The Movie Bruce Lee Almost Made Instead Of Way Of The Dragon
Before The Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee almost starred in a different movie. During his career, Lee headlined five kung fu pictures, four of which being in Hong Kong. His third movie, The Way of the Dragon, is widely regarded as one of the best entries in the martial arts genre of all time. Though it doesn’t have the reputation of Enter the Dragon, it holds a special place in the actor’s legacy.
1972’s The Way of the Dragon is known as the only movie that Lee wrote, directed, and starred in. Lee’s story took his character to Rome, Italy, where his goal was to protect a Chinese restaurant from gangsters trying to force them out of business. The movie’s ending, which took place in the Colosseum, featured a one-on-one final battle between Bruce Lee and then-unknown Chuck Norris. The fight between the Hong Kong superstar and the American karate champion, which raged on for ten minutes, remains the most memorable part of the entire film. In fact, it’s one of the most talked-about fight scenes in the history of martial arts movies.
Related: Bruce Lee's First Hollywood Job Was A Dean Martin Movie (But Not As An Actor)
It was claimed in Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly that The Way of the Dragon almost didn’t become a reality. Hong Kong studio Golden Harvest, which had made both The Big Boss and Fist of Fury with Lee, originally intended for him to make A Man Called Tiger (also known asYellow-Faced Tiger) as his third picture. Lee was to play a martial artist who suffered from jaundice, which was the reason for his nickname, “Yellow Faced Tiger”. The plan was for Lee to once again be teamed with director Lo Wei, who had helmed his last two movies.
Not long after accepting the starring role in A Man Called Tiger, Lee began to
Read more on screenrant.com
