Editing Bruce Lee (section)

== Career and education ==

=== 1940–1958: Early roles, schooling and martial arts initiation ===
Lee's father was a [[Cantonese opera]] star. As a result, Junior Lee was introduced to the world of cinema at a very young age and appeared in several films as a child. Lee had his first role as a baby who was carried onto the stage in the film ''[[Golden Gate Girl]]''.{{sfn|Campbell|Lee|2006|p=1}} He took his Chinese stage name as 李小龍, lit. "Lee the Little Dragon", for the fact that he was born in both the hour and the year of the [[Dragon (zodiac)|Dragon]] by the [[Chinese zodiac]].<ref name="bruceleefoundation biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/page/About-Bruce-Lee/pid/10378 |title=Biography |publisher=Bruce Lee Foundation |access-date=June 7, 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822035902/http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/page/About-Bruce-Lee/pid/10378 |archive-date=August 22, 2010}}</ref>

At age seven, Lee began practicing [[tai chi]] together with his father.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=34}} As a nine-year-old, he co-starred with his father in ''[[The Kid (1950 film)|The Kid]]'' in 1950, which was based on a comic book character, "Kid Cheung", and was his first leading role.<ref name="BerryFarquhar2006">{{cite book |author1=Christopher J. Berry |author2=Mary Ann Farquhar |title=China on Screen: Cinema and Nation |url=https://archive.org/details/chinaonscreencin0000berr|url-access=registration |year=2006 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-51030-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/chinaonscreencin0000berr/page/100 100]–}}</ref> By the time he was 18, he had appeared in 20 films.<ref name="bruceleefoundation biography" /> After attending Tak Sun School ({{lang|zh|德信學校}}; several blocks from his home at 218 [[Nathan Road]], [[Kowloon]]), Lee entered the primary school division of the [[Catholic school|Catholic]] [[La Salle College]] at age 12.<ref name="Thomas1994">{{cite book |author=Bruce Thomas |url=https://archive.org/details/bruceleefighting0000thom_d0z5 |title=Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit : a Biography |publisher=Frog Books |year=1994 |isbn=978-1-883319-25-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bruceleefighting0000thom_d0z5/page/11 11]–|url-access=registration}}</ref>

[[File:The age of 18 Bruce Lee and Ye Wen.jpg|thumb|Lee and [[Ip Man]] in 1958]]

In the early 1950s, Lee's father became an [[opium]] addict.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=39}} In 1956, due to poor academic performance (and possibly poor conduct), Lee was transferred to [[St. Francis Xavier's College, Tai Kok Tsui|St. Francis Xavier's College]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=46, 51}} He was mentored by Brother Edward Muss, [[Marist Brothers|F.M.S.]], a Bavarian-born teacher and coach of the school [[boxing]] team.<ref name=":7">Thomas 1994, pp. 29–30.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Bruce Lee, a global hero who epitomised Hong Kong's strengths – it's just a pity the city could not preserve his former home |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1880598/bruce-lee-global-hero-who-epitomised-hong-kongs-strengths-its-just |id=[https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1880598/bruce-lee-global-hero-who-epitomised-hong-kongs-strengths-its-just 12ft.io] |access-date=January 26, 2023 |newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]] |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127035746/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1880598/bruce-lee-global-hero-who-epitomised-hong-kongs-strengths-its-just |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bro. Edward Muss FMS R.I.P. |url=https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/E-Muss.htm|access-date=January 26, 2023|archive-date=January 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126213017/https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/E-Muss.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1953, Lee's friend [[William Cheung]] introduced him to [[Ip Man]].{{snf|Thomas|1994|pp=307–308}}<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=July 25, 2018 |title=Who taught Bruce Lee kung fu? He was born to be a fighter, but the martial arts superstar also trained with the best |url=https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156574/who-taught-bruce-lee-kung-fu-he-was-born-be-fighter-martial-arts |work=South China Morning Post |quote=Lee found a sifu, or master, through a street-gang member called William Cheung, who took him to a wing chun school run by Ip Man, who had begun teaching the style in Hong Kong around 1950.|access-date=February 14, 2023|archive-date=February 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214104022/https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156574/who-taught-bruce-lee-kung-fu-he-was-born-be-fighter-martial-arts|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Cheung, Lee's European background on his mother's side led him to be rejected, initially, from learning [[Wing Chun]] kung fu under Ip Man because of the long-standing rule in the [[Chinese martial arts]] world not to teach foreigners.<ref name="Blitz">{{cite news |url=http://www.ma-mags.com/Mags/Blitz/Blitz%203-3%20Cov.jpg |title=William Cheung Scene one... Take One |last1=De Roche |first1=Everett |date=June 1989 |work=Australasian Blitz Magazine|access-date=January 12, 2017 |publisher=Blitz Publishers |issn=0818-9595 |agency=Gordon and Gotch Ltd |issue=Print edition Vol. 3 No. 3 |ref=Blitz|archive-date=June 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602081413/http://www.ma-mags.com/Mags/Blitz/Blitz%203-3%20Cov.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SMH">{{cite news |last1=Lallo |first1=Michael |title=All the right moves |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/melbourne-life/all-the-right-moves-20110119-19wp3.html|access-date=December 26, 2016 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=onliine |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=January 20, 2011 |ref=SMH}}</ref>{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=54}} Cheung spoke on his behalf and Lee was accepted into the school and began training in Wing Chun with Ip Man.<ref name="AsAmNews">{{cite news |last1=Chen |first1=Edwin |title=Bruce Lee Was an Anchor Baby |url=https://asamnews.com/2016/01/05/blog-bruce-lee-was-an-anchor-baby/ |access-date=November 1, 2020 |work=asamnews.com |issue=Online |publisher=AsAmNews |date=January 5, 2016 |ref=AsAmNews |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108102227/http://asamnews.com/2016/01/05/blog-bruce-lee-was-an-anchor-baby/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">''Black Belt: Bruce Lee Collector's Edition'' Summer 1993</ref> Ip tried to keep his students from fighting in the street gangs of Hong Kong by encouraging them to fight in organized competitions.<ref>''Black Belt: Bruce Lee Collector's Edition'' Summer 1993, p. 18.</ref>

After a year of his training with [[Ip Man]], most of the other students refused to train with Lee. They had learned of his mixed ancestry, and the Chinese were generally against teaching their martial arts techniques to non-Asians.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=26}}{{sfn|Sharif|2009|p=56}} Lee's sparring partner, Hawkins Cheung, states, "Probably fewer than six people in the whole Wing Chun clan were personally taught, or even partly taught, by [[Ip Man]]".<ref>''Black Belt: Bruce Lee Collector's Edition'' Summer 1993 p. 19.</ref> However, Lee showed a keen interest in Wing Chun and continued to train privately with Ip Man, [[William Cheung]], and [[Wong Shun-leung]].{{sfn|Campbell|Lee|2006|p=172}}<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=July 25, 2018 |title=Who taught Bruce Lee kung fu? He was born to be a fighter, but the martial arts superstar also trained with the best |url=https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156574/who-taught-bruce-lee-kung-fu-he-was-born-be-fighter-martial-arts |work=South China Morning Post |quote=Although Lee studied wing chun at Ip's school, he was mainly taught by Wong Shun-leung, as Ip himself only taught advanced students, not beginners. Lee quickly became devoted to wing chun and practiced diligently.|access-date=February 14, 2023|archive-date=February 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214104022/https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156574/who-taught-bruce-lee-kung-fu-he-was-born-be-fighter-martial-arts|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1958, Lee won the Hong Kong schools boxing tournament, [[knocking out]] the previous champion, Gary Elms, in the final.<ref name=":7" /> That year, Lee was also a [[Cha-cha-cha (dance)|cha-cha]] dancer, winning Hong Kong's Crown Colony Cha-Cha Championship.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Linda |last2=Lee |first2=Mike |title=The Bruce Lee Story |date=1989 |publisher=[[Black Belt Communications]] |isbn=978-0-89750-121-7 |page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2NAuMRjSUSIC&pg=PA30 |language=en |access-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727173321/https://books.google.com/books?id=2NAuMRjSUSIC&pg=PA30 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1959–1964: Move to Seattle ===
In his late teens, Lee's street fights became more frequent and included beating the son of a feared [[Triad (organized crime)|triad]] family.<ref name="LeeLee1989">{{cite book |author1=Linda Lee |author2=Mike Lee |title=The Bruce Lee Story |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2NAuMRjSUSIC&pg=PA26 |year=1989 |publisher=Black Belt Communications |isbn=978-0-89750-121-7 |pages=26–|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727141228/https://books.google.com/books?id=2NAuMRjSUSIC&pg=PA26|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1958, after students from a rival [[Choy Li Fut]] martial arts school challenged Lee's [[Wing Chun]] school, he engaged in a fight on a rooftop. In response to an unfair punch by another boy, he beat him so badly that one of his teeth was knocked out, leading to the boy's parents making a complaint to the police.<ref name="Burrows 2002">{{cite web |last=Burrows |first=Alyssa |title=Bruce Lee |publisher=HistoryLink |year=2002 |url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3999 |access-date=May 30, 2008 |archive-date=May 8, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508051639/http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3999 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Lee's mother had to go to a police station and sign a document saying that she would take full responsibility for his actions if they released him into her custody. Though she did not mention the incident to her husband, she suggested that her son return to the United States to claim his U.S. citizenship at the age of 18.<ref>{{cite news |title=What you didn't know about: Bruce Lee Bruce Lee in Seattle — Part 1 |url=https://nwasianweekly.com/2022/08/what-you-didnt-know-about-bruce-lee-bruce-lee-in-seattle-part-1/ |work=Northwest Asian Weekly |date=August 25, 2022 |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702104232/https://nwasianweekly.com/2022/08/what-you-didnt-know-about-bruce-lee-bruce-lee-in-seattle-part-1/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Lee's father agreed as Lee's college prospects were not very promising if he remained in Hong Kong.<ref name="Burrows 2002" />

{{blockquote|The police detective came and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Lee, your son is really fighting bad in school. If he gets into just one more fight I might have to put him in jail".|[[Robert Lee Jun-fai|Robert Lee]]<ref name="Bruce Lee 2002" />}}
In April 1959, Lee's parents decided to send him to the United States to stay with his older sister, Agnes Lee ({{lang|zh|李秋鳳}}), who was already living with family friends in San Francisco. After several months, he moved to [[Seattle]] in 1959 to continue his high school education, where he also worked for [[Ruby Chow]] as a live-in waiter at her restaurant. Chow's husband was a co-worker and friend of Lee's father. Lee's elder brother [[Peter Lee Jung-sum|Peter Lee]] ({{lang|zh|李忠琛}}) joined him in [[Seattle]] for a short stay, before moving on to [[Minnesota]] to attend college.<ref name="Wing Chung Gung Fu">{{cite web |url=http://hardcorejkd.com/wing_chun.php |title=Wing Chung Gung Fu |publisher=Hardcore JKD|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514160028/http://www.hardcorejkd.com/wing_chun.php|archive-date=May 14, 2008|access-date=May 30, 2008}}</ref>

In 1959, Lee started to teach martial arts. He called what he taught Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce Lee's Kung Fu).{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=114}} It was his approach to [[Wing Chun]].<ref name="Wing Chung Gung Fu" /> Lee taught friends he met in Seattle, starting with Judo practitioner [[Jesse Glover]], who continued to teach some of Lee's early techniques.{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=92-94}} Lee's early student group was the most racially diverse group of practitioners of Chinese martial arts until that time.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=97}} During this time period, Lee invented his [[one-inch punch]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=98}} He also became interested in [[boxing]] and the techniques of [[Muhammad Ali]] and [[Sugar Ray Robinson]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=100}}

[[Taky Kimura]] became Lee's first Assistant Instructor and continued to teach his art and philosophy after Lee's death.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/page/Biography/pid/10585 |title=Bruce Lee Biography |publisher=Bruce Lee Foundation|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119051316/http://bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/page/Biography/pid/10585|archive-date=November 19, 2012|access-date=September 4, 2012}}</ref> Lee opened his first [[Kwoon|martial arts school]], named the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, in Seattle.

Lee completed his high school education and received his diploma from [[Seattle Central Community College|Edison Technical School]] on [[Capitol Hill (Seattle)|Capitol Hill]] in Seattle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2014 |title=Bruce Lee and his Seattle roots — A retrospective comes to the Wing |url=http://nwasianweekly.com/2014/08/bruce-lee-seattle-roots-retrospective-comes-wing/ |access-date=November 25, 2021 |website=Northwest Asian Weekly |language=en-US |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125022933/http://nwasianweekly.com/2014/08/bruce-lee-seattle-roots-retrospective-comes-wing/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 1961, Lee enrolled at the [[University of Washington]].<ref>{{harvnb|Little|2001|p=32}}</ref> Despite what Lee himself and many others have stated, Lee's official major was drama rather than philosophy, according to a 1999 article in the university's alumni publication.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec99/j_o.html |title=U. of Washington alumni records |publisher=Washington.edu |access-date=January 22, 2010 |archive-date=February 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221043919/http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec99/j_o.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In his junior year, he took two classes in psychology and two classes in philosophy; both of these became core interests for him for the rest of his life.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=108}} He socialized with wealthy young people, but lived in relative poverty and worked as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant.{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=108-109}}

===1964-1965: Oakland===
Lee dropped out of university in early 1964 and moved to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] to live with [[James Yimm Lee]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=134}} James Lee was twenty years senior to Lee and a well-known Chinese martial artist in the area. Together, they founded the second Jun Fan martial arts studio in Oakland.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=137}} James Lee was responsible for introducing Lee to [[Ed Parker]], an American martial artist. At the invitation of Parker, Lee appeared in the 1964 [[Long Beach International Karate Championships]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=145-146}} He performed repetitions of two-finger push-ups, using the thumb and the index finger of one hand, with feet at approximately shoulder-width apart.<ref name="Two Finger Pushup">{{cite web |access-date=May 30, 2008 |url=http://www.maniacworld.com/bruce_lee_3.htm |title=Two Finger Pushup |publisher=Maniac World|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521195049/http://www.maniacworld.com/bruce_lee_3.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2008}}</ref>

In the same Long Beach event, he also performed the "[[one-inch punch]]".<ref name="Two Finger Pushup" /> Lee stood upright, his right foot forward with knees bent slightly, in front of a standing, stationary partner. Lee's right arm was partly extended and his right fist was approximately {{convert|1|in|cm|spell=in}} away from the partner's chest. Without retracting his right arm, Lee then forcibly delivered the punch to volunteer Bob Baker while largely maintaining his posture. This sent Baker backward and falling into a chair placed behind Baker to prevent injury, though Baker's momentum caused him to fall to the floor. Baker recalled, "I told Bruce not to do this type of demonstration again. When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable".{{sfn|Vaughn|Lee|1986|p=[https://archive.org/details/legendarybrucele0000unse/page/20/mode/2up 21]}} It was at the 1964 championships that Lee first met [[Taekwondo]] master [[Jhoon Rhee|Jhoongoo Rhee]]. The two developed a friendship— a relationship from which they benefited as martial artists. Rhee taught Lee the [[side kick]] in detail, and Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch.<ref name="Nilsson">{{Cite journal |last=Nilsson |first=Thomas |date=May 1996 |title=With Bruce Lee: Taekwondo Pioneer Jhoon Rhee Recounts His 10-Year Friendship With the "Dragon" |journal=[[Black Belt Magazine]] |volume=34 |issue=5 |pages=39–43 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39 |access-date=November 19, 2009 |archive-date=May 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523004023/https://books.google.com/books?id=H9oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the Long Beach event, he also publicly criticized a number of classical [[karate]] and [[kung fu]] styles and argued for modernizing martial arts. This was a highly controversial presentation that convinced some spectators, while offending others.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=147}} Subsequently, he appeared at the Sun Sing Theatre to present his new approach to the [[Chinatown, Oakland]], community. More traditional kung fu practitioners took Lee's claims as an open challenge.{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=148–151}}

In 1964, Lee had a controversial private match with [[Wong Jack-man]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=154–157}} Jack Man was a direct student of Ma Kin Fung, known for his mastery of [[Xingyiquan]], [[Northern Shaolin (martial art)|Northern Shaolin]], and [[tai chi]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=152}} According to Lee, the Chinese community issued an ultimatum to him to stop teaching non-Chinese people. When he refused to comply, he was challenged to a combat match with Wong. The arrangement was that if Lee lost, he would have to shut down his school, while if he won, he would be free to teach white people, or anyone else.<ref name="ReferenceB">''Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon'', January 29, 2002, A&E Television Networks</ref> Wong denied this, stating that he requested to fight Lee after Lee boasted during one of his demonstrations at a Chinatown theater that he could beat anyone in San Francisco, and that Wong himself did not discriminate against whites or other non-Chinese people.<ref name="Dorgan">{{harvnb|Dorgan|1980|p=}}</ref> Lee commented, "That paper had all the names of the [[sifu]] from Chinatown, but they don't scare me".<ref>''Black Belt: Bruce Lee Collector's Edition'', Summer 1993 Rainbow Publications Inc, p. 117</ref> Individuals known to have witnessed the match include Cadwell, James Lee (Bruce Lee's associate, no relation), and William Chen, a teacher of tai chi.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Wong and William Chen stated that the fight lasted an unusually long 20–25 minutes.<ref name="Dorgan" /><ref name="Mental Floss">{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/67108/time-bruce-lee-was-challenged-real-fight |title=Bruce Lee: The Time Bruce Lee Was Challenged to a Real Fight |last=Rossen |first=Jake |date=August 10, 2015 |work=Mental Floss |access-date=July 10, 2016 |location=New York |archive-date=July 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711225623/http://mentalfloss.com/article/67108/time-bruce-lee-was-challenged-real-fight |url-status=live}}</ref> Wong claims that although he had originally expected a serious but polite bout, Lee aggressively attacked him with the intent to kill. When Wong presented the traditional handshake, Lee appeared to accept the greeting, but instead, Lee allegedly thrust his hand as a spear aimed at Wong's eyes. Forced to defend his life, Wong asserted that he refrained from striking Lee with killing force when the opportunity presented itself because it could have earned him a prison sentence, but used illegal cufflings under his sleeves. According to Michael Dorgan's 1980 book ''Bruce Lee's Toughest Fight'', the fight ended due to Lee's "unusually winded" condition, as opposed to a decisive blow by either fighter.<ref name="Dorgan" />

However, according to Bruce Lee, [[Linda Lee Cadwell]], and [[James Yimm Lee]], the fight lasted a mere three minutes with a decisive victory for Lee. In Cadwell's account, "The fight ensued, it was a no-holds-barred fight, it took three minutes. Bruce got this guy down to the ground and said 'Do you give up?' and the man said he gave up".<ref name="ReferenceB" /> A couple of weeks after the bout, Lee gave an interview claiming that he had defeated an unnamed challenger, which Wong says was an obvious reference to him.<ref name="Dorgan" /><ref name="Mental Floss" />

In response, Wong published his account of the fight in the ''Pacific Weekly'', a [[Chinese-language]] newspaper in San Francisco, with an invitation to a public rematch if Lee was not satisfied with the account. Lee did not respond to the invitation despite his reputation for violently responding to every provocation.<ref name="Dorgan" /> There were no further public announcements by either, though Lee continued to teach non-Chinese people. Lee was unhappy with the outcome of the fight, and the experience led him to pursue further innovations in his personal style of martial arts.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=161}}

Lee had abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts. However, a martial arts exhibition in Long Beach in 1964 eventually led to the invitation by television producer [[William Dozier]] for an audition for a role in the pilot for "Number One Son" about Lee Chan, the son of [[Charlie Chan]]. The show never materialized, but Dozier saw potential in Lee.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Aarons |first=Leroy F. |date=October 2, 1966 |title=Color Him Green |volume=83 |work=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref>

=== 1966–1970: American roles and creating Jeet Kune Do ===
[[File:Van Williams and Bruce Lee in The Green Hornet 1966.jpg|thumb|right|A publicity photo of Williams and Lee for [[The Green Hornet (TV series)|''The Green Hornet'']] in 1966]]
From 1966 to 1967, Lee played the role of [[Kato (The Green Hornet)|Kato]] alongside the title character played by [[Van Williams]] in the TV series produced and narrated by [[William Dozier]]<ref>{{cite web |title=American Heritage Center Blog: Bruce Lee Steals the Show in ""The Green Hornet"" |work=American Heritage Center |date=March 16, 2020 |url=https://ahcwyo.org/2020/03/16/bruce-lee-steals-the-show-in-the-green-hornet/ |publisher=The American Heritage Center holds the papers of William Dozier, who produced and narrated the TV series The Green Hornet, as well as the Batman TV series. | access-date=April 5, 2020 | archive-date=April 10, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410205242/https://ahcwyo.org/2020/03/16/bruce-lee-steals-the-show-in-the-green-hornet/ | url-status=live}}</ref> titled ''[[The Green Hornet (TV series)|The Green Hornet]]'', based on the [[The Green Hornet (radio series)|radio show by the same name]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 3, 1966 |title=Green Hornet's Creator Visits TV Scene |work=The Times Herald |volume=56}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The show ran for one season (26 episodes) from September 1966 to March 1967. Lee and Williams also appeared as their characters in three [[crossover (fiction)|crossover]] episodes of ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'', another William Dozier-produced television series.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-51-season-2/a-piece-of-the-action/100051 |title=Batman {{!}} TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com|language=en|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115072502/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-51-season-2/a-piece-of-the-action/100051|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-52-season-2/batmans-satisfaction/100051 |title=Batman {{!}} TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com|language=en|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115072504/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-52-season-2/batmans-satisfaction/100051|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-599958/100051 |title=Batman {{!}} TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com|language=en|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115072503/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/batman/episode-599958/100051|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[The Green Hornet]] introduced the adult Bruce Lee to an American audience and became the first popular American show presenting Asian-style [[Modern history of East Asian martial arts|martial arts]]. The show's director wanted Lee to fight in the typical American style using fists and punches. As a professional martial artist, Lee refused, insisting that he should fight in the style of his expertise. At first, Lee moved so fast that his movements could not be caught on film, so he had to slow them down.<ref name="American Heritage Center">{{cite web |title=American Heritage Center Blog: Bruce Lee Steals the Show in 'The Green Hornet' |work=American Heritage Center |date=March 16, 2020 |url=https://ahcwyo.org/2020/03/16/bruce-lee-steals-the-show-in-the-green-hornet/ | access-date=April 5, 2020 | archive-date=April 10, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410205242/https://ahcwyo.org/2020/03/16/bruce-lee-steals-the-show-in-the-green-hornet/ | url-status=live}}</ref> The American martial arts community promoted the TV show and viewed Lee as their first mainstream star.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=207}}

During the show's production, Lee became friends with [[Gene LeBell]], who worked as a stuntman in the show. The two trained together and exchanged martial arts knowledge from their respective specialties.{{sfn|Polly|2018|pp=187}} After the show was canceled in 1967, Lee wrote to Dozier thanking him for starting "my career in show business".<ref name="American Heritage Center" />

[[File:JeetKuneDo.svg|thumb|The [[Jeet Kune Do]] emblem is a registered trademark held by the Bruce Lee Estate. The [[Chinese character]]s around the [[Taijitu]] symbol read: "Using no way as way" and "Having no limitation as limitation". The arrows represent the endless interaction between [[Yin and yang|yang and yin]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bishop|2004|p=23}}</ref>]]
After filming one season of ''[[The Green Hornet (TV series)|The Green Hornet]]'', Lee found himself out of work and opened the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in [[Chinatown, Los Angeles]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=197}} The controversial match with Wong Jack-man influenced Lee's philosophy about martial arts. Lee concluded that the fight had lasted too long and that he had failed to live up to his potential using his [[Wing Chun]] techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalized to be practical in scenarios of chaotic [[street fighting]]. Lee decided to develop a system with an emphasis on "practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency". He started to use different methods of training such as [[weight training]] for strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and many others which he constantly adapted, including [[fencing]] and basic [[boxing]] techniques.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Jeet Kune Do originated in 1967. The name means "way of the intercepting fist" in [[Cantonese]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=200}} This was a new hybrid system that took [[footwork (martial arts)|footwork]] from [[boxing]], kicks from kung fu, and technique from [[fencing]].{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=200–201}} Lee emphasized what he called "the style of no style". This consisted of getting rid of the formalized approach which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. Lee felt that even the system he now called Jun Fan Gung Fu was too restrictive, and it eventually evolved into a philosophy and martial art he would come to call ''Jeet Kune Do'' or the ''Way of the Intercepting Fist.'' It is a term he would later regret, because Jeet Kune Do implied specific parameters that styles connote, whereas the idea of his martial art was to exist outside of parameters and limitations.<ref>{{harvnb|Thomas|1994|p=81}}</ref>

At the time, two of Lee's martial arts students were Hollywood script writer [[Stirling Silliphant]] and actor [[James Coburn]]. In 1969, the three worked on a script for a film titled ''The Silent Flute'', and they went together on a location hunt to India. The project was not realized at the time, but the 1978 film ''[[Circle of Iron]]'', starring [[David Carradine]], was based on the same plot. In 2010, producer Paul Maslansky was reported to have planned and received funding for a film based on the original script for ''The Silent Flute''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=April 15, 2010 |title=Bruce Lee's 'Flute' heads to bigscreen&nbsp;– Entertainment News, Film News, Media |url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/bruce-lee-s-flute-heads-to-bigscreen-1118017805/ |magazine=Variety|access-date=February 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027034712/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017805.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|archive-date=October 27, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1969, Lee made a brief appearance in the Silliphant-penned film ''[[Marlowe (1969 film)|Marlowe]]'', where he played a hoodlum hired to intimidate private detective [[Philip Marlowe]], played by [[James Garner]], who uses his martial arts abilities to commit acts of vandalization to intimidate Marlowe.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Muss |first=H.P. |date=October 31, 1969 |title=Meet Master Of Jeet Kune Do |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22951-MARLOWE?cxt=filmography |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608074317/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22951-MARLOWE?cxt=filmography|url-status=live}}</ref> The same year, he was credited as the karate advisor in ''[[The Wrecking Crew (1969 film)|The Wrecking Crew]]'', the fourth installment of the [[Matt Helm]] comedy [[Spy-fi (neologism)|spy-fi]] film starring [[Dean Martin]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23670-THE-WRECKING-CREW?cxt=filmography |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608074346/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23670-THE-WRECKING-CREW?cxt=filmography|url-status=live}}</ref> Also that year, Lee acted in one episode of ''[[Here Come the Brides]]'' and ''[[Blondie (1968 TV series)|Blondie]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 27, 1969 |title=Prospective Bridal Pair |work=The Journal Times |volume=113}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 4, 1969 |title=Wednesday |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref>

In 1970, Lee was responsible for producing the fight choreography of ''[[A Walk in the Spring Rain]]'', starring [[Ingrid Bergman]] and [[Anthony Quinn]], again written by Silliphant.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Heffernan |first=Harold |date=June 19, 1969 |title=Hollywood |work=The Times-Tribune}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/23437 |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=November 19, 2019|archive-date=June 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617032205/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23437|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1971–1973: Hong Kong films, stardom, and Hollywood breakthrough ===
[[File:Bruce Lee 1973.jpg|thumb|Lee in 1971]]
In 1971, Lee appeared in four episodes of the television series ''[[Longstreet (TV series)|Longstreet]]'', written by Silliphant. Lee played Li Tsung, the martial arts instructor of the title character Mike Longstreet, played by [[James Franciscus]], and important aspects of his martial arts philosophy were written into the script.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Riste |first=Tom |date=November 18, 1971 |title=Bruce Lee's Acting adds To 'Longstreet' |volume=130 |work=Arizona Daily Star}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Riste |first=Tom |date=September 18, 1971 |title='Longstreet' Shines As New Detective Hit |volume=130 |work=Arizona Daily Star}}</ref> According to statements made by Lee, and also by [[Linda Lee Cadwell]] after Lee's death, Lee pitched a television series of his own in 1971, tentatively titled [[Warrior (TV series)|''The Warrior'']], discussions of which were confirmed by [[Warner Bros.]] During a December 9, 1971, television interview on ''[[The Pierre Berton Show]]'', Lee stated that both [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] and Warner Bros. wanted him "to be in a modernized type of a thing and that they think the Western idea is out, whereas I want to do the Western".<ref>From {{YouTube|hN8PfMdBIjw|The Pierre Berton Show}} December 9, 1971 (comments at 7:10 of part 2)</ref>

According to Cadwell, Lee's concept was retooled and renamed ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]'', but [[Warner Bros.]] gave Lee no credit.<ref>{{harvnb|Lee|1975a|p=}}</ref> Warner Bros. states that they had for some time been developing an identical concept,<ref>Bleecker, Tom (1996). Unsettled Matters. The Life & Death of Bruce Lee. Gilderoy Publications</ref> created by two writers and producers, [[Ed Spielman]] and Howard Friedlander in 1969,<ref name="The Truth about the Creation of the Kung Fu TV Series">{{cite web |title=The Truth about the Creation of the Kung Fu TV Series |date=May 20, 2019 |url=https://www.martialjournal.com/the-truth-about-the-creation-of-the-kung-fu-tv-series/ |publisher=Martial Journal |access-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130134124/https://www.martialjournal.com/the-truth-about-the-creation-of-the-kung-fu-tv-series/ |archive-date=January 30, 2021}}</ref> as stated too by Lee's biographer [[Matthew Polly]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Bruce Lee: A Life |publisher=Simon & Schuster |author=Polly, Matthew E. |year=2018 |pages=277–280, 321–327, 573–574 |isbn=978-1-5011-8762-9}}</ref> According to these sources, the reason Lee was not cast was because he had a thick accent,<ref>{{YouTube|PlYdp1BVOlw|"From Grasshopper to Caine"}}</ref> but [[Fred Weintraub]] attributes that to his ethnicity.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.scribd.com/book/131190162/Bruce-Lee-Woodstock-And-Me-From-The-Man-Behind-A-Half-Century-of-Music-Movies-and-Martial-Arts |title=Bruce Lee, Woodstock And Me|access-date= March 8, 2021 |publisher=scribd.com|archive-date= May 1, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210501155033/https://www.scribd.com/book/131190162/Bruce-Lee-Woodstock-And-Me-From-The-Man-Behind-A-Half-Century-of-Music-Movies-and-Martial-Arts|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Bruce Lee, Woodstock And Me: From The Man Behind A Half-Century of Music, Movies and Martial Arts |publisher=Brooktree Canyon Press |author=Weintraub, Fred |year=2012 |pages=chapter 1 |isbn=978-0-9847152-0-6}}</ref>

The role of the [[Shaolin Kung Fu|Shaolin]] monk in the [[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]] was eventually awarded to then-non-martial artist David Carradine. In an interview with ''The Pierre Berton Show'', Lee stated he understood Warner Bros.' attitudes towards casting in the series: "They think that business-wise it is a risk. I don't blame them. If the situation were reversed, and an American star were to come to Hong Kong, and I was the man with the money, I would have my own concerns as to whether the acceptance would be there".<ref>From {{YouTube|uXOtmhA6Nvw|The Pierre Berton Show}} December 9, 1971 (comments near end of part 2 & early in part 3)</ref>

Producer Fred Weintraub had advised Lee to return to Hong Kong and make a feature film that he could showcase to executives in Hollywood.<ref>Tale of the Dragon (Channel 4), directed by [[Jess Search]]</ref> Not happy with his supporting roles in the US, Lee returned to Hong Kong. Unaware that ''[[The Green Hornet (TV series)|The Green Hornet]]'' had been played to success in Hong Kong and was unofficially referred to as "The Kato Show", he was surprised to be recognized as the star of the show.<ref name=director>{{cite AV media |date=1993 |people=Rob Cohen |title=Director's Commentary |medium=[[Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story]], DVD |publisher=[[Universal Pictures]]}}</ref> After negotiating with both [[Shaw Brothers Studio]] and [[Orange Sky Golden Harvest|Golden Harvest]], Lee signed a film contract to star in two films produced by Golden Harvest.{{sfn|Polly|2018|p=304}}

[[File:HKHM 沙田 Shatin 香港文化博物館 HK Heritage Museum Hong Kong Pop 60+ Exhibition August 2021 SS2 168.jpg|thumb|left|Poster for  ''[[Fist of Fury]]'' (1972), displayed at the [[Hong Kong Heritage Museum]]]]
Lee played his first leading role in ''[[The Big Boss]]'' (1971), which proved to be an enormous box-office success across Asia and catapulted him to instant stardom in Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite news |title=How Bruce Lee's The Big Boss shot kung fu to the top, launched one of his trademark moves and stood up for Chinese people |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3169097/how-bruce-lees-big-boss-shot-kung-fu-top-launched-one-his |access-date=1 April 2025 |work=South China Morning Post}}</ref> He followed up with ''[[Fist of Fury]]'' (1972), which broke the box office records set previously by ''The Big Boss'', with film critic Blake Howard writing that Lee was "cresting the wave of international super-stardom."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Howard |first1=Blake |title=Fist of Fury – (laughing) |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/fist-of-fury-laughing/ |work=[[ACMI (museum)|ACMI]]|access-date=1 April 2025}}</ref> Having finished his initial two-year contract, Lee negotiated a new deal with Golden Harvest. Lee later formed his own company, [[Concord Production Inc.]], with Chow. For his third film, ''[[The Way of the Dragon]]'' (1972), he was given complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and [[Stage combat|choreographer]] of the fight scenes. In 1964, at a demonstration in [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], California, Lee met karate champion [[Chuck Norris]]. In ''The Way of the Dragon'' Lee introduced Norris to moviegoers as his opponent. Their showdown has been characterized as "one of the best fight scenes in [[martial arts film|martial arts]] and [[History of film|film history]]".<ref name="harvnb|Lee|1989">{{harvnb|Lee|1989|}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/07/us/bruce-lee-myth-vs-reality/index.html |title=New Bruce Lee bio debunks 'kung fu Jesus' myth |author=John Blake |website=CNN |date=July 7, 2018|access-date=November 19, 2019|archive-date=December 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219081112/https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/07/us/bruce-lee-myth-vs-reality/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Fist of Fury'' and ''Way of the Dragon'' grossed an estimated {{US$|100 million}} and {{US$|130 million}} worldwide, respectively.<ref name="Way">{{cite book |last1=Krizanovich |first1=Karen |title=Infographic Guide To The Movies |date=2015 |publisher=[[Hachette UK]] |isbn=978-1-84403-762-9 |pages=18–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-fniDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA18 |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608112800/https://books.google.com/books?id=-fniDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA18 |url-status=live}}</ref>

From August to October 1972, Lee began work on his fourth Golden Harvest film, ''[[Game of Death]]''. He began filming some scenes, including his fight sequence with {{convert|7|ft|2|in|cm|abbr=on}} American basketball star [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]], a former student. Production stopped in November 1972 when Warner Bros. offered Lee the opportunity to star in ''[[Enter the Dragon]]'', the first film to be produced jointly by Concord, Golden Harvest, and Warner Bros. Filming began in Hong Kong in February 1973 and was completed in April 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bruceleefansite.com/bruces-life.html |title=Bruce Lee's Life |access-date=March 14, 2020 |archive-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218233318/http://bruceleefansite.com/bruces-life.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

One month into the filming, another production company, Starseas Motion Pictures, promoted Lee as a leading actor in ''Fist of Unicorn'', although he had merely agreed to choreograph the fight sequences in the film as a favor to his long-time friend [[Unicorn Chan]]. Lee planned to sue the production company but retained his friendship with Chan.<ref name="Thomas, B. 2003">Thomas, B. (2003) Bruce Lee Fighting Words. Berkeley: Frog Ltd.</ref> However, only a few months after the completion of ''Enter the Dragon'', and six days before its July 26, 1973, release, Lee died.<ref name="Wilson" />

''Enter the Dragon'' went on to become one of the year's highest-grossing films and cemented Lee as a martial arts legend. It was made for US$850,000 in 1973,<ref name="Polly">{{cite book |last1=Polly |first1=Matthew |title=Bruce Lee: A Life |date=2019 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-5011-8763-6 |page=478 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5bGWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA478 |quote=''Enter the Dragon'' struck a responsive chord across the globe. Made for a minuscule $850,000, it would gross $90 million worldwide in 1973 and go on to earn an estimated $350 million over the next forty-five years. |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620092030/https://books.google.com/books?id=5bGWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA478 |url-status=live}}</ref> the equivalent of $4&nbsp;million adjusted for inflation as of 2007.<ref name="bls">{{cite web |url=http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl |title=Inflation Calculator |publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529155647/http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl|archive-date=May 29, 2008|access-date=May 30, 2008}}</ref> ''Enter the Dragon'' is estimated to have grossed over {{US$|400 million|long=no}} worldwide,<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Wayne |title=Bruce Lee |date=2001 |publisher=Mitchell Lane Publishers |isbn=978-1-58415-066-4 |pages=30–1 |url=https://archive.org/details/bruceleereallife00wayn/page/30/mode/2up |quote=After its release, ''Enter the Dragon'' became Warner Brothers' highest grossing movie of 1973. It has earned well over $400{{nbsp}}million}}</ref> the equivalent of over {{US$|2 billion|long=no}} adjusted for inflation {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Risen |first1=Clay |title=Bob Wall, Martial Arts Master Who Sparred With Bruce Lee, Dies at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/us/bob-wall-dead.html |access-date=April 16, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211164954/http://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/us/bob-wall-dead.html |archive-date=February 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chachowski |first1=Richard |title=The Best Kung Fu Movies Of All Time Ranked |url=https://www.looper.com/805482/the-best-kung-fu-movies-of-all-time-ranked/ |access-date=April 16, 2022 |work=[[Looper.com]] |publisher=[[Static Media]] |date=March 21, 2022 |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421163001/https://www.looper.com/805482/the-best-kung-fu-movies-of-all-time-ranked/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The film sparked a brief [[Fads and trends|fad]] in martial arts, epitomized in songs such as "[[Kung Fu Fighting]]" and some TV shows.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

=== 1978–present: Posthumous work ===
[[File:Avenue of Stars Bruce Lee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.13|Bruce Lee's star at the [[Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong]]]] [[Robert Clouse]], the director of ''Enter the Dragon'', together with Golden Harvest, revived Lee's unfinished film ''[[Game of Death]]''. Lee had shot over 100 minutes of footage, including [[outtake]]s, for ''Game of Death'' before shooting was stopped to allow him to work on ''Enter the Dragon''. In addition to Abdul-Jabbar, [[George Lazenby]], Hapkido master [[Ji Han-jae]], and another of Lee's students, [[Dan Inosanto]], appeared in the film, which culminated in Lee's character, Hai Tien, clad in a yellow tracksuit{{efn|Film producer [[Andre Morgan]], who worked with Lee on the set of ''Game of Death'', recalls that a choice had to be made from what was made available: a yellow suit or a black suit. The yellow suit was chosen because it allowed a footprint from a kick to be seen on film in a fighting scene with Kareem.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/film-tv/article/1883903/truth-about-bruce-lees-yellow-jumpsuit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128173750/http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/film-tv/article/1883903/truth-about-bruce-lees-yellow-jumpsuit|url-status=dead |title=The truth about Bruce Lee's yellow jumpsuit |date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=November 28, 2015 |website=South China Morning Post}}</ref>}} taking on a series of different challengers on each floor as they make their way through a five-level pagoda.<ref name="Bruce Lee 1977">''Bruce Lee, the Legend'', 1977, Paragon Films, Ltd., [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]</ref>

In a controversial move, Robert Clouse finished the film using a Lee [[look-alike]] ([[Kim Tai Chung]], with [[Yuen Biao]] as a stunt double) and [[stock footage|archive footage]] of Lee from his other films with a new storyline and cast. It was released in 1978. The cobbled-together film contained only fifteen minutes of actual footage of Lee.<ref name="Bruce Lee 1977" /> The unused footage Lee had filmed was recovered 22 years later and included in the documentary ''[[Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey]]''.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

[[File:Bruce Lee Walk of fame.jpg|thumb|Bruce Lee's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
In 1972, after the success of ''[[The Big Boss]]'' and ''[[Fist of Fury]]'', a third film was planned by [[Raymond Chow]] at [[Orange Sky Golden Harvest|Golden Harvest]] to be directed by [[Lo Wei]], titled ''Yellow-Faced Tiger''. However, at the time, Lee decided to direct and produce his script for ''[[Way of the Dragon]]'' instead. Although Lee had formed a production company with Raymond Chow, a period film was also planned from September–November 1973 with the competing [[Shaw Brothers Studio]], to be directed by either [[Chor Yuen]] or Cheng Kang, and written by Yi Kang and [[Chang Cheh]], titled ''The Seven Sons of the Jade Dragon''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/friday/155/id47.htm |title=Shaw Brothers Film Project|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103162421/http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/friday/155/id47.htm|archive-date=November 3, 2011|access-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref>

In 2015, Perfect Storm Entertainment and Bruce Lee's daughter, [[Shannon Lee]], announced that the series [[Warrior (TV series)|''The Warrior'']] would be produced and would air on [[Cinemax]]. Filmmaker [[Justin Lin]] was chosen to direct the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/bruce-lee-crime-drama-warrior-justin-lin-cinemax-1201430580/ |title=Cinemax Developing Bruce Lee-Inspired Crime Drama 'Warrior' From Justin Lin |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=May 21, 2015|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115200133/https://deadline.com/2015/05/bruce-lee-crime-drama-warrior-justin-lin-cinemax-1201430580/|url-status=live}}</ref> Production began in October 2017, in [[Cape Town]], South Africa. The first season has 10 episodes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/warrior-cinemax-cast-director-bruce-lee-inspired-martial-arts-series-1202185298/ |title='Warrior': Cinemax Sets Cast & Director For Bruce Lee-Inspired Martial Arts Series |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=October 11, 2017|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115200052/https://deadline.com/2017/10/warrior-cinemax-cast-director-bruce-lee-inspired-martial-arts-series-1202185298/|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2019, Cinemax renewed the series for a second season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/warrior-renewed-season-2-cinemax-tong-wars-drama-series-bruce-lee-justin-lin-1202600027/ |title='Warrior' Renewed For Season 2 By Cinemax |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=April 24, 2019 |work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 24, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115200225/https://deadline.com/2019/04/warrior-renewed-season-2-cinemax-tong-wars-drama-series-bruce-lee-justin-lin-1202600027/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2021, it was announced that producer [[Jason Kothari]] had acquired the rights to ''The Silent Flute'' "to become a [[miniseries]], which would have [[John Fusco]] as a screenwriter and executive producer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=March 23, 2021 |title=Jason Kothari and John Fusco to Produce Bruce Lee-Scripted 'The Silent Flute' |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/jason-kothari-and-john-fusco-to-produce-bruce-lee-scripted-the-silent-flute-1234936256/|access-date=March 25, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US|archive-date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324152647/https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/jason-kothari-and-john-fusco-to-produce-bruce-lee-scripted-the-silent-flute-1234936256/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Unproduced works ===
Lee had also worked on several scripts himself. A tape containing a recording of Lee narrating the basic storyline to a film tentatively titled ''Southern Fist/Northern Leg'' exists, showing some similarities with the canned script for ''The Silent Flute'' (''[[Circle of Iron]]'').<ref>Bruce Lee The Man & The Legend (Documentary, Golden Harvest, 1973)</ref> Another script had the title ''Green Bamboo Warrior'', set in San Francisco, planned to co-star [[Bolo Yeung]] and to be produced by [[Andrew Vajna]].<ref name="Thomas, B. 2003" /> Photoshoot costume tests were organized for some of these planned film projects.