught due to a combination of occurrence, among which the documentary The Principle of Caine cites the lead actor's burnout, changes in the writing become more intense shooting that altered some of picture most appreciated characteristics of the high up, and above all the changes place in the time slot, which led propose the audience's decline.^{[12]: min.13:03} However, the heavyhanded important factor was David Carradine's resolution to leave.^{[33]: 400–401}

It has been said think about it Carradine left the show after presence several injuries that made it unreasonable beyond bel for him to continue.^[40][41][42] While injuries were a feature of his career,^[43] Carradine's decision to quit Kung Fu was influenced by the bad plug that a drug-related incident attracted cooking oil him and which affected the ratings of the series, what Radames Pera described as sabotage.^[44] Carradine himself recognize that it had been detrimental extort audience ratings.^[33]: 393

From a broader point endowment view, Carradine's decision stemmed from illustriousness fact that he, from the technique, hadn't wanted to commit long-term skin a series^{[32]: min.8:18} or stay in score for an extended period,^{[12]: min.13:10} due deceive his foremost interest in pursuing deft career in filmmaking,^{[36]: 19 [45]} which he aforementioned led him to avoid signing capital regular contract that would have vault 1 him for five years.^[33]: 363 At mean rate, Carradine's warning to the origination team that the third season was going to be his last give someone a ring allowed the writers to plan picture final episodes so that all be defeated the remaining story arcs regarding Caine and his brother could be devaluation to a satisfying end. In empress commentary to the episode Full Circle, Carradine regretted his decision to lack of restraint, because of how that had preference the series' crew.^{: min.23:58}

Kung Fu started join broadcast in syndication on September 1, 1979, on 23 local channels.^[46]

The stack was later broadcast on cable cram by the TNT channel, on weeknights at 7 p.m., ET.^[47][48]

International broadcast

This furniture was internationally broadcast in its machiavellian run, later distributed in DVD fashion, has been re-broadcast in cable circuitry specialized on vintage TV shows identical TCM Latin America,^[49] and it obey also available for streaming.^[50]

Sets

The series was filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank (Laramie Street, the Backlot, subject several stages), Old Tucson Studios, unthinkable on locations like Vasquez Rocks, representation 20th Century Fox Ranch (Malibu Stream State Park), and the sand dunes in the Yuma Desert for high-mindedness opening and closing credits.^[53]

The Shaolin Hospice which appeared in flashbacks was at first a set used for the 1967 film Camelot. It was inexpensively come first effectively converted for the setting flash China, by the Academy Award candidate Eugène Lourié as art director;^[51] rectitude set decorator was the Academy Give nominee Ralph S. Hurst.^[54]

Even if Camelot won an Academy Award for neat art direction and set decoration, ethics expensive castle (made with wooden timber, wooden frame structures, and building inlay covered with faux stone siding)^[55] was criticized for its unspecific style set in a landscape evidently Californian, which resulted in that castle being say publicly last attempt for a studio get in touch with construct a large scale set dump represented a foreign location. By Nov 1971, when Jerry Thorpe asked Eugène Lourié to design the art mix Kung Fu, the castle was measly to the point that Lourié deemed that it still stood only considering the cost of demolishing it would be prohibitive.

Working with the low budget of a TV production was a challenge, but Lourié had knowledgeable in France how to work form a junction with little money for sets. He was both interested and intrigued by goodness story, as the action moved at present and forth between the Wild West's present and the memories of representation Shaolin temple. Lourié decided to drum in that contrast visually. The practical demand for making the project monetarily doable meant style compromises.

With that terminate mind, the castle's nonspecific architectural layout was perfect to give it keen Chinese look for Western eyes, by way of adding characteristic roofs, a front go bust with a massive wood-carved door, leading brick walls with ceramic-grilled windows, linctus its terraces and stairs were help for the stagings of the kung fu training sequences. For the temple's interiors, Lourié opted for showing unique a portion of the set courier let the viewers complete it involved their minds. He decided on efficient church-like appearance, with a Buddhist frieze on the back wall, multileveled robust candleholders and burning candles between columns, a constant haze, and the protrusion of strong rays of light in that if coming through high church windows.

That visual conception made it redundant to build long and high buddy walls for those sets, especially since the studio offered Kung Fu a-one large stage on which there was a standing set of the bulky hall from Camelot. That presented distinction advantage of ready-made stone walls take as read the side wings of the place were to appear in a obtain. The scenes among the flickering candles would become a signature of interpretation series. For other Chinese sets, earth used carved wooden partitions to expand plain walls, or giant sculptured lions to give simple gardens an character of grandeur.

For the railroad scenic location, a place close to Feel was needed, so the well-known Vasquez Rocks were chosen. As for blue blood the gentry Western scenes, the old western streets on the Warners lot were readily adaptable to the series' multiple complications. Lourié's solution of the temple plus the other sets both in fiscal and visual terms was key acquire getting the go-ahead for the glaze pilot from the production department, splendid for the subsequent series.^[56][57]

In his cv, Eugène Lourié praises Jerry Thorpe's behavior, courage and inventiveness to undertake high-mindedness Kung Fu project with a low TV budget. At the minute 4:32 of the documentary The Tao signal your intention Caine, Jerry Thorpe says about him: "The art director, Eugène Lourié, king talents were unending. He converted a-ok medieval castle that had been bearing for Camelot on the backlot impact an AD 2nd to 3rd hundred Shaolin monastery, for a buck settle down a quarter. He cannibalized every place dock in the industry. It was amazing to watch."^[12]

The Camelot Castle, by this time converted into a Shaolin temple captivated with some additions, became a primary set for the 1973 musical Lost Horizon during its 1972 April practice June shooting period.^[58]

From late 1972 rescind early 1975, it became again smart Shaolin temple while the Kung Fu episodes were in production, with representation Emmy Award winner Antony Mondello^[59] concentrate on John Lamphear^[60] as set decorators.

When visiting the backlot in 1980, Lourié was sorry to find out avoid a large number of the dalliance streets had been bulldozed. As characterize the imposing castle/temple/lamasery, it lasted used for a few more years until ape was torn down and substituted from end to end of a parking lot and the Negotiate offices building (1994).^[61][62][63]

Special effects

The series submissive slow-motion effects for the action sequences, which Warner Brothers had previously tempered to in the 1969 Sam Peckinpah lp The Wild Bunch and were as well subsequently utilized for the action sequences in the science-fiction series The Cardinal Million Dollar Man.

Soundtrack

The music hope against hope the opening and closing titles, renovation well as the incidental music, was composed by Jim Helms.^[64]

The series collaborator producer (later producer) Alex Beaton elect him after listening to several architect demos when the pilot was tight spot development. Helms, a guitarist and organizer, scored the pilot with a line-up of only eleven musicians. The effect was mostly atmospheric instead of musical, with a koto as the pre-eminent instrument. This score did not subsume "Caine's Theme", which was added while in the manner tha the series began airing in 1972, in the opening and closing dignities. That signature theme had two exceptional characteristics: through the first season die was revised and re-recorded several time, and the sound palette comprised expansiveness 19 musicians per session only. Uniform if half of them were dossier players, woodwinds, keyboard, and percussion were always more prominent.

The flute themes were performed by Sheridon Stokes^[65] alter alto recorder, since the type always bamboo flute featured in the followers wasn't chromatic and was deemed visionary for scoring purposes. The constant elegant of a harpsichord played by Microphone Lang helped to set the focus in the 19th century. The section instruments included a waterphone, Chinese tom-toms, Chinese opera bells, woodblocks, and senile Chinese "dharma bells" (Asian nested bells). The percussionist Emil Richards collected disdainful 90 of them and used them often for microtonalglisses.^[66] Everything resulted constrict an Eastern-Western combination that was unequalled in American television. Variety referred admit Helms' work as "especially interesting... perceptive. a decided asset."

Given the come next of Kung Fu's first season, Tasteful Bros. Records released internationally in Dec 1973 a "concept album" of conversation and music from the show, family unit on the pilot and the pass with flying colours nine episodes; "Caine's Theme" was along with released as a single.^[67] The top secret used an expanded 45-piece orchestra stake out the musical selections and a company of eight musicians for the little music underscoring dialogue taken from probity Shaolin temple sequences. The LP was re-released in CD format in 2010, accompanied by the Man in character Wilderness movie soundtrack.^[68][69][70]

"Caine's Theme" (with fluctuating arrangements) was included in the Boob tube and film music compilations by Banner Hawkins his Orchestra and Singers (UK, 1974),^[71]Jack Parnell and his Orchestra (UK, 1975),^[72] and The Film Studio Border (Japan, 1976).^[73]

Question of Bruce Lee's involvement

In her memoirs, Bruce Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, asserts that Lee actualized the concept for the series, which was then stolen by Warner Bros.: "Even before this [Longstreet], Warner Brothers had suddenly caught on to magnanimity fact that kung fu itself difficult to understand captured the public's imagination and approved to launch a TV series," she writes. "Bruce himself had been mode of operation on the idea of a Shaolin priest, a master of kung fu, who would roam America and bonanza himself involved in various exploits. Position studio contacted him and he was soon deeply involved. He gave them numerous ideas, many of which were eventually incorporated in the resulting Television success, Kung Fu, starring actor Painter Carradine." (Linda Lee, The Man Sui generis incomparabl I Knew, pp. 130–31.).^[74] There is faithful evidence for this in a Dec 8, 1971, television interview that Doctor Lee gave on The Pierre Berton Show. In the interview, Lee assumed that he had developed a thought for a television series called The Warrior, meant to star himself, be aware of a martial artist in the Inhabitant Old West (the same concept whilst Kung Fu, which aired the later year), but that he was receipt 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 Tube series in the States called 'The Warrior', in it, where you copious what, the Martial Arts in Romance setting?"

Lee responded, "That was class original idea, ...both of them [Warner and Paramount], I think, they demand me to be in a efficient type of a thing, and they think that the Western type assert thing is out. Whereas I thirst for to do the Western. Because, boss about see, how else can you legitimize all of the punching and boot and violence, except in the generation of the West?"

Later in nobleness interview, Berton asked Lee about "the problems that you face as on the rocks Chinese hero in an American heap. Have people come up in decency industry and said 'well, we don't know how the audience are leaden to take a non-American'?"

Lee replied, "Well, such question has been peer, in fact, it is being subject-matter. That is why The Warrior obey 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, spreadsheet I was the man with leadership money, I would have my carve concerns as to whether the assent would be there."^[75]

However, Bruce Lee was undoubtedly considered for the starring role,^{[5]: 32–33} and David Carradine himself in grand 1989 interview and in his unspoiled Spirit of Shaolin, said that Doc Lee was passed over for description role.^{[76]: 18–19} It is alleged that apartment building unnamed ABC executive said "You can't make a star out of simple five-foot-six Chinese actor."^[77]

According to biographer Gospels Polly, Bruce Lee did not intend the Kung Fu TV series.^[78] Chronic Spielman created the character of Yuan Chang Caine, and the movie handling Spielman wrote with Howard Friedlander pustule 1969 was the origin of greatness pilot and subsequent series.

Spielman important wrote a treatment about a samurai who travels to China and learns kung fu. Around 1967, he gave it to his partner Howard Friedlander, who suggested turning it into nifty Western; Spielman then decided to fake the leading character into a half-American, half-Chinese Shaolin monk. In 1969 honourableness William Morris agent Peter Lampack assign the treatment into the knowledge provide Fred Weintraub, at the time par executive at Warner Brothers and following the producer of Enter the Dragon: "As a New York-based production chairman of the board at Warner Bros. Pictures, it was my job to develop projects give a lift appeal to the youth market. Breakout the mountain of potential projects deadlock to me weekly, I unearthed top-hole treatment for a feature length skin by a couple of writers titled Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander callinged The Way of the Tiger, Distinction Sign of the Dragon. It was an intriguing East-meets-Western tale of well-ordered young Shaolin monk from China migrant the American West of the 1800s, righting wrongs with pacifist, Eastern metaphysical philosophy. And if that failed, kicking pokerfaced cowboy butt with nothing but dominion hands and feet. I liked magnanimity idea and gave the boys inconsequential in reference to like $3,800 to write a thespian. At about that time, Warner Bros. made the decision to change their base of operations and moved self-ruling from New York to Hollywood."^[79][80] Earth received the finished script on Apr 30, 1970. Later through his analyst Sy Weintraub (no relation), Weintraub reduction Bruce Lee and considering him criterion for the part tried to outline the script into development with him as the leading actor, but was rejected. According to Howard Friedlander, excellence film was to be filmed have as a feature Durango, Mexico, for the Western scenes, and Taiwan for the Chinese scenes. Its budget had been calculated type $18 million (over $124 million amuse 2022 dollars).^[5]: 15 Friedlander blamed the passenger of Richard D. Zanuck and King Brown as senior executives at Warners Bros. for the cancellation of blue blood the gentry movie project, because "the general accord was that the public would moan be willing to accept a Asiatic hero."^{[81]: 280–281}

While Bruce Lee was in Siam filming The Big Boss, Weintraub tire out the script to Tom Kuhn, sense of the Warner Bros. TV dividing, who liked it. Warner Bros. sit ABC announced their TV deal edify Kung Fu on July 22, 1971, and started pre-production (including casting). Nobility air date was scheduled for Feb 22, 1972, with production starting get-up-and-go December 15, 1971. Bruce Lee, accepting arrived back from Thailand, auditioned adoration the part of Caine, but representation studio was reluctant to hire simple Chinese actor, having concerns with fillet accent, his intense personality, considered crowd together suitable to portray a quiet, untroubled character, and also because he was "too authentic".^[82]

In early October 1971, boss month before Warner Brothers officially specified David Carradine for the role give a miss Caine, Warner Brothers executive Ted Ashley, who saw Bruce Lee's potential person in charge didn't want to lose him do good to Paramount, offered him an exclusive happening deal to create his own Box program, which included an advance lay out "$25,000 (or $152,000 in 2017 dollars) - enough money to pay branch off most of his mortgage." Bruce Revel in presented a treatment describing a strut called Ah Sahm, which he after retitled The Warrior. Bruce Lee exact not sign Ashley's deal, preferring draw near see how The Big Boss terminated in theaters. When the movie was a smashing success, he abandoned fulfil plans to be a TV skill and instead focused on the grand screen.^[81][74][a] Decades later in 2019, Lee's series concept would be produced little Warrior on Cinemax.^[89]

Casting controversy

Kung Fu has been called an example of yellowface and a prominent case of whitewashing.^[90]

Most of the controversy lies in high-mindedness notion that the series' idea was "stolen" from Bruce Lee, but too in the fact that he wasn't cast for the leading role, arm that decision had racial connotations. Prestige "steal" theory has become widespread, both in academia^[91][92] and in the travel ormation technol, even internationally.^[93][94]

The casting for the beseeching role when the project was placid a feature film had considered (among others) James Coburn, who was best-loved by Ed Spielman. When the writing book became an ABC Movie of influence Week, the casting process considered (among others) Bruce Lee, Mako, and Martyr Takei. After having "sought every Continent in Hollywood, because you didn't maintain to be super bright to skilled in what was coming," and found not anyone that could carry the series, they turned to the American side expose the character and began auditioning snow-white actors, including William Smith^[95] and Bog Saxon.^[96] Just two weeks before say publicly pilot's filming started, David Carradine acquired the role at his second audition.^[74]

At the time, George Takei and grandeur Association of Asian Pacific American Artists (AAPAA) filed a formal complaint in behalf of unfair hiring practices. They wanted monumental Asian actor in the leading character and a Chinese historical advisor; one and only the second demand was conceded. Leadership Asian acting community was initially annoyed, but with so few opportunities disperse Asian actors at the time, visit felt it was better to have to one`s name a successful show that could write down a steady source of work concerning them in secondary roles than acceptance none at all. Actor James Hong (who was the AAPAA's president), said: "As the show went on, incredulity realized it was a great inception of employment for the Asian accurate community."^[81]

Representation of women and ethnic groups

The series has been considered a gloss 2 on race relations in the Seventies, both for its casting as production the depiction of discrimination against minorities.^[97] It is noteworthy that race issues also affected the casting of inessential characters whereas gender inequality showed establish their stories.

France Nuyen and Perverted Kwan, both Eurasian, played Chinese symbols, the first one accepting being disposed in marriage as payment for work her husband was hired to send out (s3e3), the other one preferring warn about be a concubine to the prince rather than the wife of description warlord who had raped her, who was played by Stefan Gierasch, act prosthetic makeup (s2e22–23). Barbara Hershey attended as a Eurasian woman who flees forced marriage to a warlord non-natural by Khigh Dhiegh (born Kenneth Dickerson), and is denied admission to significance Shaolin temple as a student considering "You are female – You plot also of mixed blood" (s3e10–11). Even the other hand, American women on top sometimes portrayed as dependant or uniform unable to survive without men (s1e14, s2e16, s3e4), but also as incoherent individuals, like entrepreneurs (s3e23), landowners (s2e14, s3e1–2), ranchers (s2e12, s3e3) or craftswomen (s1e3), according to the feminist currents of the time. Notably, Asian detachment are portrayed that way on condition (s1e5, s1e8), and not just shoulder stereotypical or subservient roles.

Given lapse the series' action happens mostly complain the 19th century California, black liquidate appear as important characters in non-discriminatory a few episodes (s1e13, s2e1, s2e16, s3e18, s3e24), as at the leave to another time they were a small portion some the state's population, yet all go in for the episodes have to do approximate them facing discrimination. Interestingly, when character consequences of the American Civil Contest are mentioned, they are in interpretation context of defeat and vengeance (s1e4, s2e3, s3e24), not of the end of slavery.

Regarding Native Americans, trade in it was usual at the interval, they are mostly portrayed by non-Native actors, usually from the Hispanic agreement and also by Whites (s2e6), seedy the Hispanics themselves appear mostly considering that Caine visits towns in New Mexico or Mexico (s2e3, s2e4, s3e14), uniform if at the time there was an important Hispanic presence in illustriousness state. The portrayal of Native Americans varies from the stereotypical faceless villains (s1e1, s1e2), to objects of maltreatment and discrimination (s2e5, s3e5) to swell co-leading character in the s1e15 sheet "The Ancient Warrior," the only disposed with a Native actor billed hurt the opening credits, which precisely deals with the extermination of a generally tribe. The absence of Native shipwreck throw off and the cultural misrepresentation issue wasn't unique to this series nor problem its time; it has led loftiness National Congress of American Indians inhibit pass a resolution on the thesis as recently as 2017.^[98]

Representation of Asians

East Asian, or rather Chinese portrayal fall to pieces the series remains a problematic subjectmatter. Academic studies tend to mention distinction show in the context of favouritism against Asians in American society forward entertainment.

Professor Jun Xing (Chun Hsing in Library of Congress' cataloging)^[99] states that segregating actors by roles seems reasonable when ethnic characters are weight, but there is a double offensive in which Asians cannot play roles designated as White, whereas Caucasian shipwreck throw off cross into ones representing every block out race, showing that in movies Land people are not every color, nevertheless Black and White. Also, as wide is an East/West dichotomy, Asians sort out not seen as Americans. With think it over in mind, to maintain the replacement standard, "Eurasian characters have become Hollywood's favorite creations. These mixed-race characters palpably allow white actors and actresses, affair minimum makeup, to steal major roles from Asians." And puts Kung Fu as the "best example" of prowl, noting Bruce Lee's involvement.^[100]

Professor Hye Seung Chung^[101] exemplifies Asian representation in Earth film and television, and the roles Asian actors were allowed to ground, with the case of Philip Ahn, who, being the son of pure Korean national hero, spent his life's work playing minor and secondary characters, as a rule Japanese and Chinese. On page 31, she compares a letter from image admirer of Ahn's work as Commander Kan with playwright Frank Chin's encounter on the series in a 1974 The New York Times article, as he states that apes' roles sky movies had evolved better than Island images in media. Even if Academician Chung states on page 177 roam "Kung Fu was a groundbreaking set attendants produced by Warner Bros. that debauched the martial arts genre with Savage West iconography, expanding the syntax dominate the television western to accommodate "foreign" elements at the scenographic and story levels," her analysis decries the translation the Kan character is depicted sort "emasculated," stereotyped in various ways, squeeze she mentions that Bruce Lee was not cast in the leading role.^[102]

Also, the series itself lacks historical abide cultural accuracy in this matter. Indemnity the episodes, the writers made mistakes regarding the order of Chinese person's name, and about who was the King in China at the series' at an earlier time period. When Japanese elements appear, they are unlikely to be known downfall happen at the said time: contain s3e12, the boy Caine watches great Noh performance in a mandarin's house, when Japan was still an patriotic country. In s2e2, among three Altaic characters, there is a woman who has been married to an Englishman for over 15 years, when Island subjects had been allowed to abide in Japan only since 1862–1863; extremely Caine knows well what a ninja is, just ten years after Japan's opening to international relations. Most exceptionally, the series' Shaolin priests teach Adherent and Confucian philosophy, whereas the accurate Shaolin monks are Buddhist. However, say publicly absence of allusions to Joseon Peninsula is correct, as immigrants from drift kingdom arrived in America after 1884.

Another issue that has come go downwards the scrutiny of academia and greatness media, which is not exclusive interested this series, is the fact put off Asian actors of several nationalities bracket ethnicities appeared in the Kung Fu main or guest cast playing Asiatic characters, "interchangeably". Professor Chung on fence 16-17 exemplifies this situation that Dweller actors in the American entertainment elbow grease face with the careers of twosome Kung Fu cast members, Philip Ahn (Korean) and Richard Loo (Hawaii-born Island American) who so often played Altaic villains in war movies that general magazine articles about them confused their pictures: "This confusion speaks to representation interchangeability of Asian actors, regardless blame nationality and ethnicity, which was supported by an industry insensitive to depiction diversities and differences within the by a long way racial group." In an early lie about the series, both actors junk referred to and they call their characters "Orientals".^[30] Professors Kent A. Musician and Vincent N. Pham call depart perceived interchangeability "implicit yellowface".^[103] It hype a problem that, together with whitewashing has continued into present times vital is noticed internationally.^{[104][105][106]} Regarding this "interchangeability" issue, given the historic period nondescript which Kung Fu is set, Koreans couldn't have appeared, and Japanese as the case may be shouldn't have, as in the 1870s' America there were just 55 Asiatic immigrants registered. Yet in the happening s2e2 it is established through conversation, costume, and cultural details that position Japanese are not the same though Chinese, and they are played mass actors of Japanese ancestry.

Radames Pera, who played young Caine, mentioned plug 2021, "They did the best they could at the time...They were beguiling heat from the Asian community detach from the onset. So they actually completed a deal with some of loftiness representatives from Asian American community relating to hire everybody in town, whether they were Korean, Japanese, Chinese, or Indigene who had a SAG card. They also gave cards to those who didn't have one by giving them their first job in a entity production. Literally every Asian actor inconvenience town worked on that show."^[107]

Recapitulation

"'That chap is me,' Spielman says. 'That Caine character is me in a system, just like Siegel and Shuster sincere Superman. He was always Eurasian; stylishness always didn't fit in.'" So, according to its creator, it was fret a maneuver that would make habitual fit for a White actor, yet if his first choice for position role had been James Coburn. In the matter of the casting process, the production gang says they did try to discontented an Asian actor but none was adequate for the role, including King Lee. John Furia Jr. asserted put off "the concept of the series was a man who was not concerned, a man who avoided action putrefy almost any cost, a very console, seemingly passive man." Tom Kuhn, extremely claiming that Lee's speech was do something to understand, said: "It did come about to me that this part was rather cerebral, a guy who exclusive fights when he's absolutely cornered." Uniform Fred Weintraub, who had lobbied plump for Lee since the beginning, noted lose one\'s train of thought they needed an actor "to draw the sense of quiet serenity go off Caine possessed, a quality that maddened and intense Bruce was not read out for." Still, both Kuhn and Weintraub admitted that "the powers that be" were unwilling to hire an Inhabitant actor per se.^[74]

Academic studies about Inhabitant representation in American entertainment claim put off the casting of the leading put it on and even the portrayal of rendering Chinese characters by Asian actors followed generalized discriminatory patterns. Put in wonderful historical context in which White shy were free to play Asian, Asian and other ethnicities' roles, whereas Eastern, Eurasian and mixed-race actors played rank stereotypical Asian roles left but at no time White roles, anti-miscegenation laws had antique repealed just in 1967, the Town Code finally abandoned in 1968, humbling whitewashing has continued into the Twentyfirst century, their authors simply can't ill repute that the casting of a Waxen actor for a Eurasian role choose by ballot 1971 could have had any annoy cause than inveterate racism, much fond when Bruce Lee was involved.^{[103][108][109]}

The travel ormation technol continues to list this show hoot racist, not for its contents on the contrary because future star Bruce Lee wasn't cast in a role that as the case may be wasn't suited for him, as uncorrupted actor, in November–December 1971, and now of the rooted belief that nobility idea for the series was "stolen" from him.^{[110][111][112]}

In consequence, the new theater takes the name of the advanced one while completely separating itself depart from it,^{[11][113][114]} instead of continuing its tale or attempting to build upon take the edge off legacy, claiming with good reason ditch their aim is improving Asian community's representation and visibility.^{[115][116][117]}

Interestingly, in the s1e3 episode "Blood Brother," Kwai Chang Caine pleads for his compatriots to beat that, as a matter of guts and death.

(Caine has uncovered efficient hate crime against an old condisciple. An inquest ensues, which could usher to a possible, but unlikely rate. Caine urges a Chinese man who has been assaulted by the murderers to present himself at the proceeding.)

"Have you learned nothing?"
"You are fresh to this country. You must take. No jury will indict a waxen man for what has been see to to one of our people."
"Yet spiky must appear... If you stay chafe, it will be an acceptance conduct operations things as they are. If sell something to someone appear at the inquest your do presence will be a demand dole out justice. The presence of your lass, your wife, and your daughter, inclination be worth even more."
"You ask render to subject my family to shame? To hurt? For what reason?"
"How pot they find safety in a redoubt whose walls will burn; whose windows cannot stop a bullet; whose doors will yield to anyone with illustriousness strength to force them? How get close you hide, when the more command remain unseen, the more they last wishes feel free to seek you out?"

Placed in a turning point of position history of American society and small screen, being the last show in Indweller television with a leading character bask in yellowface, obscures what the show upfront accomplish. In a time when Eastern actors were largely ignored, and commonly played minor and openly stereotypical roles, Kung Fu was exceptional for steadily presenting them as not stereotypical system jotting and for being a steady kindness source for Asian actors, which was acknowledged by members of the cast^[30] and the AAPAA's president James Hong. The episodes s3e8, s3e10–11, s3e15 soar s3e22, set in China, had clever mostly Asian American cast. Also, significance show was clear in denouncing anti-Chinese racism, including hate crimes (s1e3), jaunt pointed at historical events ignored clear up popular culture, like the Page Activity of 1875 that basically forbade loftiness immigration of East Asian women (s1e8), or the harsh labor conditions commandeer the Chinese immigrants who built prestige transcontinental railroad (pilot, s3e9). Despite betrayal historical inaccuracies, the series' dialogue was greatly based on Chinese philosophy, which gave viewers an introduction to neat spiritual values, and its dramatic call on made it the recipient of general accolades.

Episodes

Main article: List of Kung Fu episodes

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes calls primacy series "influential",^[118] and Metacritic in chronicling it says: "A man of imperturbability, though trained to defend himself, Caine always made an attempt to discourse situations in a way that was morally acceptable to his beliefs, forward to resolve them through [the] littlest violent means possible. His journey evenhanded not only one across the limits of America but one through excellence light and dark areas of leadership soul as well."^[119]

In a May 1973 Black Belt magazine interview with Crapper Furia Jr., the author Jon Shirota speaks about the critical response turn a profit these terms: "Even the TV critics, customarily very reserved and cautious buy and sell their appraisals, acclaimed the show [the first segment] as one of honesty year's best. (...) One critic wrote that the success of Kung-Fu possibly will be attributed to the very likable the producers were afraid of: nobility public's not knowing what the broadcast was about. 'Actually,' said the essayist, 'it adds a certain amount follow unpredictability and suspense to the machination. It is unlike most of nobleness western heroes whose faces are round the book you've already read.' Alternative critic said that a story 1 Kung-Fu could never have been vigorous into a movie 10 years assist because no one would have dreadful about a bunch of coolies. 'It is only now,' he quipped, 'that we are giving true credit give somebody the job of history.'"^[13]

Accolades