For the Hong Kong film industry, 1971 was a star-studded star.
This year, Bruce Lee shifted the focus of his career from the United States back to Hong Kong, signed a contract with Jiahe, and then filmed "Big Brother Tangshan" and "Jingwumen" and other acclaimed and popular films.
It was also this year that Hong Jinbao came to Jiahe as a martial arts instructor.
Also in this year, the then 17-year-old Jackie Chan learned to become a teacher. After thanking his master Yu Zhanyuan for his cultivation, he turned around and left the Chinese Theater Research Institute, who had been practicing for ten years, and stepped into the Hong Kong film and television circle.
The two of them met like this.
▲ Bruce Lee beat Up Hong Jinbao in the movie "Dragon Fights Tiger Fight"
Hong Jinbao met idol on the set and came forward to greet him: "Are you really good?" ”
Bruce Lee apparently misunderstood his tone: "Yes and what? What do you think? Do you want to draw a picture? ”
As soon as this remark came out, Hong Jinbao suddenly felt that it was difficult to ride the tiger: on the one hand, he was unwilling to fight with idol; on the other hand, as a martial arts instructor, under the eyes of everyone, he could never back down.
Therefore, he had to put up a posture with his scalp. Knowing that he was about to get out of his leg, Bruce Lee let the victory and defeat be seen in a flash.
"He's really fast, he's really watching you move first, 'The enemy doesn't move, he doesn't move, the enemy wants to move, he moves first.'" My leg was just halfway up and his leg was already in my face! ”
The master passed the move, and until the point was reached, Bruce Lee only stopped his leg in front of Hong Jinbao without splitting.
Hong Jinbao quickly gave a thumbs up and explained, "I don't mean to try you!" I adore you! Fortunately, you didn't call over, and you have to fight over! ”
After that, Bruce Lee intended to promote this junior.
At that time, Jackie Chan was just a dragon runner. Every opportunity to get up close and personal with Bruce Lee thrilled him.
During the filming of Dragon Fight Tiger Fight, he fought with Bruce Lee dancing with a stick, but Bruce Lee did not grasp the strength well, and the stick hit him the head!
"He immediately threw the stick and turned around, 'Oh my God!' He ran all the way to me, picked me up, and said, 'I'm sorry!' I am sorry! Actually, I didn't hurt anymore, because I was such a young man at that time, and I was strong. But that moment, for some reason, I pretended to be in pain, and I just wanted Bruce Lee to hold me as long as possible. ”
Since then, every time they meet in the crew, Bruce Lee will greet him with this "dragon set". One day later, Bruce Lee even suddenly came up to him and asked for his name and chatted with him. Idol's respect made him grateful and gave him a lifelong inspiration.
- "Knowing Bruce Lee Again"
▲ Bruce Lee also beat Jackie Chan in the movie "Dragon Fight Tiger Fight"
Not only Hong Jinbao and Jackie Chan, but also Zhen Zidan and Zhou Xingchi, especially Chow Sing Chi's "Kung Fu", the traces of tribute to Bruce Lee are quite obvious.
What kind of charm does Bruce Lee, who is regarded as an idol by so many big celebrities, have?
01
On November 27, 1940, a baby was born at the Donghua Hospital in San Francisco's Chinatown, and the nurse casually gave him a name: Bruce Lee.
The baby's grandfather, Li Zhenbiao, was a chivalrous dart master; his father, Li Haiquan, was one of the "Four Famous Uglies" of Cantonese opera at that time.
Li Haiquan named his son "Zhen Fan" (振藩), which means "Zhen Fan State".
▲ Bruce Lee in swaddling
Before Li Zhenfan, there was an older brother who died prematurely. Coupled with poor living conditions at that time, cholera was prevalent. The superstitious father gave him a feminine breast name "Xiao Feng" and raised him as a daughter, hoping to deceive the cow, ghost and snake god and avoid harm.
However, the mere name of the milk does not mean anything. Li Zhenfan grew up energetic and idle, and his family gave him a nickname "Can't Sit Still".
He is mischievous, but he is good-natured by nature.
Once, in a daze by the window, he suddenly ran barefoot outside the house. The family thought he was going to play some new trick again, but found that he was helping a blind man cross the road. Afterwards, he told his family: "I saw so many people on the road, but no one was willing to help, so I ran out to help." ”
He was patriotic in his bones.
At that time, Hong Kong had become an enemy-occupied area, and the hum of Japanese bombers was heard from time to time in the air. The adults hid under the eaves and tunnels, but five or six years old, he rushed to the balcony and angrily waved his fist at the plane coated with plaster flags.
02
Li Zhenfan is worthy of being the grandson of the dart master, Shang Wu gene, playing small.
He loves "street fighting", and every day when he comes home from school, he rushes to take off his school uniform, change into Tang costumes, and run to the center of the street to find a battle.
During a fight, he fell behind. Reluctantly, he asked his playmate for help, but the playmate did not help him, but led him to a Wing Chun boxing gym.
In the museum, an old man sits on a futon, quite a "eight winds can't move" style. When Li Zhenfan walked up to him, the old man Huo Ran stood up and punched out, the target was not Li Zhenfan, but air! Although the old man and the air passed, Bruce Lee could feel the fierce fist wind and greet him.
Li Zhenfan's young heart was very rare, but this time he "pounced" and knelt down to worship the teacher. This old man was None other than Ip Man.
As a generation of masters, Ip Man generally did not accept "Little Ah Fei" as an apprentice, but he made an exception for Li Zhenfan.
This son is a talented man, but he is a martial arts wizard who has rarely been seen in ten years, and he should be teachable!
The so-called "bone Qingqi", this kind of bridge section that only appears in martial arts novels, appeared on Li Zhenfan!
Under the guidance of Ip Man, Li Zhenfan made rapid progress. In 1958, at the age of 18, Lee Chun-fong won the junior championship of the "Hong Kong Interscholastic Western Boxing Championship".
▲ Studied under Ip Man
03
As director Xu Haofeng said: He is not only a martial arts wizard, but also a child actor, born with a sensitivity to the camera that ordinary people do not have.
Li Zhenfan was "electrocuted" when he was less than half a year old.
In 1941, the Cantonese film "Golden Gate Girl" was filmed in San Francisco, and a baby role was needed, and Li Haiquan, who had a personal relationship with the director, "borrowed" his newborn son.
In 1950, 10-year-old Li Zhenfan starred in "Hosoru Xiang".
As written in "Commenting on Bruce Lee", Li Zhenfan was able to play the leading role, which was purely accidental. At that time, there were more than a dozen teenagers who auditioned for the role of "Xiao Luxiang", but they did not enter the eyes of screenwriter Yuan Buyun. When Yuan Buyun was entangled, he met Li Zhenfan, who came to play on the set with his father.
Li Zhenfan accidentally stepped on a prop and argued loudly with the dramatist, saying that the prop was not strong, and it was not his fault. Li Zhenfan's personality of not accepting defeat made Yuan Buyun's eyes light up, and he immediately made a decision - the starring role is you!
In previous films, Li Zhenfan used "Xiao haiquan" (Son of Li Haiquan) and "Xinhai" (the new generation of Li Haiquan) as stage names.
Yuan Buyun decided to give him a new stage name, and when he was thinking hard, he happened to hear a ticket seller shouting: "The big dragon gives birth to a small dragon, it is indeed a rare opportunity in the world, take a look, and ensure that you are lucky with a dragon!" ”
"Hey, Li Haiquan is a big dragon, then Isn't Li Zhenfan a little dragon", so he has the prestige of "Bruce Lee", which will become famous at home and abroad in the future!
04
After the release of "The Little Road", the praise was overwhelming.
Bruce Lee became a child star, coupled with his good family, high appearance, not only kung fu, but also dance cha-cha, is the male god of thousands of girls.
▲ Bruce Lee dances Cha-cha dance
But also because of this, many male compatriots look at him unfavorably. Bruce Lee has a flamboyant personality, does not bow his head in everything, and fights are inevitable, resulting in him making many enemies in Hong Kong.
His parents were a little worried and eventually decided to send him to the United States.
Changing the environment means leaving your comfort zone and it means starting over. Bruce Lee was famous in Hong Kong, but when he went abroad, no one recognized him and even discriminated against his skin color.
Abandon the stock, in order to find a new increment. Bruce Lee did not hesitate to accept his parents' proposal, and with $100 in his arms, he stepped on the deck of the President Wilson and went to the United States alone.
05
On May 17, 1959, the cruise ship arrived in San Francisco.
When he was in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee did not like to read. After arriving in the United States, he broke his habit of truancy and became one of the most serious students in his class.
After going to the United States, I found that such things as cha-cha dance were meaningless pastimes; in comparison, reading books was much more practical, because the future of the individual depended entirely on knowledge.
--Bruce Lee
Classes take place during the day and work in restaurants at night. Working in a restaurant gave Bruce Lee a lot of opportunities to talk to foreigners, and by the way, he also exercised his English speaking skills.
Bruce Lee's family was well-off, and he didn't have to fight so hard, but he was stubborn, and once he was determined to rely on himself, he didn't ask the family for a penny.
In addition to working and studying, he also let his family bring wooden stakes from Hong Kong to squeeze in time to practice martial arts.
The "shaping" period of life is often only a few years.
After several years of studying abroad, Bruce Lee transformed from a combative and wayward boy to a studious and responsible man.
06
On March 27, 1961, Bruce Lee was successfully promoted to the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in drama and minoring in philosophy.
In his sophomore year, Bruce Lee rented a corner of a parking lot on campus as a venue for martial arts training classes.
At that time, Asian students were more or less ostracized by native American students, and whenever Asian students were bullied, Bruce Lee would stand up for them. Over time, Bruce Lee became the "big brother" of Asian students.
Bruce Lee defended his fellow citizens not only on campus, but also outside the school.
At that time, the writer Lin Yanni was also studying in Seattle, sharing a room with several female students. She once wrote in an article:
One afternoon many years ago, the little dragon came to our aid with a pistol in a huff. We are in a fight with the owner of the house. The owner of the house saw that there were several Seventeen or eighteen-year-old Chinese girls who had left their hometowns and had no relatives and no reason, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to bully? In the eyes of teenage girls, being bullied by the owner of the house is a very serious thing; in the eyes of Bruce Lee in his twenties, it is also a very serious thing for friends to be bullied, so even guns are brought.
Fortunately, the owner of the house was not there that day, otherwise there would have been a gun battle.
Afterwards, the owner of the house knew that these Chinese girls were "backstage" very hard, so he did not dare to bully them again.
This time the hero saved the United States, so that Bruce Lee won the favor of a house of girls. Bruce Lee regretted it because he had a gun with him, and the real kung fu master only spoke with his fists.
07
In April 1962, Bruce Lee opened the first "Zhen Fan Guo Shu Museum" in the cellar of the old building in Seattle's Chinatown (609 South VilleRstreet Street).
The martial arts hall is open, but Chinatown is no better than a university campus, and the operating cost is very high.
As the writer Fang Yu said: Martial arts is the ideal and sustenance, but opening a martial arts hall is an art of management.
In order to build the brand as soon as possible, whenever there are public activities organized by colleges and universities, he will rush over with his disciples and perform martial arts on stage.
Kung Fu paid off, and the martial arts museum gradually broke even. As a result, Bruce Lee opened a second Zhenfan Guoshu Museum in Auckland.
Curiously, the opening of the martial arts hall was recognized by American martial arts peers, but it was opposed by the Chinese martial arts circles in San Francisco. Some Chinese wrote to Bruce Lee and ordered him to stop teaching martial arts to non-Chinese.
The challenge book has the names of all the masters in Chinatown, but I am not afraid.
Seeing that Bruce Lee was not moved, Huang Zemin, a Shaolin boxer sent to the north, came to the door to kick the pavilion.
Before the competition, the two sides agreed:
If Bruce Lee loses, he has to close the martial arts; if he wins, he can take in disciples regardless of race.
As a result, Bruce Lee koked Huang Zemin in just 3 minutes.
Martial arts know no borders. Yes, people in different countries and regions do have differences in skin color. But yellow, white, or black have in common — worship bruce Lee and believe in true kung fu.
Through this competition, Bruce Lee also realized the shortcomings of traditional Chinese martial arts, which was especially evident in the students.
The traditional routines, routines, and unreasonable postures that most students learn are worthless. That can only be fancy and mechanical, and it will not be beneficial for students to really engage in actual combat. Once the routine is messed up, it will only suffer a fiasco. I think that the traditional routine is a completely ineffective model, which rigidizes and fixes the original flexible and free movements.
For the rest of his life, Bruce Lee devoted himself to creating a boxing technique without a fixed routine, which integrates the essence of martial arts of various nationalities, and can achieve "no move to win and a trick", to be able to achieve "the enemy does not move, I do not move; the enemy wants to move, I move first", is to "cut the boxing".
08
In August 1964, Bruce Lee was stunned by the "International Karate Championship". Since then, there has been an endless stream of people who have come to the Zhen fan guoshu hall to learn martial arts.
Among them was an American girl named Linda Emory.
Linda looks ordinary, but has excellent academic performance. When the other girls gave up because the martial arts practice was too hard, she silently persevered.
She is as quiet as water, and Bruce Lee, who has a fiery temperament, is almost a person of two worlds. But like the poles of a magnet, she developed a fatal attraction to Bruce Lee.
Once, Bruce Lee took his students to the movies. While everyone was preoccupied with the big screen, Lenda casually glanced at Bruce Lee, who was sitting not far away. Unexpectedly, Bruce Lee was silently looking at her. She immediately looked away, her face hot...
After this time, the tacit two began to increase contact, and finally became lovers.
In the 1960s, there were no interracial marriages in most parts of the United States. And Linda's mother is also against the two getting married, not because of race. Lenda's mother is also the fruit of an exotic love affair, and she knows the pain and does not want her daughter to suffer again.
But bruce Lee and Linda were both resolute: "We're going to be together." ”
On August 13, 1964, the lovers finally became dependents.
09
Many people wonder, Bruce Lee has so many beautiful girls around him, why did he finally marry Linda?
Writer Liao Yimei has a sentence that can be interpreted: In a person's life, it is not rare to encounter love and sex, and it is rare to encounter understanding.
Linda's "understanding" of Bruce Lee has three main points:
The first is living and eating.
Linda would prepare white porridge with pork liver for him. White porridge neither suppresses appetite like a high-sugar cake, nor does it ferment flatulence in the abdomen, making it the best source of carbohydrate supplements.
Bruce Lee training intensity, just drink white porridge is not enough. Linda prepared a special functional drink for him, the ingredients of which are non-instant milk powder, bananas, eggs, peanut butter, inositol, lecithin... Put these things in a blender and break them up and mix them, making a drink that is presumably not delicious, but it can quickly replenish energy and build muscle.
The second is to support and encourage.
After marriage, Linda sacrificed her studies for Bruce Lee's career and followed him to Auckland.
In 1970, during a training session, Bruce Lee's back was severely damaged due to the lack of early warm-up.
The doctor told Bruce Lee not to exercise vigorously in the future. This meant that Bruce Lee could no longer learn martial arts.
Bruce Lee was in a depressed mood, and it was Lenda who helped him out of the trough of life: "As long as you take a scientific and effective method, your body can fully return to its previous state." ”
So Bruce Lee plastered "walk on" notes in all corners of the room and relentlessly did stretching and recovery exercises. In the end, Bruce Lee miraculously recovered.
The third is interpersonal relations.
Bruce Lee was preoccupied with kung fu, and therefore neglected interpersonal communication. His martial arts are superb, but his emotional intelligence is not high.
Linda often accompanied him to some parties, and whenever Bruce Lee was about to get angry, Linda would pull him to a corner in time to remind him not to act rashly. Over time, Bruce Lee presented a low-key and introverted image of an oriental warrior in front of the public.
It was also through a party arranged by Linda that Bruce Lee met the big Hollywood producer Winterdall, which led to the later collaboration - "Dragon Fight Tiger Fight".
It can be said that Bruce Lee can become a kung fu superstar, in addition to talent and hard work, "Xianneisuke" Linda is indispensable.
The biggest gain in my life, I don't think of it as martial arts or film performances, but to marry a good wife. She is virtuous and accommodating to me at every turn, what is important is to encourage me and give me confidence in my difficult times, she makes me an extraordinary person, if I am a bird, and Linda is my eternal home.
10
In 1966, Bruce Lee played Kato, the assistant of the Green Hornet, in the American drama "The Green Hornet". He played a big role in the play, with cool fight scenes, captured the hearts of countless American female audiences.
"Green Hornet" made "Kato" a household name, and immediately a businessman came to Bruce Lee, hoping to package him as a realistic version of Kato, so that Bruce Lee would wear a "Kato mask" and wear a "Kato costume" in the name of "Kato" to open a chain of martial arts.
Bruce Lee refused, and the reason for giving it was simple: I was Chinese, I only wore Tang costumes!
Because Kato's character is Japanese, Bruce Lee is reluctant to give up his identity and principles to advertise Japanese in the United States.
In 1968, "The Green Hornet" was broadcast on TVB, causing Hong Kong audiences to compete for a call.
In the year when whites unified Hollywood, Bruce Lee was able to break into "The Green Hornet", which was enough to become the pride of all Chinese.
▲ Bruce Lee's appearance in "The Green Hornet"
Television stations in Hong Kong have followed the legend. In an interview with the Hong Kong media, Bruce Lee revealed his willingness to return to Hong Kong for development. A stone stirred up thousands of waves, and dozens of Hong Kong production companies asked Bruce Lee about the conditions for filming.
Bruce Lee mentioned only two: first, the investment in the production of the film must not be less than 600,000 Hong Kong dollars; second, foreign actors must be hired.
These two conditions alone scared off the vast majority of production companies, and finally only Shaw and Jiahe said that they could afford it.
11
At first, Bruce Lee was inclined to Shaw. Because Shaw is stronger, and Jiahe is just a start-up company. However, also because of his wealth, Shaw CEO Run Run Shaw felt that Bruce Lee, one more, one less, did not fully meet Bruce Lee's requirements.
Bruce Lee had his temper, and of course he did not wronged himself, so he turned to Jiahe.
Not long after, the two sides cooperated to shoot the acclaimed and popular "Tangshan Big Brother" and "Jingwumen". With these two "blockbusters", Jiahe earned a lot of money, and since then he has had the capital to resist Shaw.
It is also with these two "blockbusters" that Bruce Lee has won the favor of the big Hollywood producer Winterdall. Later, Bruce Lee and Warner Bros. Entertainment collaborated on "Dragon Fight Tiger Fight".
Measuring a person's success with money is a bit tacky. Similarly, measuring a movie's success at the box office is a bit tacky.
"Dragon Fight" cost less than $1 million to produce, but eventually grossed as much as $200 million. But this is only a success in the secular sense, and the real success of "Dragon Fight and Tiger Fight" lies in the fact that the world has learned about Chinese kung fu.
Because of it, Hong Kong films have more of a "kung fu film" (previously only martial arts films/action movies); because of it, the word "KungFu" was written into the English dictionary.
▲ Poster of "Dragon Fight Tiger Fight"
12
Unfortunately, the success of "Dragon Fight Tiger Fight" was not seen by Bruce Lee before he died. A month before the film's release, Bruce Lee died suddenly (drug allergies) at the age of 32.
After that, in order to dig deep into his gold mine, the film and television company launched a lot of imitations.
However, whether it is played by Zhang Xiaolong or Ma Xiaolong, it cannot play that taste.
Just like Lu Xun's words: "Really, until now, I really haven't eaten the good beans that night, and I don't see the good drama of that night anymore." ”
After all, the kick that smashed the "Chinese and dogs are not allowed to enter" notice board has no specific environment, no Bruce Lee's real body, and no one can kick it.