Kung fu 1970s tv series how to#
Kung fu 1970s tv series full#
Kung fu 1970s tv series series#
Kung fu 1970s tv series tv#

Kung fu 1970s tv series full#

The young Caine was played by Radames Pera who portrayed the character with an innocence and wonder that helped bring the character full circle.

Kung fu 1970s tv series series#

This aspect of the series made the psychological and spiritual impact all the more effective and resonant. Caine would use these teachings to solve problems and as a guide to find his way out of his predicaments. Flashbacks were used to link Kwai Chang CaineвЂ™s new adventures to his past as he remembered the many lessons about life taught to him by his Masters Po and Kan (Philip Ahn). While the slow motion Peckinpah inspired action sequences were exciting and filled with amazing fight choreography (David Chow: pilot & 1st half and Kam Yuen: 2nd half of series), Kung Fu had another layer which was equally important to the overall story. Kwai Chang Caine and the Ancient Warrior (Chief Dan George) The story utilized many supernatural and psychedelic effects with Caine actually battling an evil form of himself via hallucination. Caine must deal with the intense family drama while defending himself against a deadly band of assassins led by the diabolical Han Su Lok (Clyde Kusatsu) who are out to kill him for the murder of the EmperorвЂ™s nephew. They are played by Season Hubley and Edward Albert. In one of the most memorable two part episodes entitled вЂњBlood of the DragonвЂќ, Caine finds that his grandfather (played by Dean Jagger in the episode вЂњDark AngelвЂќ) had a child with a cruel woman (Patricia Neal) and he has cousins from that union he never knew about. Audiences loved seeing the traditional Western genre injected with the new, thrilling Asian fighting style. The main theme of Kung Fu had the soft spoken and peaceful yet immensely powerful Caine using his extraordinary martial arts skills to defend himself and innocents caught in deadly situations.

Kung fu 1970s tv series tv#

With Caine wanted for murder, he had a price on his head forcing him to continuously move from place to place and evade capture (clearly inspired by another TV show, The Fugitive). On his trek he meets a myriad of people across all walks of life. When Caine arrives in the Western frontier of the 1870s, he begins traveling on foot (with his wooden flute in tow) searching for his half brother Danny Caine. In 1972, the series produced by Warner Brothers did cast David Carradine in the lead role of Kwai Chang Caine, the half Chinese-American Shaolin priest from Hunan province who, after killing the EmperorвЂ™s nephew to avenge the murder of his Master Po (Keye Luke) flees China for America. Hong also stated: вЂњCarradine had a good relationship with the Asian community.вЂќ James Hong (actor on the show and ex-president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists): вЂњif they were going to do a so-called Asian hero on Kung Fu, then why donвЂ™t they hire an Asian actor to play the lead? But then the show went on, we realized that it was a great source of employment for the Asian acting communityвЂќ. And on top of being an accomplished athlete and actor, David could dance.вЂќ

Kung fu 1970s tv series how to#

One of JapanвЂ™s foremost Karate champions used to say that the only qualification that was needed to be trained in the martial arts was that you had to know how to dance. Producer Ed Spielman: вЂњI liked David in the part. But there was some disagreement because the network was interested in a more muscular actor and the studio was interested in getting Bruce Lee.вЂќ Producer Harvey Frand: вЂњDavid Carradine was always our first choice to play Caine. The series which became Kung Fu certainly sounded like BruceвЂ™s The Warrior idea and according to producers and actors, Bruce was considered for the lead role but it didnвЂ™t work out: With his fame on the rise and starring roles in Way of The Dragon (written, produced, directed by Lee), Enter The Dragon (his breakout smash) and Game of Death, Lee had also come up with an idea for a new US TV series he pitched entitled вЂњThe WarriorвЂќ, about an Asian man wandering through the Old West and using his kung fu skills to take on villains he encountered.