Kung Fu (1972) (TV)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Jerry Thorpe

Writers:

Howard Friedlander (writer)
Ed Spielman (story)

Release Date:

22 February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Action

Plot:

After avenging the death of his teacher, a Shaolin monk flees China to the American West and helps people while being pursued by bounty hunters.

Plot Keywords:

Shaolin | Shaolin Monk | Kung Fu | Caucasian Actor Playing Asian Character | Shaolin Temple

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

David Carradine	...	Caine
Barry Sullivan	...	Dillon
Albert Salmi	...	Raif
Wayne Maunder	...	McKay
Benson Fong	...	Han Fei
Richard Loo	...	Master Sun
Keye Luke	...	Master Po
Philip Ahn	...	Master Kan
Victor Sen Yung	...	Chuen
Robert Ito	...	Fong
James Hong	...	Hsiang
Radames Pera	...	Young Caine
Roy Jenson	...	Fuller
John Leoning	...	Master Teh
David Chow	...	Little Monk

Also Known As:

The Warrior (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

According to Bruce Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, the concept of the Kung Fu series was conceived by Bruce, and met with the producers for countless hours to shape the show. But the producers did not offer the role to Bruce Lee since they did not feel that the American audience (at that time) would accept a Chinese actor as a lead, therefore looked for a Caucasian actor to fill the role.

Quotes:

Caine: Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the present?
Master Po: If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Tao of Caine: Production and Beyond (2003) (V)

A fine television series.

Warner Brothers shows that in the 70's you didn't need a hospital, courtroom nor police station set to create great drama. And compared to the so-called "reality" drek that's pervaded the airwaves over the last several years, one almost wishes it was the 1970s all over again.

How do "Survivor", "American Idol", "Big Brother", "The Simple Life" and even the somewhat more high-budgeted "Law & Order" franchise compete with shows like "Kung Fu"? Watching the stories unfold with high production values one becomes puzzled how the "reality" genre ever got a toehold.

David Carradine, the well seasoned actor, gives us a monastic Shao Lin outcast in search of refuge and family. The best performances come from all, but I found myself liking Master Po the best, played by the late great Keye Luke Nitpicking; I would've shot it somewhat differently, and I'm not sure I would've cast Carradine in the role, but, given the character that needed to be portrayed I'm at a loss of who else could've done the job. Carradine is a capable actor who brings us a character (to paraphrase Kwai-Chan) seeks not answers, but only to "understand the questions." If only all humankind had such wisdom.

Thankfully Kwai Chan's exploits and insights, and those of his teachers, have been forever preserved on three DVD sets :-) Carradine's character wanders the countrysides of Cathay and and a century old United States in a Western-leaning genre of drama and action.