Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)

Director:

Rob Cohen

Writers (WGA):

Robert Clouse (book)
Linda Lee Cadwell (book)
(more)

Release Date:

7 May 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The Mystery. The Life. The Love. The Legend

Plot:

A lionized account of the life of the martial arts superstar.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Demon | Green Hornet | Hong Kong | Kung Fu

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jason Scott Lee	...	Bruce Lee
Lauren Holly	...	Linda Lee
Robert Wagner	...	Bill Krieger
Michael Learned	...	Vivian Emery
Nancy Kwan	...	Gussie Yang
Kay Tong Lim	...	Philip Tan
Ric Young	...	Bruce's Father
Luoyong Wang	...	Yip Man
Sterling Macer Jr.	...	Jerome Sprout
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	The Demon
John Cheung	...	Johnny Sun
Ong Soo Han	...	Luke Sun
Eric Bruskotter	...	Joe Henderson
Aki Aleong	...	Principal Elder
Chao Li Chi	...	Elder
Sam Hau	...	Young Bruce
Iain M. Parker	...	Brandon Lee
Michelle Tennant	...	Shannon Lee
Clyde Kusatsu	...	History Teacher
Alicia Tao	...	April Chun
Kong Kwok Keung	...	Mr. Ho
Johnny Cheung	...	Chef
Anthony Carpio	...	Chef
Tat Kwong Chan	...	Chef
John Lacy	...	Nunnemacher
Harry Stanback	...	Benny Sayles
Michael Cudlitz	...	Tad Overton
Forry Smith	...	Green Hornet
Sean Stanek	...	Assistant Director
Van Williams	...	Green Hornet Director
Alan Eugster	...	Propman
Paul Raci	...	Bad Guy
Ed Parker Jr.	...	Ed Parker
Shannon Lee	...	Party Singer
Robert Garrett	...	Krieger's Butler
Lala Sloatman	...	Sherry Schnell
Fu Suk Han	...	Cha Cha Dancer
Nick Brandon	...	Boatswain
Louis Turenne	...	Maitre D'
Paul Mantee	...	Doctor
Jonathan Penner	...	Studio Executive
Jan Solomita	...	Heckler
Shannon Uno	...	Heckler
Rob Cohen	...	Enter the Dragon Director
Lau Pak Lam	...	Big Boss Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Holt	...	Head Cheerleader (uncredited)
Mark King	...	Boatswain (uncredited)
Johnny Mask	...	Party Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Cohen

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Clouse		(book "Bruce Lee: The Biography")
Linda Lee Cadwell		(book "Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew")
Edward Khmara		(screenplay) and
John Raffo		(screenplay) and
Rob Cohen		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Badham	....	executive producer
Kelly Breidenbach	....	associate producer
Raffaella De Laurentiis	....	producer
Hester Hargett	....	associate producer
Rick Nathanson	....	co-producer
Charles Wang	....	associate producer
Dan York	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Edelman

Cinematography by
David Eggby

Film Editing by
Peter Amundson

Production Design by
Bob Ziembicki

Art Direction by
Ted Berner

Set Decoration by
Dayna Lee

Costume Design by
Carol Ramsey

Makeup Department
James Ryder	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Wan Allen	....	unit manager
Raffaella De Laurentiis	....	unit production manager
Philip Lee	....	production manager: Hong Kong

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herb Gains	....	first assistant director
Hester Hargett	....	second second assistant director
Chitra F. Mojtabai	....	second assistant director
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Matthew W. Davis	....	set dresser
Christopher Gilman	....	props
Kevin Hughes	....	property master
Dorn Merrill Kennison	....	painter
Cathy Mantych	....	set dresser
Dan Spaulding	....	set dresser
John Stone	....	construction foreman
Rick Toone	....	leadman
Stella Vaccaro	....	assistant art director
Helen Wilson	....	upholsterer
Cole Young	....	carpenter
Mak Chi Chung	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Michele Spadaro	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Franklin Bergad	....	sound editor
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Tom Hartig	....	boom operator
Barbara McBane	....	sound editor
Marnie Moore	....	foley artist
Jennifer Myers	....	foley artist
Steve Nelson	....	sound mixer
John Nutt	....	supervising sound editor
Margie O'Malley	....	foley artist
Robert Polich	....	boom operator: U.S.
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
Reinhard Stergar	....	production sound mixer
Eric Thompson	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
William H. Schirmer	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
David Emerson	....	optical lineup
Peter Kuran	....	special visual effects supervisor
Kevin O'Neill	....	visual effects supervisor
Pam Vick	....	rotoscope animation: VCE

Stunts
Cal Bartlett	....	stunt coordinator (as Calvin Bartlett)
Jeff Cadiente	....	stunts
Darryl Chan	....	stunt double
Ching Wai Chung	....	stunts
Doc Elliot	....	stunts
John 'Doc' Elliott	....	stunts
Dane Farwell	....	stunts
Al Goto	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunts
Peter Lai	....	stunts
Steven Lambert	....	stunt coordinator
Will Leong	....	stunt double
Chad Randall	....	stunts
Danny Wong	....	stunts
Merritt Yohnka	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Dhamarata Dhiensuwana	....	rigging key grip
Robert Driskell	....	gaffer
Robert Driskell	....	rigging gaffer
Buzz Feitshans IV	....	additional photographer
Craig Finetti	....	assistant camera
Charley Gilleran	....	best boy grip
Raymond Gonzales	....	best boy grip
Michael L. May	....	assistant camera
Mark O'Kaine	....	Steadicam operator
Charles Smith	....	dolly grip: Los Angeles
Thaddeus Wadleigh	....	key grip
Paul Wilkowsky	....	grip
Ron Cicero	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Susanna Griffith	....	casting assistant
Mia Levinson	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marisa Aboitiz	....	set costumer
Pierre Bohanna	....	phantom costume modeler

Editorial Department
David Tweet	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Elton Ahi	....	scoring engineer
Stuart Balcomb	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Randy Edelman	....	conductor
Randy Edelman	....	orchestrator
Ling Ling Li	....	assistant music editor
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Robert Randles	....	composer: additional music
Robert Randles	....	music editor
Dennis S. Sands	....	orchestra engineer
Masakazu Yoshizawa	....	musician: shakauhachi flute

Transportation Department
Ted Basso	....	production van driver operator
Lonnie Craig	....	driver

Other crew
Jeanie Daniels	....	assistant accountant
Linda Fox	....	production assistant
Jack W. Haddox	....	production auditor
Daniel Hadl	....	assistant to producer
Deirdre Horgan	....	script supervisor (as Deirdre Horgan Aska)
Fran Joseph	....	choreographer: Jeet Kune Do
Steve O'Corr	....	production liaison
Jerry Poteet	....	choreographer: Jeet Kune Do
Jerry Poteet	....	technical advisor
Jerry Poteet	....	trainer: Jeet Kune Do
George Tan	....	researcher

Thanks
Brandon Lee	....	dedicated to the memory of

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Salon Films  camera equipment provided by
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

Runtime:

120 min | UK:119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

When Linda tells Bruce that she's pregnant, a band is visible in the background. The lead singer of this band is played by Shannon Lee, the real-life daughter who is the result of the pregnancy. The role for Bruce Lee was first offered to his real-life son Brandon Lee, who declined.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In the nightmare sequence at the martial arts school, a slightly low-angled two-shot of Lee and the armoured warrior shows a large boom mic dangling through the mist above their heads.

Quotes:

Bruce Lee: Emotion can be the enemy.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Hong Kong Cha Cha

A BIO-PIC OF CONSIDERABLE ARTISTIC MERIT.

I had severe misgivings when I heard about the making of this movie. Too many deplorable attempts had been made by tenth-rate Hong Kong movie-makers over the years at portraying Lee's remarkable life that another one,even an American one, seemed to promise more of the same.How wrong I was,"DRAGON" is a remarkably well made biopic made by people who obviously had genuine respect for their legendary subject.This respect,however, did not prevent them from embellishing aspects of Lee's life and experiences with elements that were exaggerated and sometimes hokey.This is true of most biopics though and "DRAGON" is not the worst offender.The movie stands and falls by the performance of Jason Scott Lee and what he achieves here is quite extraordinary and under-rated.Although he does not look very much like the late martial arts maestro,he has captured his charisma and gestures,even the voice down to a tee.His handling of the fight sequences is perhaps the weakest element in his portrayal,relying as it does on too much showy acrobatics.He does enough though,as everyone involved does,to illustrate what it was about Lee that made him one of the key figures of twentieth century pop culture.It is sad that Scott Lee himself seems so far unable to progress very far from this very promising lead in a major studio picture.We can only hope that this changes soon as he proved to be a personable lead here and in one or two other movies.