The Cutting Room Floor: Lost, Censored & Deleted Bruce Lee Movie Scenes (Article)

[DragonClaws]

 

According to Jason Hart's The Missing Big Boss article, the cut scene featuring one of the thai prositutes. Takes place after Cheng Chiu On has thrown his posessions into the river.

 

Quote

Bruce, having thrown his possessions into the river, runs off down the road. In the current version, we then see him arriving at the boss's house holding a bag of prawn crackers. However, in the original version, Bruce runs into the town and stops outside the brothel. He pauses for a moment and decides to go in.

 

However, in the below picture that appears in the same article. He appears to be clutching his small blue bag, as he walks into her room?. If thats the case, the scenes actually take place in a slightly different order. Is it possible Bruce Lee's charactere goes to the river to discard his stuff, after seeing the working girl, rather than before?.

Note the object in Cheng Chao-On hands in the image below.

Edited November 4, 2021 by DragonClaws

[ShawAngela]

58 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

According to Jason Hart's The Missing Big Boss article, the cut scene featuring one of the thai prositutes. Takes place after Cheng Chiu On has thrown his posessions into the river.

 

 

However, in the below picture that appears in the same article. He appears to be clutching his small blue bag, as he walks into her room?. If thats the case, the scenes actually take place in a slightly different order. Is it possible Bruce Lee's charactere goes to the river to discard his stuff, after seeing the working girl, rather than before?.

Note the object in Cheng Chao-On hands in the image below.

I have watched this movie many time, but when I have to remember a precise thing, I can't  !

It seems to me that he goes to see the prostitute before deciding to take revenge at the river, and that's thank to her explanations that he discovers that he has been cheated...

Or maybe I'm mistaken and we aren't talking about the same scene and prostitute ? The one on this above picture doesn't look like the one who is killed by Liu Yung. And while I'm writing this, I remember that the explanation scene with the prostitute takes place before Bruce discovers the corpses in the ice, right ? Or am I mixing everything ?

What I'm almost sure of, is that when he returns at the brothel, the only blue thing he has is the blue top he wears above his white t-shirt.

 

[Cognoscente]

1 hour ago, DragonClaws said:

According to Jason Hart's The Missing Big Boss article, the cut scene featuring one of the Thai prostitutes. Takes place after Cheng Chiu On has thrown his possessions into the river.

However, in the below picture that appears in the same article. He appears to be clutching his small blue bag, as he walks into her room?. If that's the case, the scenes actually take place in a slightly different order. Is it possible Bruce Lee's character goes to the river to discard his stuff, after seeing the working girl, rather than before?.

Note the object in Cheng Chao-On hands in the image below.

It's possible that he goes to the brothel to find out where the boss lives, and the prostitute only agrees to tell him if he pays for sex.

[WarriorBloodCrest]

3 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

 

According to Jason Hart's The Missing Big Boss article, the cut scene featuring one of the thai prositutes. Takes place after Cheng Chiu On has thrown his posessions into the river.

 

 

However, in the below picture that appears in the same article. He appears to be clutching his small blue bag, as he walks into her room?. If thats the case, the scenes actually take place in a slightly different order. Is it possible Bruce Lee's charactere goes to the river to discard his stuff, after seeing the working girl, rather than before?.

Note the object in Cheng Chao-On hands in the image below.

The posessions that Cheng tosses into the river had a box-shaped look to them. On the pic you posted, it seems he's just clutching very tightly into his blue jacket, but could very well be some other object that was concealed by it. Mysteries mysteries...
 

2 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

Or maybe I'm mistaken and we aren't talking about the same scene and prostitute ? The one on this above picture doesn't look like the one who is killed by Liu Yung. And while I'm writing this, I remember that the explanation scene with the prostitute takes place before Bruce discovers the corpses in the ice, right ? Or am I mixing everything ?

I'd recommend reading Jason Hart's article to clarify your confusion, more specifically number 11 on that list: http://bruceleelives.co.uk/missingboss.html
And the following trailer with a portion of the cut out scene. Relevant timestamp is at @3:21: 

 

2 hours ago, Cognoscente said:

It's possible that he goes to the brothel to find out where the boss lives, and the prostitute only agrees to tell him if he pays for sex.

Cheng already knows where the Boss's mansion is located, unless you meant to say that Cheng wants to know the Boss' exact present location? Either way, it could potentially explain why Cheng tossed the red-sweater lady onto the bed (wanted to force info out of her, only to agree to her request for lovemaking in exchange for info, hence why she gets up and undresses afterwards).

Edited November 4, 2021 by WarriorBloodCrest
minor addition

[DragonClaws]

Quote

It seems to me that he goes to see the prostitute before deciding to take revenge at the river, and that's thank to her explanations that he discovers that he has been cheated... - ShawAngela

 

Just now, Cognoscente said:

It's possible that he goes to the brothel to find out where the boss lives, and the prostitute only agrees to tell him if he pays for sex.

 

Good points, that scene may reveal some more of the back story.

 

Just now, ShawAngela said:

Or maybe I'm mistaken and we aren't talking about the same scene and prostitute ?

 

The scene I'm talking about is a cut/missing sequence @ShawAngela. It's not featured in current versions of the movie. You might be mixing it up with the scenes feautring Wu Man, played by actress Malalin Bonnak?.

Edited November 4, 2021 by DragonClaws

[ShawAngela]

43 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

 

Good points, that scene may reveal some more of the back story.

 

 

The scene I'm talking about is a cut/missing sequence @ShawAngela. It's not featured in current versions of the movie. You might be mixing it up with the scenes feautring Wu Man, played by actress Malalin Bonnak?.

Ok, the "uncut" version I watched a few days ago doesn't have this scene with the other prostitute. However, it seems to me that I already saw it, maybe in my French VHS, or on the French DVD 

And I was convinced that is was Malalin who explained how the boss proceeds with his prostituées when she showed him her breast.

And yes, he already knows where the boss lives since this scene I'm referring to comes after he went to see him in order to ask for what happened to James Tien and he sees how the boss punishes the girl with his cigarette.

Thanks to the three of you for pointing out my mistake.

[Cognoscente]

1 hour ago, WarriorBloodCrest said:

Cheng already knows where the Boss's mansion is located, unless you meant to say that Cheng wants to know the Boss' exact present location? Either way, it could potentially explain why Cheng tossed the red-sweater lady onto the bed (wanted to force info out of her, only to agree to her request for lovemaking in exchange for info, hence why she gets up and undresses afterwards).

I meant to say where he is, because it's hard to imagine a man as rich as the boss with only one place to rest on his laurels. With money in his pockets, he could have been dead drunk somewhere...with women.

It's possible that Cheng only returned to the brothel to see if Chow Mei had been enslaved there.

[WarriorBloodCrest]

5 minutes ago, Cognoscente said:

I meant to say where he is, because it's hard to imagine a man as rich as the boss with only one place to rest on his laurels. With money in his pockets, he could have been dead drunk somewhere...with women.

It's possible that Cheng only returned to the brothel to see if Chow Mei had been enslaved there.

Funny enough, Not once in the film does Hsiao Mi (The "Big Boss") actually leave the area of his mansion. Regardless, it's still a solid headcanon you wrote. The angle with Chiao Mei is also another good possibility. 

[Cognoscente]

Another thing that's peculiar about Mi is that he doesn't have that many scenes despite being the villain.

[WarriorBloodCrest]

7 hours ago, Cognoscente said:

Another thing that's peculiar about Mi is that he doesn't have that many scenes despite being the villain.

His actor, Han Ying-chieh, also doubled as the main action choreographer for the movie. I'm also the opinion that the main villain should've been played by another actor, ideally Masashi Ishibashi, who played a fair share of bad guys on Sonny Chiba's flicks.

[DragonClaws]

 

  

11 hours ago, Cognoscente said:

It's possible that Cheng only returned to the brothel to see if Chow Mei had been enslaved there.

 

The brothel may have played a much bigger part in the story?.

 

4 hours ago, Cognoscente said:

Another thing that's peculiar about Mi is that he doesn't have that many scenes despite being the villain.

 

There are other films from the era, where the main vilain only has a few minor scenes. But you make a good point, and apart from a brief demonstration of Martial Arts in one scene. You wouldn't think he was much of an opponent for the hero. Who's fighting the entire gang by himself.

[DragonClaws]

 

A missing seqeunce from the finale of Enter the Dragon?.

 

 

[ShawAngela]

56 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

 

A missing seqeunce from the finale of Enter the Dragon?.

 

 

Isn't it the scene where Shih Kien looks at the fights between his men and his guests ? However, I don't remember if the girls where there at this moment...

[DragonClaws]

14 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

Isn't it the scene where Shih Kien looks at the fights between his men and his guests ? However, I don't remember if the girls where there at this moment...

 

It could be, I dont recall Tanya(Ahna Capri) stood holding Hans hand?.

 

[Omni Dragon]

19 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

 

A missing seqeunce from the finale of Enter the Dragon?.

 

 

 

[ShawAngela]

2 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

 

It could be, I dont recall Tanya(Ahna Capri) stood holding Hans hand?.

 

I hadn't even noticed this detail and thought that his arm was on the armchair !

[DragonClaws]

Just now, ShawAngela said:

I hadn't even noticed this detail and thought that his arm was on the armchair !

 

Might just a promotional photo?, but there's no shots like that in the actual movie?.

 

[DragonClaws]

 

 

[Yihetuan]

On 10/6/2021 at 11:23 AM, DragonClaws said:

 

There's an alternative take, of a short fight sequence from the finale in Enter the Dragon. Featured in the below Ahna Capri 8-MM video. This footage occurs at 17-mins 7-secs to 17-mins 17-secs.

There's a more complete look at this footage, in the up-coming issue of Eastern Heroes magazine.

Link- https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1929720077201265&set=a.108536295986328

 

 

 

Speaking of Eastern Heroes #3, apparently the printers are having issues which is causing an unexpected delay according to Ricky.

 

[DragonClaws]

 

The following video, uses an clip from the 1971 Ted Thomas radio interview. When Bruce Lee talked briefly about one of the cut scenes from The Big Boss.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by DragonClaws

[DragonClaws]

 

Which of Bruce Lee's Hong Kong Martial Art's movies, which one would you like to see in a longer cut?. This includes the Game of Death footage filmed in 1972. For me, it would be a tough choice between, Game of Death  & Enter The Dragon. While there's no extended Big Boss release out there, there's at least some substantial information about it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by DragonClaws

[Omni Dragon]

On 12/7/2021 at 6:24 PM, DragonClaws said:

Which of Bruce Lee's Hong Kong Martial Art's movies, which one would you like to see in a longer cut?. This includes the Game of Death footage filmed in 1972. For me, it would be a tough choice between, Game of Death  & Enter The Dragon. While there's no extended Big Boss release out there, there's at least some substantial information about it.

When you say 'longer cut', are we including hypothetical scenes or just scenes that are rumoured to have existed?

If we're talking hypothetical, then it has to be The Game of Death as it's the most incomplete.

But if we're talking rumoured to have existed: While it seems like The Big Boss is the most discussed, it sounds like the missing scenes from Enter the Dragon are more consequential to the overall movie and characters in the movie. I've hardly come across mentions of things removed from Fist of Fury or The Way of the Dragon.

[shukocarl1441996347]

On 12/6/2021 at 8:55 PM, DragonClaws said:

 

The following video, uses an clip from the 1971 Ted Thomas radio interview. When Bruce Lee talked briefly about one of the cut scenes from The Big Boss.

 

 

Everyone goes on about the missing "saw" scene which if it still exists is probably between 24 or 48 frames (1-2 seconds). Yes, we'd all like to see those seconds if they existed in the first place. Dis anyone ever bother to track down the Thai stunt man (if he's still around)  who got the splitting headache and ask HIM how it went down?

[DragonClaws]

Just now, shukocarl1441996347 said:

Everyone goes on about the missing "saw" scene which if it still exists is probably between 24 or 48 frames (1-2 seconds). Yes, we'd all like to see those seconds if they existed in the first place. Dis anyone ever bother to track down the Thai stunt man (if he's still around)  who got the splitting headache and ask HIM how it went down?

 

Steve Kerridge appears to have been in contact with afew of the stun guys?. Hard to expect them to recall one brief shot they filmed, over fifty years ago. It would be nice to have the scene, to theres not a big hump in continuity. Its clear, its not just the 2-4 secs impact shot, thats missing.

 

[DragonClaws]

13 hours ago, Omni Dragon said:

If we're talking hypothetical, then it has to be The Game of Death as it's the most incomplete.

 

The question was just for bit of fun, there's no right or wrong answers with this one.

 

13 hours ago, Omni Dragon said:

I've hardly come across mentions of things removed from Fist of Fury or The Way of the Dragon.

 

There's just small tid-bits here and there, not anything really substantial or eye brow raising.