ENTER THE DRAGON ENTER THE DRAGON Bruce Lee fighting with Jackie Chan Date: 1973. Strictly editorial use only in conjunction with the promotion of the film. Credit line mandatory. This image is copyright of the film company and is supplied under the terms of issue as film still. No commercial or book cover use permitted without prior consent from the film company. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Mandatory credit line: Image courtesy Warner Bros / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans
ENTER THE DRAGON ENTER THE DRAGON Bruce Lee fighting with Jackie Chan Date: 1973. Strictly editorial use only in conjunction with the promotion of the film. Credit line mandatory. This image is copyright of the film company and is supplied under the terms of issue as film still. No commercial or book cover use permitted without prior consent from the film company. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Mandatory credit line: Image courtesy Warner Bros / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans
ENTER THE DRAGON ENTER THE DRAGON Bruce Lee fighting with Jackie Chan Date: 1973. Strictly editorial use only in conjunction with the promotion of the film. Credit line mandatory. This image is copyright of the film company and is supplied under the terms of issue as film still. No commercial or book cover use permitted without prior consent from the film company. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Mandatory credit line: Image courtesy Warner Bros / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans
ENTER THE DRAGON ENTER THE DRAGON Bruce Lee fighting with Jackie Chan Date: 1973. Strictly editorial use only in conjunction with the promotion of the film. Credit line mandatory. This image is copyright of the film company and is supplied under the terms of issue as film still. No commercial or book cover use permitted without prior consent from the film company. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Mandatory credit line: Image courtesy Warner Bros / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans
When talking about Bruce Lee, it’s hard to overstate Lee’s contribution to action cinema. The Jeet Kune Do founder revolutionized how Hollywood portrayed martial arts when he created Enter the Dragon with Warner Brothers. However, the film that gave him overnight fame in Hong Kong and Hollywood was The Big Boss. Legendary Hong Kong director Lo Wei directed the 1971 film starring Lee. Following the film, Lo Wei and Lee jockeyed in the press to claim the credit for its success.
However, while talking to reporters, Lo Wei once made an astonishing revelation that enraged the Little Dragon. After reading it in the newspapers, the legendary martial artist confronted the director in front of the filming crew, which included the now Honorary Oscar winner, Jackie Chan. Matthew Polly wrote about the incident in his book Bruce Lee: A Life.
The revelation that enraged Bruce Lee
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Since their early meetings, conflict brewed between Lee and the Hong Kong director. While Lee had a clear vision of what he wanted to show on screen, Lo Wei had a habit of scribbling together a rough screenplay. Such discrepancies happened in every project the duo worked on. So when Lo Wei told reporters he had taught Bruce Lee how to fight in front of the camera, the Little Phoenix confronted him.
via Getty
Chinese American martial artist and actor Bruce Lee on the set of Enter the Dragon, directed by Robert Clouse. (Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“You called yourself ‘The Dragon’s mentor,'” yelled the martial arts legend as he walked up to Wei. However, Wei immediately backed down and said, “I never said I taught you how to fight.” Despite his explanation, the JKD founder didn’t back down. “I only said I showed you how to fight for the cameras. The skill, the talent, that’s yours, Bruce,” added the filmmaker.
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Jackie Chan and the others began feeling uncomfortable because it seemed Wei’s words had no effect. Only when Wei’s wife, Gladys Lo, placed a hand on Lee’s shoulder did he calm down. Lee warned Lo Wei not to talk to reporters about him before leaving. However, Lo Wei didn’t heed Lee’s warning. In his book Bruce Lee: A Life, Matthew Polly wrote that in a 1988 interview, Wei said, “Lee didn’t know how to fight in front of the camera… I told him how he needed to fight.”
Offering a “stingy” contract to Jackie Chan
When Chan saw the JDK founder confront Lo Wei, he was a young stuntman who had got a chance to star in a leading role for the first time, due to Wei. After Bruce Lee’s tragic demise, the Hong Kong film industry took a massive hit, forcing Jackie Chan to move to Australia to see his parents.
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Bruce with Lo Wei. pic.twitter.com/XLFfrVP4hO
— Bruce Lee (@brucelee) August 2, 2022
On the verge of giving up on acting, Chan received a letter from Wei. He wanted to cast Chan as the lead in The New Fist of Fury. Additionally, Wei would offer Chan a monthly salary of USD 350. In his book Never Grow Old, Jackie Chan wrote, “Looking back, it was a stingy contract, but at the time, it seemed fair.”
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What did you think about Lo Wei’s revelation? Do you believe the filmmaker’s claim? Write your thoughts in the comments.
