Bruce Lee explains kung fu in amazing retro video from the set of The Green Hornet. Lee became a movie legend thanks to his roles in classic ‘70s martial arts films like Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon. But before that Lee became familiar to TV audiences as the character of Kato in the series The Green Hornet.
Based on a long-running radio series, The Green Hornet only lasted one season on ABC. But the show would have a lasting cultural impact thanks mostly to the presence of Lee, who may have played the sidekick, but was arguably the true star of the series. The character of Kato of course returned many years later, with Jay Chou stepping into Lee’s shoes, with Seth Rogen’s 2011 Green Hornet movie adaptation. The Green Hornet would also figure in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, as Cliff Booth’s visit to the set of the show leads to the movie’s controversial fight between the stuntman and a fictional Lee (which ends in a draw when the two men are separated).
A real visit to the set of The Green Hornet in fact figures in a new piece of retro video that was just posted to Twitter by the official Bruce Lee account. There’s no fight with a stuntman in the video, but there is a charming interview with Lee in which he answers questions about various things, while enduring some bad jokes from the interviewer. See the clip in the space below:
The clip somewhat amusingly begins with Lee coasting in on his bike, which is later revealed to feature a customized plate bearing the star’s name. Lee then replies to a question about what kung fu is, and says it’s a Chinese martial art from which others like karate and jiu-jitsu are derived. Later he’s asked to tell the difference between kung fu and karate and replies that at least as it’s taught in his school in Oakland, kung fu is more offensive, which leads to a silly quip from the interviewer.
It’s indeed a measure of how little-known Lee was at the time of this interview that someone can be heard to whisper “I think his name is Bruce Lee” as the star rides in on his bike. Obviously The Green Hornet would play a big role in making sure that more people knew about Lee and his proficiency in kung fu, even though the show lasted just one season. And of course Lee’s great ‘70s martial arts films, including those released after his tragic premature passing in 1973, would turn him into a true icon of the screen.
Source: Bruce Lee/Twitter