Bruce Lee in Hollywood

[@itsgleneaton4883]

When we would see Bruce on screen we would dream about being a success like he was. But the fact is his successful years were the most stressful years of his life. The joy was the journey. And thank you again for your wonderful stories about him.

[@NH1973]

Laura Charles said it was nice to meet you

[@WalidJijel-x5k]

؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟​@@NH1973

[@WalidJijel-x5k]

​@@NH1973 ولماذا تحاول مقابلته مالامر

[@Urbankungfu61]

A true pleasure listening to your stories, so well detailed, Informative and straight to the point. Your narrator style reminds me that of Norman Jewison. Exquisite work.

[@robd1329]

Hector Martinez!!! Your now bigger than Charles Damiano...between you and me hes just a spotlight seeker we all know who the real star is! Lol. I say that being funny since you did the Angela Mao Birthday set up! That was legendary to see!

[@Urbankungfu61]

@@robd1329 Hi Robd1, I’ve known Charles Damiano for over 25 years and he’s one in a million, a straight up guy and a true friend. Today it’s hard to trust in anyone but Charles is family to me. With all do respect Charles Damiano’s KZbin channel has brought so many collectors together and has been the source of where to go to see collections from all over the world. It’s because of his channel that I too have come in contact with people that I never knew existed and in doing so has brought so much fun and joy to our hobby. There are no stars here, just 2 middle aged men that have joined forces to share our love and passion for Bruce Lee. We also appreciate your support in keeping the channel going, it’s because of the fans like you that Charles’ fabulous Bruce Lee Channel is still going strong! Thanks again for your input and stay blessed!

[@JDMorris81]

I just discovered your channel recently and have been enjoying all these great videos about Bruce Lee. You've done a great honor to his memory and I will be checking out your books as well. Thank you sir

[@TomBleecker]

You're very welcome. I hope you find my books about Bruce worthy of your time. Cheers

[@Jiren0420]

Mr. Tom if I am not wrong Bruce Lee's interview wasn't for The Green Hornet TV series. The interview actually was on Feb 4, 1965, 3 Days after Brandon Lee was Born, Bruce Lee went in for "Charlie Chan's Number One Son" (Never was produced) Screentest at the 20th Century Fox Studio and then 19 months later he got the role for Kato. I believed I read on one of my books, I hope someone who's reading can confirm it or denying it if I am wrong.

[@TomBleecker]

By "interview" I assume you're referring to the screen test and not his interview when he is riding the bicycle. You may well be correct. I've always assumed that the screen test on KZbin was for Hornet. I ran a Google search "what was Bruce Lee's screen test for" and most links credit Hornet for that test, although the #1 link credits the Chan project.

[@RBASB10]

Tom, we are from two different countries and I absolutely love your directness. Thank you for your time. My biggest question is…How can Bruce Lee be considered the greatest Martial Artist of all time without a professional record? In my one personal opinion, the greatest or one of the greatest with a professional record is Benny the Yet.

[@glynhannaford7332]

More great insights. 👍 Never before have I heard anyone mention the stress Bruce was under whilst making ETD.

[@liverpix]

Thanks for the stories. Interesting to see Bruce on a bike. His sister Phoebe said Bruce couldn't swim or ride a bike. He must have learnt to ride later on in life. Bruce must have been under tremendous stress whilst filming Enter The Dragon - heard that he developed a twitch under his eye at the start of filming.

[@shihanUKS]

I read the black cover "Unsettled Matters" . It was a lot to take in growing up on materials from Alex Ben Block, Felix Dennis, James Lee to "Fighting Stars" and Kung Fu monthly poster magazine. Then came Bruce Thompson, Robert Clouse, and Matthew Polly. Not in that order. I realized I had to "mature" before I read Unsettled Matters again. That meant the willingness to let boy scout Bruce dissipate. No other bios compared to Matters. This was what they pumped for decades. Warners had a film to sell and a persona to invent, the demi god mystique that is. And it worked. I stood in the lines back in 73 until the ushers would just wave me in the side fire exit door. POSTERS of this man. Everywhere. Buses. Trains. Public school classrooms. Bruce Lee , Farrah Fawcett and Linda Blair.. That was my wall. T shirts. Mugs. Key Chains. Flip booklets. Free tickets to anyone with Bruce or Lee in his name. Show your ID. Black Belts in full uniform sitting behind tables in the theater lobby passing out flyers from their schools. That was the only time they got along. I had read that Bruce was paranoid about Warners re editing the flim to make John Saxon the star and thats why he shot that Sammo Hong fight scene at the beginning of the film so people would "get" that he was it despite the shared screen credit with Saxon. I knew Jim Kelly personally and he did NOT have a good time at all on that set. He fumed about the poster for one. There his character was dead hanging by chains already on the poster!

[@TomBleecker]

Thank you for your kind compliments. For what it's worth, I also, for the most part, believed the commercialized Saint Bruce persona until Linda asked me to cowrite "The Bruce Lee Story" with her in the spring of 1988.

[@NH1973]

In the 70s and 80s, I also grew up on those materials you mentioned. At the time, a book like "Unsettled Matters" would have been tough to accept. I found it when I was almost 35, and at that age, was more ready for it.

[@shihanUKS]

@@NH1973 ...indeed.

[@gauntlet292]

Tom Great insight on both you and Bruce . Chris Steele

[@jamessidneyreynolds354]

Bruce Lee was far foreword in his art education genius a mind unique one of which comes once. He has inspired so many people. Rest in peace, we will meet again 🙏

[@johncarroll772]

What was the reason for Bruce's visit to England

[@TomBleecker]

Good question, to which I don't have an answer.

[@vampirehunter2698]

Insurance.

[@leonardobarone4098]

To be honest can understand why Bruce considered “Enter The Dragon” his last chance to be rich and famous and he was so impatient to finish it. From what I know, the movie “Big Boss” went on to gross nearly US$50 million worldwide, ok, in the beginning was been a success only in Asia, but in May 1973 the movie was been a success also in America and in the 1974 it was a worldwide success. The same fate happened for Bruce Lee second movie “Fist Of Fury”, also this movie become a success in America only in June 1973 and a worldwire success in the 1974. And what about “The Way Of The Dragon”? It surprisingly the same, in the 1972 this movie went on to gross HK$5.4 million in Hong Kong. This movie was been release in Canada and America only in august 1974 and was been a success also there, between 1974 and 1975 the movie was been released also in Spain, France, Japan, South Corea and Germany and of course again with great success, finally in the 1979 the movie was been released also in India. So these three movies alone was been able to make him rich and famous, all he should have done is waiting some years with calm and patient, he don’t needed to rush into “Enter The Dragon”. Rushing for become rich and famous as soon as possible, this killed him, what a pity.

[@TomBleecker]

Excellent points.

[@TomBleecker]

@Golden Cock Much of that film's success can be attributed to Robert Clouse and Warner Brothers' marketing department. Of course, without Bruce's 11 minutes of fight scenes, the movie would have flopped.

[@edmondlau511]

After reading the Matthew Polly book, it appeared Bruce’s relentless pursuit of fame before he was famous left the family in a tough spot financially. No wonder why Linda and Shannon have protected his image and legacy like they have. It keeps them fed.

[@jamesbarbour8400]

​@@edmondlau511 that's what I keep saying too - the man seemed to be nothing more than a paycheck to them - typical women !

[@Will-sh8kl]

I had read that Bruce had quite a few Alan Watts books in his library.

[@db90990]

I read Bruce and Doug Palmer traveled to Honolulu in 1962 or 1963 and gave a demonstration does footage exist of this?

[@TomBleecker]

Where did you read that? Bruce and Doug traveled to Hong Kong in the summer of 1963, but I haven't heard of them traveling to Hawaii.

[@db90990]

@@TomBleecker I read it on a bruce lee TIMELINE & doug mentioned it in an interview

[@TomBleecker]

@@db90990 Again, I think the reference is to them traveling to HK, not Hawaii. I have Doug Palmer's book in which he doesn't mention traveling to Honolulu, let alone giving a demonstration there.

[@db90990]

@@TomBleecker well I did read that bruce went to hawaii and gave a demonstration at wally Jay's place and I think it was 1962 or 1963

[@TomBleecker]

@@db90990 Okay, I had to delve a bit deeper into Doug Palmer's book to get the answer. The demonstration you read about wasn't at Wally Jay's. It was at a kung-fu school in Honolulu where Doug and Bruce had stopped on their return trip from Hong Kong in the summer of 1963. Wally Jay had earlier seen a demonstration of Bruce's when Wally came to Seattle in 1962 to attend the World's Fair.

[@MobbishManeuveries]

@Tom Bleecker Greetings Mr. Tom, hope you and your fam are doing well. In your opinion, what films do you think Bruce had slated for after Game of Death in fall of 73? I know that on July 20th 73 he mentioned plans for an animated Hannah Barbara series. What type of films do you think he would’ve done had he lived? Maybe a Way of The Dragon sequel? An ETD trilogy? Cop movies? I’d love to know your opinion. Hope all is well. I’m stuck quarantined with covid currently so I’m just binge watching some Bruce films along with your video content as well. Let me know your thoughts. Cheers to you and the fam🙏🏿🦾🦾🦾

[@TomBleecker]

What films Bruce had in mind is a mystery to me and other biographers because there is an abundance of rumors, and yet no contracts in writing. Personally, I believe GOD was on a back burner. Recently, a project called "The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss" has surfaced. I'd never heard of that project, which looks to me like Raymond Chow doing damage control. Personally, as I've mentioned in a few videos, I think Bruce's action movies would have run their course, much like Stallone's "Rocky" movies. Bruce would have realized his millions as an A-list director; that is, if he could have stopped using drugs to the extent that he was and perhaps taken a much-needed rest. The bottom line is with the huge success of ETD, he was catching the first thing smoking out of Hong Kong and heading to Hollywood where he would have been greeted with open arms.

[@MobbishManeuveries]

@@TomBleecker That makes sense. I’ve heard stories about “Shrine of ultimate bliss” aka “Stoner (1974), The Man From Hong Kong, Queens Ransom, all involving George Lazenby...and also the future Shaw bros film “The Dragon of Jade.” It would’ve been interesting to see Bruce finish G.O.D (WOD quality) even with the opportunities and offers to make more ETD style films in hollywood after ETD success, knowing that Bruce didn’t like moving backwards. I definitely would be intrigued to see more lost footage of GAME or even to know how the film would’ve ended. I hope you can elaborate on these speculations soon. I definitely trust your perspective.🦾🤝🤝

[@MobbishManeuveries]

@@TomBleecker Also, I was always in denial about Bruce’s drug usage until the drug letters slapped me like a ton of bricks months back. Do you feel like he was better martial artist before the drugs or after during his last few years? Just a random thought.

[@TomBleecker]

@@MobbishManeuveries For what it's worth, I had not until recently heard of "The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss" (who came up with that title??). In fact, Linda never mentioned that project to me, nor have any of the Lee biographers and historians mentioned it. When reading the Wikipedia link on this film, it strongly suggests that Bruce and Raymond were still going to be in business, which I seriously doubt. So, to quote a popular saying, it's complicated. :-)

[@TomBleecker]

@@MobbishManeuveries That's hard to say because I didn't experience Bruce's martial arts after he left for Hong Kong in the early 1970s. A wise man once told me that if I have short term goals that drugs can be helpful, which I found to be true when studying for midterms and finals at UCLA. But if a person has long term goals, that drugs will severely diminish the possibility of those goals becoming a reality. Hollywood has a long history of performers whose careers, as well as their marriages, finances, and most everything else, were destroyed by drug abuse.

[@zfw6280]

Thank you!

[@highlightoftheday7058]

I remember reading in a magazine many years ago about the problems on the ETD set where the agency head that recruits Bruce's character was called Braithwaite. This was left in because it caused Bruce pronunciation problems

[@TomBleecker]

While it's true that Bruce had difficulty pronouncing certain words, I can't imagine why anyone in the production would insist on leaving anything in the script that would cause a problem for any of the actors.

[@uncletony6210]

@@TomBleecker apparently, certain people in production didn't like him.

[@LupusRexRgis]

13:08 - A little correction: this letter you mentioned is from February 21st, 1972. During this time, The Way Of The Dragon was still known as Enter The Dragon. Bruce didn’t lie to Baker in that letter.

[@TomBleecker]

I believe you're correct. Good catch. I think the reason I reacted to that sentence in the letter is because Bruce was not pleased with Allin's script for ETD and constantly wanted dialog and scenes rewritten. Cheers

[@Echo_WB]

Tom .. Enter the dragon was the original title for WAY of the Dragon ..that's why he said he wrote it

[@TomBleecker]

Thanks. I never knew that. I learn something new all the time about Bruce.

[@drumgk]

@@TomBleecker you can listen to Bruce (in the attached link) tell Alex Ben Block the original ETD title before Way Of The Dragon. kzbin.info/www/bejne/laataoykrMp8Y5o

[@TomBleecker]

@@drumgk Nice find. I'll listen to that later. I'm sure it's got a few more revelations that I didn't know. Thanks.

[@drumgk]

@@TomBleecker you’re very welcome Tom! I enjoy your research very much. You have a way that approaches Bruce’s life from a unique angle instead of recycling the same ones over again as some authors do. ☮️✌️

[@spookyencounters9392]

@@TomBleecker You've probably listened to it by now, but in case not... Yes, the actual telephone interview was between Akex in the US and Bruce in Hong Kong, while Bruce was on a lunch break from shooting Way of the Dragon . When I first heard him say that I thought that was so cool. Working title Enter the Dragon.

[@Jonathan1997hk-ln4yk]

Out of all the videos I've ever seen on Bruce Lee wow this is one of the best .. ..what was Julie Andrews like in person.. ? Haven't seen all your videos but will start watching

[@TomBleecker]

Julie was and still is a delightful person. I can't recall if I mentioned in the video that because I married the daughter of Blake Edwards (Julie's husband), Julie was my mother-in-law for nearly six years. You might find this video interesting. It was the opening number of Julie's TV show and was Chuck Norris's first TV appearance. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWXYqmZ6qKlle9U

[@Jonathan1997hk-ln4yk]

@@TomBleecker wow thanks 🙏 what a life you have had and still having.thanks for your videos I am learning a lot.

[@Jonathan1997hk-ln4yk]

I wonder if James coburn ever talked to you about his films " cross of iron or Hard times " if so did he have anything interesting to say about them , not Bruce Lee related but interesting nevertheless. Thanks . Thanks for the Julie Andrews video always thought she would be a classy person

[@TomBleecker]

@@Jonathan1997hk-ln4yk I don't recall Jim talking about either of those films. Glad you enjoyed the video of "The Julie Andrew's Hour."

[@CooteRJ_84]

This was really interesting, Thanks

[@TomBleecker]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@travels129]

If bruce had lived gee !!! He would hav made many more movies been on heaps of talk shows you tube everything I suppose

[@vixr9557]

what was important in life not his movie but his family and God.

[@TomBleecker]

For most people those would have been better choices but not in Bruce's case.

[@vixr9557]

Bruce was my idol though as for many :). Very sad what happened.

[@SifuSergioChannel]

According to Robert Lee Bruce younger brother the apartment was around 4000 square Feet he mentions it in an interview with Shannon Lee, so that’s not exactly a tiny apartment.kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2W4gYSbm81kjsU should be in this interview

[@TomBleecker]

It is simply untrue that the apartment Bruce had at the Barrington Plaza was 4,000 sq. ft. It may have looked that big to Robert Lee, who was raised in Hong Kong where living spaces are extremely small of entire families. Anyway, the biggest apartment at the Barrington Plaza around 1,000 sq. ft. I know that from personal experience, having leased apartments several times over the years. The rooms are small. For example, the bedrooms can't accommodate a king-sized bed, and the bathrooms can't accommodate more than two people at a time.

[@SifuSergioChannel]

@@TomBleecker Hi Tom I was talking about the Nathan Road childhood apartment of Bruce family where he grew up in 🙏🏻

[@TomBleecker]

@@SifuSergioChannel Got it. I didn't watch the video. It's true that the Nathan Road apartment was that size, which it would have to be in order to accommodate the 13 people who lived there. Cheers

[@SifuSergioChannel]

@@TomBleecker Thank you Tom and please keep up the good work, I enjoy your video series on Bruce So much, you are a great story teller. The Amy Sanbo series also is just pure gold

[@itsgleneaton4883]

When your a public figure it’s difficult not to be affected by the good and bad press. You feel thrown about like a Bowie in a restless sea. With Bruce’s temper and honesty he wouldn’t last long in a sea of sharks but just long enough to get his point across.

[@TomBleecker]

I've always found the mindset of actors who are just starting out and how that mindset changes when they become popular. At first, they'll do anything to get their name in the media and are overjoyed when someone asks for their autograph. But once a degree of stardom hits, suddenly they want bodyguards, wear dark glasses and don disguises, and seemingly avoid their fans at all costs. In that latter stage, they get angry when a fan bothers them or when they don't like something a reporter wrote. Then when they die, their family releases a statement asking everyone to respect the privacy of the deceased.

[@TaborSecurity-g6p]

@@TomBleecker Tom, do people recognize you when you walk around in California? You have been in the public eye for some time yourself.

[@TomBleecker]

@@TaborSecurity-g6p Occasionally, I'm recognized by martial artists.

[@nigelmikaele]

It sounds like Bruce wanted the script to feel and sound more like him. I don't think they knew him well enough to know what he'd say, and the words that would suit him as a person.. so i can see why he wanted to rewrite the script. And he probably added in the philosophy parts in the begining of the movie. I don't feel Enter the dragon was a good enough representation of Bruce, but if he had finished The game of death, that would've been more like him.

[@jamessidneyreynolds354]

I'm in agreement Game of Death

[@travels129]

Maybe if he didn't do movies and just concentrate on his martial arts only as he said in a interview I AM A MARTIAL ARTIST.!! he would hav been more relaxed peace of mind but wat else would he hav done to earn a living ?

[@TomBleecker]

He was earning a living when he worked at Ruby Chow's and when he was teaching private lessons. The problem, however, was that neither of those jobs was going to make him rich and famous, which was his "Personal Aim in Life."

[@alexscott730]

@@TomBleecker Another case of "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it...and it will not be on your terms🙏😔

[@markrichman456]

Small apt....when??? Dad was an opera star...4k square feet...took care of his brother's family

[@TomBleecker]

In the 1940s and 1950s, following WWII, most Asian countries were very poor, which included the British Colony of Hong Kong. Besides being a scarcity of jobs, Hong Kong has always had a scarcity of living space - unless you belong to the miniscule wealthy class and live on Victoria Peak. Even today, the average family lives in 395 sq. ft. In any case, 218 Nathan Rd. was a two-bedroom apartment that was home for 20 people, as well as a dozen animals. Four thousand sq. ft. two-bedroom apartments in Hong Kong have never existed. The main reason Bruce spent so much time in the street is because of the cramped conditions of his residence. As an aside, being a "opera star" in Hong Kong was not the same as being a Hollywood movie star. Thanks for your post.

[@Quach7]

The mosquito press is a perfect calque of the word "paparazzi".

[@TomBleecker]

In my view, a better calque for mosquito press would be "tabloids." Many of those who work in paparazzi are exclusively interested in obtaining photos of celebrities who are often caught in uncompromising situations. Moreover, capturing a photo of a celebrity who is rarely seen in public. These photographers then sell these "money shots" to various magazines. Most of the mosquito press in Hong Kong was also seeking stories of a slanderous nature.

[@JoseRamos-kd9ig]

Stuttering 🤯How I tried to cure my stuttering was drinking...Not the correct path‼️👍✌️

[@TomBleecker]

My drinking certainly relieved the tension that could cause stuttering. And if I drank enough and stuttered, people assumed I had too much to drink. The big problem that Bruce must have faced when he stuttered is that most people wrongly assume that the person is stuttering because of fear. And for Bruce to think that anyone thought he was fearful would have caused him to become angry. I feel sorry sometimes for Joe Biden because I know that sometimes he appears to not remember a key person's name but in reality, what is happening is he knows if he tries to say the name, he will stutter. So, he gets around this by referring to the person as "my good friend." I used to have a real problem with this because I could sometimes stutter on words that begin with "T." Imagine my horror when a stranger said to me, as he extended his hand, "Hi, I'm Bill. And you are?"