Bruce Lee Newspaper Clippings: Needles, MJ and blows to the head!

[Coliseum1972]

Bryanstone distributed Way in the US (TX Chainsaw actors were ripped off , they were promised royalties they never got......supposedly mobsters got the $ instead)

[reason108]

That is some interesting information. I have read (and seen) a lot about Bruce over the years but have not seen hardly anything on his business dealings or what kind of business "contracts" he had. I think there were some articles put out by Linda Lee`s ex-husband many years ago that i never got around to reading. All that I remember was that there was some triad money invested in Concord pictures. Show Business wheelers and dealers could make used car dealers look like saints it seems. Its too bad that someone could`t release a "tell-all" book. Of course, they would have to be on their deathbed already and have no living relatives. (haha)

[The Dragon]

That is some interesting information. I have read (and seen) a lot about Bruce over the years but have not seen hardly anything on his business dealings or what kind of business "contracts" he had. I think there were some articles put out by Linda Lee`s ex-husband many years ago that i never got around to reading. All that I remember was that there was some triad money invested in Concord pictures. Show Business wheelers and dealers could make used car dealers look like saints it seems. Its too bad that someone could`t release a "tell-all" book. Of course, they would have to be on their deathbed already and have no living relatives. (haha)

Tom Bleecker did release a sort of tell all... Unsettled Matters: The Mysterious Life and Death of Bruce Lee.

Many people have labeled the book a demeaning, disgraceful account of an author with an axe to grind.

Me, I found it a missing piece to puzzles that previously had no end in sight. Sometimes answers to questions aren't necessarily the answers one may have been hoping to hear. Yet and still, when harsh truths be applied,it becomes even more a bitter pill to swallow.

[makone]

I do think this book gave a more realistic look at Bruce`s life, but i also think TB did have a vindictive agenda aswell.

[Bruce]

Tom Bleecker did release a sort of tell all... Unsettled Matters: The Mysterious Life and Death of Bruce Lee.

Many people have labeled the book a demeaning, disgraceful account of an author with an axe to grind.

Me, I found it a missing piece to puzzles that previously had no end in sight. Sometimes answers to questions aren't necessarily the answers one may have been hoping to hear. Yet and still, when harsh truths be applied,it becomes even more a bitter pill to swallow.

I read Bleecker's book many years ago, thought it was at least good for the purpose of balancing out the Bruce Lee worshipping books from John Little, but for all Bleecker's talk of mysterious, previously unknown information about Bruce Lee, as I recall the author never offered one solid, conclusive opinion as to what caused Bruce Lee's death. He hinted at this, that & the other, said it wasn't this, wasn't that, but didn't actually share a firm alternate conclusion. Seemed odd to me. Did I miss something?

[The Dragon]

I do think this book gave a more realistic look at Bruce`s life, but i also think TB did have a vindictive agenda aswell.

I've never got the feeling of him being vindictive at all, and I happen to be quite the Lee supporter. Bleecker, to me, with his written expression, gave what appeared to me, the most sincere account of Lee's life and dealings. The man was not the most loveable, likeable person, as he's now remembered. Time sometimes, soften memories of difficult situations and people. Had the info he provided been available 30yrs prior, no one would have given a damn.

It has always been Adrian Marshall and Linda Lee who created Bruce Lee's posthumous international, image.

Btw, nobody cared when Bleecker mentioned Linda carried on an affair with Marshall, for nearly ten years, with Marshall steering the reins of what was to become what we now call The Estate.

[sdog2006]

I've never got the feeling of him being vindictive at all, and I happen to be quite the Lee supporter. Bleecker, to me, with his written expression, gave what appeared to me, the most sincere account of Lee's life and dealings. The man was not the most loveable, likeable person, as he's now remembered. Time sometimes, soften memories of difficult situations and people. Had the info he provided been available 30yrs prior, no one would have given a damn.

It has always been Adrian Marshall and Linda Lee who created Bruce Lee's posthumous international, image.

Btw, nobody cared when Bleecker mentioned Linda carried on an affair with Marshall, for nearly ten years, with Marshall steering the reins of what was to become what we now call The Estate.

Accurate in the extreme.

Bruce Lee was a rock solid asshole when he hit the bigtime.

The awkwardness in Paul Heller's face when he said; "I guess he wasn't quite as gracious as one would have wanted." speaks volumes. I think that interview was featured on Curse of the Dragon and it was in reference to Lee's conduct on the set of ETD.

The cringeworthy part in all this is that there are people who think Bruce Lee was the perfect human being and they have a heart attack when he's under scrutiny. Lee was a pure bad ass and although he preached Krishnamurti philosophy, he was a Steve McQueen wannabe who looked at Hong Kong like it was the Wild West.

The Estate (ne Linda Lee, Shannon Lee, John Little) created a product. They laud Lee for his successes and dismiss his flaws. Little named his own son Brandon for f*ck sake, that is literally sick. Lee preached individuality and you go and name your son after someone elses. Bleurgh?????????

Don't get me wrong, Bleeker struck me as being a complete prick but I have no doubt that the majority of his work was accurate and that's what counts.

[The Dragon]

Accurate in the extreme.

Bruce Lee was a rock solid asshole when he hit the bigtime.

The awkwardness in Paul Heller's face when he said; "I guess he wasn't quite as gracious as one would have wanted." speaks volumes. I think that interview was featured on Curse of the Dragon and it was in reference to Lee's conduct on the set of ETD.

The cringeworthy part in all this is that there are people who think Bruce Lee was the perfect human being and they have a heart attack when he's under scrutiny. Lee was a pure bad ass and although he preached Krishnamurti philosophy, he was a Steve McQueen wannabe who looked at Hong Kong like it was the Wild West.

The Estate (ne Linda Lee, Shannon Lee, John Little) created a product. They laud Lee for his successes and dismiss his flaws. Little named his own son Brandon for f*ck sake, that is literally sick. Lee preached individuality and you go and name your son after someone elses. Bleurgh?????????

Don't get me wrong, Bleeker struck me as being a complete prick but I have no doubt that the majority of his work was accurate and that's what counts.

Thank you sir.

Like I've said, I support Lee the entertainer, however, I'm not overtaken in his character. He is probably one of the most famous, flawed, individuals in the entertainment industry, of all time.

[makone]

I wasn`t arguing that he was wrong about the stuff he wrote, I believe most of it. but you really don`t think any of it was written just to get back at Linda. please.

And as for criticising John Little about the choice of name for his son, I take that personally because that is the name of my first born, out of RESPECT for a man who was one of the biggest inspirations in my life.

[The Dragon]

I wasn`t arguing that he was wrong about the stuff he wrote, I believe most of it. but you really don`t think any of it was written just to get back at Linda. please..

I'm glad Bleecker made disclosures we would have otherwise NEVER been privy to.

[makone]

I agree with you on that Dragon, it`s just the little things like Bruce couldn`t perform sexually. i see as only meant to hurt. thats what i see as vindictive.

Bruce did drugs,steroids,was a bully,a womaniser , i don`t find it very hard to believe any of that. so i actually agree with you.

You can tell the truth and be vindictive at the same time thats all i`m saying.

[The Dragon]

I agree with you on that Dragon, it`s just the little things like Bruce couldn`t perform sexually. i see as only meant to hurt. thats what i see as vindictive.

Bruce did drugs,steroids,was a bully,a womaniser , i don`t find it very hard to believe any of that. so i actually agree with you.

You can tell the truth and be vindictive at the same time thats all i`m saying.

Yes I agree. I actually didn't pay much attention to his bedside revelations; only in the context of how drugs affect or enhance one's libido, which is true.

It was funny to learn the actual way the back injury happened.. a great deal less sensational than what turned up in film.

So alas, there may still be truth to the fact Lee was receiving a doctorate from Betty Ting Pei on Bedside Kung Fu. She was a reputed Sexpert.

[sdog2006]

I wasn`t arguing that he was wrong about the stuff he wrote, I believe most of it. but you really don`t think any of it was written just to get back at Linda. please.

And as for criticising John Little about the choice of name for his son, I take that personally because that is the name of my first born, out of RESPECT for a man who was one of the biggest inspirations in my life.

Oh shit, I'm sorry dude.

Once when I was a kid (emphasis on kid) I made fun of a fat lady across the street. Unfortunately the friend I was with was her son.

Big banana peel but it wouldn't say much about my character if I back tracked. I can only apologise for having a different viewpoint.

Sorry again and I would never dream of offending you.

PS - Bleeker did take jibes at Linda Lee, no doubt, but the book was still a very accurate account.

[makone]

I accept your apology, and appreciate your view point.

i`ve got tooth marks in my knee because i`ve had my foot so far in my mouth, lol.

I do believe Bleecker on alot of things, so much so that it makes me wonder if i would have still been as big a fan, if i knew his true personality in the beginning.

I was once asked if i would have wanted to meet Bruce had he still been alive. my answer was no, because i don`t think i would of liked him.

[The Dragon]

I accept your apology, and appreciate your view point.

i`ve got tooth marks in my knee because i`ve had my foot so far in my mouth, lol.

I do believe Bleecker on alot of things, so much so that it makes me wonder if i would have still been as big a fan, if i knew his true personality in the beginning.

I was once asked if i would have wanted to meet Bruce had he still been alive. my answer was no, because i don`t think i would of liked him.

That could very well be the reason HK hasn't really done anything commemorating his name, except that recent horrible statue.. He really rubbed a lot of people the wrong way-before he died-and some may have even felt, ;good riddance.

This is why I've said if a great deal of disclosures happened early on, we'd have a more true, realistic, portrait of who this guy was.

ENTER THE DRAGON was released less than a month after he died, and that didn't help the International audiences forming a false image of the man.

Adrian Marshall did the rest. What a sly individual.

[Bruce]

What's the consensus on that, by the way? Who have we polled, exactly? I'm not saying the guy was a saint (he openly admitted he wasn't, by the way), not saying he didn't have his asshole-ish moments, but then, who hasn't? I consider myself to've had my share, but if you asked people who know me to describe me, I feel pretty safe guessing few if any would say I'm an asshole. So what incidents define Bruce Lee as predominately an asshole? The alleged threat and/or verbal battle with Lo Wei? Nonspecified moments of being less than gracious in communicating with producers of Enter The Dragon? Ok, I can believe Bruce got into shouting matches with these people, seems feasible to me. But does that kind of thing (isolated incidents, mind you) define a person's character?

Those kind of emotional outbursts do seem less than admirable (but normal human behavior, nonetheless, we all get stressed out), but if you asked a broad spectrum of his friends & associates to describe Bruce Lee's character, even when he was at the height of his success, I don't believe many would say he was an asshole. What do I base this belief on? Interviews with any & all of the following: Ted Wong, Herb Jackson, Dan Inosanto, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Chuck Norris, Jim Kelly, John Saxon, Jhoon Rhee, Jackie Chan, Taky Kimura, James Coburn, Stirling Silliphant, all people who spent time with Bruce Lee in his last year, all of whom came away still considering him likeable, and/or admirable, someone they considered a friend.

But what would they know? They only knew him personally, actually hung out with the guy, obviously fans who never spent a single moment with Bruce Lee would be in a much better position to judge his character, right? Yeah, right ...

Not saying Bruce didn't have character flaws & bad moments, fellas, but when you define someone only by those bad moments or try to focus on them exclusively you don't get any more accurate a picture than you would if you exaggerated their positive traits & set them up on a pedestal to worship them. Bruce was human like anyone else, but it seems to me most of the people who knew him remember him affectionately. When it's my turn to go, I'd consider myself fortunate if the same could be said for me.

[The Dragon]

No one is defining someone only by those bad moments or trying to focus on them exclusively...

I believe it's been a discussion of all things, inclusive-disclosure, and speculation, surrounded by limited truth and hypothesis.

[sdog2006]

What's the consensus on that, by the way? Who have we polled, exactly? I'm not saying the guy was a saint (he openly admitted he wasn't, by the way), not saying he didn't have his asshole-ish moments, but then, who hasn't? I consider myself to've had my share, but if you asked people who know me to describe me, I feel pretty safe guessing few if any would say I'm an asshole. So what incidents define Bruce Lee as predominately an asshole? The alleged threat and/or verbal battle with Lo Wei? Nonspecified moments of being less than gracious in communicating with producers of Enter The Dragon? Ok, I can believe Bruce got into shouting matches with these people, seems feasible to me. But does that kind of thing (isolated incidents, mind you) define a person's character?

Those kind of emotional outbursts do seem less than admirable (but normal human behavior, nonetheless, we all get stressed out), but if you asked a broad spectrum of his friends & associates to describe Bruce Lee's character, even when he was at the height of his success, I don't believe many would say he was an asshole. What do I base this belief on? Interviews with any & all of the following: Ted Wong, Herb Jackson, Dan Inosanto, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Chuck Norris, Jim Kelly, John Saxon, Jhoon Rhee, Jackie Chan, Taky Kimura, James Coburn, Stirling Silliphant, all people who spent time with Bruce Lee in his last year, all of whom came away still considering him likeable, and/or admirable, someone they considered a friend.

But what would they know? They only knew him personally, actually hung out with the guy, obviously fans who never spent a single moment with Bruce Lee would be in a much better position to judge his character, right? Yeah, right ...

Not saying Bruce didn't have character flaws & bad moments, fellas, but when you define someone only by those bad moments or try to focus on them exclusively you don't get any more accurate a picture than you would if you exaggerated their positive traits & set them up on a pedestal to worship them. Bruce was human like anyone else, but it seems to me most of the people who knew him remember him affectionately. When it's my turn to go, I'd consider myself fortunate if the same could be said for me.

You base your beliefs on talking heads from, predominantly, Bruce Lee Estate approved material? Yeah that is always going to be an unbiased account isn't it? lol

The Estate has been out to protect Lee's name, properties and entitlements for over twenty years and you think someone would be allowed to convey a negative against him on material they have authorised? Are you kidding me?

The truncated examples of Lee's behaviour in the last year of his life, that you have listed, are either dilluted heavily for the benefit of your argument or you haven't read enough.

Other than that your findings were pretty good

[Bruce]

When it comes to where the interviews I was referring to came from, they're from anywhere & everywhere that such interviews would be found (various martial arts magazines, books, documentaries), ranging in dates from the 1960s to the present; I'm sure some were approved by the Lee Estate but even so I never got the impression, even remotely, that any of the interviewees thought of Bruce as an asshole.

If you weren't concluding that Bruce Lee was, towards the end of his life, mostly an asshole, perhaps you should've said so. Also, when it comes to questioning sources, their motivation, who's behind their slant, etc., wouldn't negative reports about Bruce Lee have been more popular with the media & thus more visible to the public (bad news/scandal sells) than anything positive (particularly around the time of his death, even in the months prior)? Was the media more likely to emphasis a shouting match with Lo Wei or something about Bruce treating his stuntmen with consideration & respect (as Jackie Chan has noted), for instance? Wouldn't negative reports color peoples' perspective in an unbalanced, unfair way?

If your opinions are based on all you've read & heard from various sources, shouldn't you consider that negative stories tend to sell more than positive, hence we're likely to hear more of the negative? Of course, I'd agree that the Lee Estate has tended to push things that go in the opposite direction, I'd guess that the truth is usually somewhere in between. Still doesn't leave me thinking Bruce was an asshole, at least not the vast majority of the time. Seems silly to me to assume we'd know better than people who knew him personally.

[The Dragon]

You base your beliefs on talking heads from, predominantly, Bruce Lee Estate approved material? Yeah that is always going to be an unbiased account isn't it? lol

The Estate has been out to protect Lee's name, properties and entitlements for over twenty years and you think someone would be allowed to convey a negative against him on material they have authorised? Are you kidding me?

The truncated examples of Lee's behaviour in the last year of his life, that you have listed, are either dilluted heavily for the benefit of your argument or you haven't read enough.

Other than that your findings were pretty good

When it comes to where the interviews I was referring to came from, they're from anywhere & everywhere that such interviews would be found (various martial arts magazines, books, documentaries), ranging in dates from the 1960s to the present; I'm sure some were approved by the Lee Estate but even so I never got the impression, even remotely, that any of the interviewees thought of Bruce as an asshole.

If you weren't concluding that Bruce Lee was, towards the end of his life, mostly an asshole, perhaps you should've said so. Also, when it comes to questioning sources, their motivation, who's behind their slant, etc., wouldn't negative reports about Bruce Lee have been more popular with the media & thus more visible to the public (bad news/scandal sells) than anything positive (particularly around the time of his death, even in the months prior)? Was the media more likely to emphasis a shouting match with Lo Wei or something about Bruce treating his stuntmen with consideration & respect (as Jackie Chan has noted), for instance? Wouldn't negative reports color peoples' perspective in an unbalanced, unfair way?

If your opinions are based on all you've read & heard from various sources, shouldn't you consider that negative stories tend to sell more than positive, hence we're likely to hear more of the negative? Of course, I'd agree that the Lee Estate has tended to push things that go in the opposite direction, I'd guess that the truth is usually somewhere in between. Still doesn't leave me thinking Bruce was an asshole, at least not the vast majority of the time. Seems silly to me to assume we'd know better than people who knew him personally.

[Bruce]

Cute little clips there. Not a reasonable reply or a hint of sound critical thinking to be found, but cute clips. So your actual point is ... ?

[The Dragon]

"Well... uhmm.. That's like, your opinion, man."

It is a fact, not an opinion, however, this man was not handling his newfound celebrity well. Though he sought it with great zeal, once It befell, it wasn't as rosy a picture he imagined. This, has been documented in various interviews and articles, probably in some of the very same material you've referenced.

It's a discussion. Nobody is gonna win an Award For Comprehensive Construction of Cerebral Consitution. If there were, I'd have received it already.

[makone]

I know it sounds like we are ripping him to pieces. But unfortunately when you`re discussing a man`s less than admirable quality`s it`s going too.

I still think he`s great, i love his movies as much now as when i was a kid.

Only now i see a man not a mythical hero.

[Bruce]

"Well... uhmm.. That's like, your opinion, man."

It is a fact, not an opinion, however, this man was not handling his newfound celebrity well. Though he sought it with great zeal, once It befell, it wasn't as rosy a picture he imagined. This, has been documented in various interviews and articles, probably in some of the very same material you've referenced.

It's a discussion. Nobody is gonna win an Award For Comprehensive Construction of Cerebral Consitution. If there were, I'd have received it already.

When you say Bruce wasn't handling his newfound celebrity well, what standard are you holding him up to? How have celebrities in general adapted to new fame & fortune? If you say Bruce (as a matter of "fact"!) was handling it poorly, who would you compare him to as having handled a similar situation very well? Wouldn't Bruce have to be ranked somewhere along a scale of, say, handling it outstandingly well to handling it atrociously poorly? When I think of any of many other celebrities I'm not sure I'd rank Bruce near the bottom , probably somewhere around the middle of our scale would be a more fair assessment. Not that we're really in any appropriate position to judge, having never been in any of these peoples' shoes or anything close to it ... so what was your "fact" again?

Very often we don't actually "know for a fact" all we'd like to think we do, myself included.

[DarthKato]

It does seem that most famous people tend to have problems handing their own fame. That is why you keep hearing about celebrities taking their own life all the time. Just because you are rich and famous does not mean that everything is good and right in your world. They are always under a trumendous stress to not only dealing with the public , but they also have to deal with their own problems at home. I don't really think it's that much a stretch that Bruce may have been having problems. He did basicly go from little known to world wide stardom in a relatively short peroid of time.