Bruce Lee filmography

This article details the filmography of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee filmography

Lee as Kato in the television series The Green Hornet (August 1967)

Filmography
Feature films 37
Television appearances 20
Documentaries 52
Other 102

Several of Lee's films premiered after his death, including Enter the Dragon, Game of Death and Circle of Iron.

Feature films

YearTitleChinese titleRoleNotes
1941Golden Gate Girl金門女As an infant
1946The Birth of Mankind人类的诞生
1948Wealth is Like a Dream富貴浮雲
1949Sai See in the Dream夢裡西施Yam Lee
The Story of Fan Lei-fa
1950The Kid細路祥Kid Cheunga.k.a. My Son, A Chung. Available on region 1 English-subtitled DVD from Cinema Epoch.
Blooms and Butterflies
1951Infancy人之初Ngau
1953A Myriad Homes千萬人家
Blame it on Father父之過a.k.a. Father's Fault
The Guiding Light苦海明燈Son as teenagerAvailable on region 1 English-subtitled DVD from Cinema Epoch / a.k.a. A Son Is Born
A Mother's Tears慈母淚a.k.a. A Mother Remembers
In the Face of Demolition危樓春曉
1955An Orphan's Tragedy孤星血淚Frank Wong (child)Available on region 1 English-subtitled DVD from Cinema Epoch
Orphan's Song孤兒行
Love
Love Part 2愛(下集)
We Owe It to Our Children兒女債a.k.a. The More the Merrier
The Faithful Wife
1956The Wise Guys Who Fool Around詐痲納福
Too Late For Divorce早知當初我唔嫁
1957The Thunderstorm雷雨Chow ChungBased on the play Lei Yu by Cao Yu
Darling Girl
1960The Orphan人海孤鴻Sam
1968The Wrecking Crew風流特務勇破迷魂陣Action director
1969Marlowe醜聞喋血Winslow WongAlso action director
1970A Walk in the Spring Rain春雨漫步Action DirectorLee, personal friend of producer Stirling Silliphant, is credited as the film's fight choreographer.
1971The Big Boss唐山大兄Cheng Chao-anAlso action director
a.k.a. Fists of Fury[lower-alpha 1]
1972Fist of Fury精武門Chen ZhenAlso action director
a.k.a. The Chinese Connection[lower-alpha 1]
The Way of the Dragon猛龍過江Tang LungAlso producer, director, action director and screenwriter
The film was released in the U.S. after Enter the Dragon; hence the alternate title Return of the Dragon
1973Fist of Unicorn麒麟掌Action Director and fight choreographer

Released posthumously

YearTitleChinese titleRoleNotes
1973Enter the Dragon龍爭虎鬥Mr. LeeAlso action director, writer and producer
Sent as a spy into a martial arts tournament hosted by a rogue-monk-turned-drug lord
Released six days after Lee's death
1974The Green Hornet青蜂侠KatoA compilation of episodes from the TV series edited together and released as a feature film
Released one year after Lee's death
1978Game of Death死亡遊戲Billy LoThere are two versions of this film, each one with a different plot (the original from an incomplete 1972 film and the 1978 build doing a "footage mashup")
Lee was shown in incomplete original footage from 1972, plus stock footage from Enter the Dragon and other films
The original was finally released as a short film in the year 2000.
Circle of IronCo-writer
a.k.a. The Silent Flute
Film co-written by Bruce Lee, who was seeking to illustrate the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies
1981Game of Death II死亡塔Billy Lo / Lee Chen Chianga.k.a. Tower of Death
Unrelated to the first Game of Death, it was marketed as a sequel in the U.S.
Lee appears in stock footage from Enter the Dragon and other films
1993City Hunter城市獵人Billy LoLee appears in archival footage from Game of Death 1

Box office performance

Year Title Worldwide gross revenue (est. US dollars) Budget
(US dollars)
Return on investment
(ROI)
Notes
Nominal value Inflation adjusted
1968 The Wrecking Crew $8,000,000 $67,000,000 ? ? [lower-alpha 2]
1971 The Big Boss (Fists of Fury) $50,000,000 $400,000,000 $100,000 50,000% [lower-alpha 3]
1972 Fist of Fury (The Chinese Connection) $100,000,000 $700,000,000 $100,000 100,000% [lower-alpha 4]
Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon) $130,000,000 $730,000,000 $130,000 100,000% [lower-alpha 5]
1973 Enter the Dragon $400,000,000 $2,000,000,000 $850,000 47,000% [lower-alpha 6]
1978 Game of Death $50,320,736 $230,000,000 $850,000 5,900% [lower-alpha 7]
Circle of Iron $2,600,000 $12,000,000 ? ? [lower-alpha 8]
1981 Game of Death II $349,181 $1,100,000 ? ? [lower-alpha 9]
Total $741,269,917 $3,964,000,000 $2,030,000 100,000%
Average $92,658,740 $496,000,000 $406,000 37,000%

Television appearances

Year Title Chinese title Role Country and channel Notes
1966The Green Hornet青蜂侠Kato U.S. - ABCa.k.a. The Kato Show (Hong Kong title)
1966-1967
Where the Action IsHimself U.S. - ABC
1967Batman蝙蝠俠Kato U.S. - ABCVisiting hero
Episodes: "The Spell of Tut", "A Piece of the Action" and "Batman's Satisfaction"
Ironside無敵鐵探長Leon Soo U.S. - NBCGuest star
Episode: "Tagged for Murder"
1968BlondieMr. Yoto, Karate Instructor U.S. - CBSGuest star
Episode: "Pick on a Bully Your Own Size"
1969Here Come the Brides新娘駕到Lin U.S. - ABCGuest star
Episode: "Marriage, Chinese Style"
1970Enjoy Yourself Tonight歡樂今宵Himself Hong Kong - TVB
1971Longstreet血灑長街Li Tsung / Fight Choreographer U.S. - ABCAppeared in four episodes: "The Way of the Intercepting Fist", "Spell Legacy Like Death", "Wednesday's Child" and "I See, Said the Blind Man"
The Pierre Berton ShowHimself Canada - Screen Gems
1993Fame in the Twentieth CenturyHimself U.K. - BBC
1999Famous FamiliesHimself U.S. - FOXEpisode: "The Lees: Action Speaks Louder"
2003I Love the '70sLee U.S. - MTV
2007La RentadoraHimself Spain - TV3Episode: "Be Water My Friend"
2008Dragonland — L'urlo di Chen terrorizza ancora l'occidenteHimself Italy - Canale 21
2009How Bruce Lee Changed the WorldHimself U.S. - TVPG
2011Bruce Lee Lives!Himself U.S. - TVPG
2015Too Young To DieHimself Germany - Broadview TV"Bruce Lee: Die Faust Hollywoods"
2017Autopsy: The Last Hours of... Bruce LeeHimself U.S. - TV-14
2018ITV Celebrities InterviewsHimself France - ITV"La Grand Émission 2018 Sur Bruce Lee"
2021History's Greatest MysteriesHimself U.S. - A&ESeason 2, Episode 3: "The Death of Bruce Lee"

Note: all the series produced after Lee's death (1973) feature archival footage of Lee.

Documentaries

Year Documentary title Chinese title Notes
1973Bruce Lee, the Man and the Legend李小龍的生與死Updated in 1984 and re-titled Bruce Lee, the Legend
The Real Bruce Lee
The Last Days of Bruce Lee
1974Kung Fu Killers
1976The Young Bruce Lee
1984Bruce Lee, the Legend李小龍的生與死(下)Golden Harvest tribute; focused on their films starring Lee. Featured on the Hong Kong Legends Bruce Lee, the Man and the Legend DVD.
1990The Best of the Martial Arts Films金裝武術電影大全
Bruce Lee — Best of the Best
1992Bruce Lee and Kung Fu Mania
Spirit of the Dragon
1993Top Fighter
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Bruce Lee: The Curse of the DragonIncluded on Enter the Dragon DVDs and Blu-rays
Death by Misadventure
Martial Arts Master
1994Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview
Cinema of VengeanceHistory of martial arts cinema with clips of Lee
Bruce Lee: The Immortal DragonBiography episode; available on DVD
The Life of Bruce Lee
1997Secrets of the Warrior's Power
1998Bruce Lee: The Path of the Dragon
Bruce Lee: In His Own WordsFeaturette on Enter the Dragon DVDs and Blu-rays
Mystic Origins of the Martial Arts
The Immortal Masters
Jackie Chan: My Story成龍的傳奇
1999Century Hero
Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2
2000Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey李小龍:死亡遊戲之旅Found as a special feature on the 2004 DVD release of Enter the Dragon. Also on HD DVD and Blu-ray.
Bruce Lee in G.O.D.: Shibōteki YūgiBruce Lee in G.O.D. 死亡的遊戲
2001The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
The Intercepting Fist
2002Bruce Lee: The Legend Lives On
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Picture功夫片歲月
Jackie Chan: Fast, Funny and Furious
Modern Warriors
2003Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu電影香江:功夫世家
2004Dragon: Since 1973龍:一九七三以後
2008The Legend of Bruce Lee李小龍傳奇It was aired in many parts of the world: China (CCTV), Iran (IRIB), Brazil (Rede CNT; Band), Italy (RAI 4), United States (KTSF), Vietnam (HTV2; DN1-RTV), South Korea (SBS), Japan (NTV), Canada (FTV), Hong Kong (ATV Home), Philippines (Q), Taiwan (TTV), Venezuela (Televen), United Kingdom (Netflix) and Indonesia (Hi Indo).
2009Sebring
2010Young Bruce Lee: The Birth of a Legend
Bruce Lee, My Brother
2012I Am Bruce LeeIt won Leo Awards in 2012.
2013No Way as Way
Fighter of Death
2015Ip Man 3
2016Birth of the DragonDuring the premiere of the film, director George Nolfi and star Philip Ng presented a commemorative plaque to the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, where Bruce Lee was born. / The film won the Golden Angel Award at the 12th Chinese American Film Festival.
2019Warrior
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Ip Man 4: The Finale
2020Be WaterPart of ESPN Films' 30 for 30.

It won the Gold List Award in 2021.

2022Bruce Lee: The Way of the Warrior

Note: all the documentaries listed here were produced after Lee's death; therefore, all the Lee footage is composed of archive footage and some never-before-seen footage.

Video games

Year Video game title Role Notes
1984 Bruce LeeHimself
Kung-Fu MasterThomasOriginally based on Game of Death
1985Yie Ar Kung-FuOolong (Lee in MSX version)
1987China WarriorWangMobile phones and PS2
1989Bruce Lee LivesHimself
1993Super Street Fighter IIFei LongInspired by Enter the Dragon
1993Dragon: The Bruce Lee StoryHimself
2002Bruce Lee: Quest of the DragonHimself
2003Bruce Lee: Return of the LegendHimself/Hai Feng
2008Ultimate Bruce LeeHimself
2010Bruce Lee: Dragon WarriorHimselfSmartphone game
Limited release
2011Kung Fu WarriorHimselfSmartphone game
2013BroforceBro Lee
2014EA Sports UFCHimselfPS4 and Xbox One game
2014Bruce Lee: Enter The GameHimselfSmartphone game
2016EA Sports UFC 2 — Bruce Lee BundleHimselfPS4 and Xbox One game
2018Bruce Lee Dragon RunHimselfSmartphone game
2018EA Sports UFC 3 — Bruce Lee BundleHimselfPS4 and Xbox One game
2019Kung-fu Bruce: The Legend ContinuesHimselfSmartphone game
Circa 2020I Am FighterLeeSmartphone game
Circa 2020Kung Fu Attack: Final FightLeeSmartphone game
Circa 2020King of KungFuLeeSmartphone game
2020EA Sports UFC 4 — Bruce Lee BundleHimselfPS4 and Xbox One game
2020Street Kungfu: King FighterLeeSmartphone game
2021Superhero Captain X vs Kungfu LeeLeeSmartphone game
2022KungFu Superstar: Call Me SifuHimselfSmartphone game
2022KungFu Fighting WarriorHimselfSmartphone game

Note 1: In Super Mario RPG, when Mario is about to fight a boss, his comrade Mallow stops him and says "Who do you think you are? Bruce Lee? You can't go in there with your fists flying!"

Note 2: Check Kim Dragon in World Heroes (1992), World Heroes 2 (1993), World Heroes Jet (1994) and World Heroes Perfect (1995).

Note 3: Check Marshall Law in Tekken (1994), Tekken 2 (1995), Tekken 3 (1996), Tekken 4 (2002), Tekken 5 (2005), Tekken 6 (2007) and Tekken 7 (2016) as well as Forest Law in Tekken Tag Tournament (1999), Marshall Law and Forest Law in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (2011).

Music videos

1975Robert LeeBruce Lee's brother released an album entitled "The Ballad of Bruce Lee".[4]
2001LMFHip-hop band from Hong Kong released a song with videoclip called "1127".[5]

Bruceploitation films

See also

Notes

  1. When The Big Boss was being prepared for American distribution, the U.S. release was to be re-titled The Chinese Connection, a play on the popular The French Connection, since both dealt with drug trafficking. The U.S. title of Lee's second film, Fist of Fury, was to be kept nearly the same, except using the plural Fists. However, the titles were accidentally reversed. The Big Boss was released as Fists of Fury and Fist of Fury became The Chinese Connection.[1]
  2. In the United States and Canada, the film earned $2.4 million in theatrical rentals.[2] This was equivalent to estimated box office gross receipts of approximately $8 million.[3]
  3. See The Big Boss § Box office
  4. See Fist of Fury § Box office
  5. See The Way of the Dragon § Box office
  6. See Enter the Dragon § Box office
  7. See Game of Death § Box office
  8. See Circle of Iron § Box office
  9. See Game of Death II § Box office

References

  1. "Alternate title confusion – The Big Boss (1972) – Chinese Kungfu Kaleidoscope". Cultural China. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  2. "Big Rental Films of 1969", Variety, 7 January 1970 p 15
  3. Vogel, Harold L. (2010). "Table 3.4. Motion picture theater industry statistics, 1965-2009". Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis. Cambridge University Press. pp. 88–9. ISBN 978-1-139-49732-9. 1965 (...) MPAA U.S. + Canadian rentals % of BO (...) 29.8
  4. "Robert Lee — The Ballad of Bruce Lee". YouTube.
  5. "LMF — 1127 Official Music Video". YouTube.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.