Editing Enter the Dragon (section)

=== Casting ===
[[Rod Taylor]] was first choice for playing the down-on-his-luck martial artist Roper. Director [[Robert Clouse]] had already worked with Taylor in the 1970 film ''[[Darker than Amber (film)|Darker than Amber]]''. However, Taylor was dropped after Bruce Lee deemed him to be too tall for the role.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wingchunnews.ca/john-saxon-enter-the-dragon-star-dies-at-83/|title=John Saxon, 'Enter the Dragon' Star, Dies At 83|website=www.wingchunnews.ca|date=26 July 2020|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205173809/https://www.wingchunnews.ca/john-saxon-enter-the-dragon-star-dies-at-83/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityonfire.com/commentary/etd.mp3|title=City On Fire (audio commentatary)|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170453/http://www.cityonfire.com/commentary/etd.mp3|url-status=live}}</ref> [[John Saxon]], who was a black belt in [[Judo]] and [[Shotokan|Shotokan Karate]] (he studied under [[Grandmaster (martial arts)|grandmaster]] [[Hidetaka Nishiyama]] for three years),<ref>{{cite journal|date=April 1973|title=New Bruce Lee Film on its way to American movie theatres|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ndcDAAAAMBAJ|journal=[[Black Belt magazine]]|volume=11|pages=11–12|number=4|access-date=28 September 2020|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501231102/https://books.google.com/books?id=ndcDAAAAMBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> became the preferred choice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TNcDAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Growth+of+Judo+and+Karate+Declining+in+the+US&pg=PA4|title=Black Belt|first=|last= |date=1 August 1973|publisher=[[Active Interest Media]]|access-date=3 January 2018|via=Google Books|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501231041/https://books.google.com/books?id=TNcDAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Growth+of+Judo+and+Karate+Declining+in+the+US&pg=PA4|url-status=live}}</ref> During contractual negotiations, Saxon's agent told the film's producers that if they wanted him they would have to change the plot so that the character of Williams is killed instead of Roper. They agreed and the script was changed.<ref name="talk">{{cite book|title=Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak|last=Walker|first=David, Andrew J. Rausch, Chris Watson|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year= 2009|isbn=9780810867062|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LofIsZJPfEcC&q=john+saxon+enter+the+dragon&pg=PA112 112]}}</ref> In a six decade career, the character would become one of Saxon's best known roles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/john-saxon-best-known-for-his-roles-in-enter-the-dragon-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-dies-at-83-8644151.html|title=John Saxon, best known for his roles in Enter the Dragon, A Nightmare on Elm Street, dies at 83|publisher=www.firstpost.com|date=27 July 2020|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105112720/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/john-saxon-best-known-for-his-roles-in-enter-the-dragon-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-dies-at-83-8644151.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Rockne Tarkington]] was originally cast in the role of Williams. However, he unexpectedly dropped out days before the production was about to begin in Hong Kong. Producer Fred Weintraub knew that karate world champion [[Jim Kelly (martial artist)|Jim Kelly]] had a training dojo in [[Crenshaw, Los Angeles]], so he hastily arranged a meeting. Weintraub was immediately impressed, and Kelly was cast in the film.<ref name=horn>{{citation|last=Horn|first=John|title=Jim Kelly, 'Enter the Dragon' star, dies at 67|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=1 July 2013|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-jim-kelly-enter-the-dragon-star-dies-20130701,0,852055.story|access-date=19 August 2015|archive-date=22 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422061104/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-jim-kelly-enter-the-dragon-star-dies-20130701,0,852055.story|url-status=live}}</ref> The success of Kelly's appearance launched his career as a star: after ''Enter the Dragon'', he signed a three-film deal with [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros]]<ref name="Blackbelt">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-c8DAAAAMBAJ&q=black+belt+may+1992+p+18&pg=PA22|title=Black Belt Magazine|last=Clary|first=David|date=May 1992|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=18–21|access-date=10 November 2020|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501231027/https://books.google.com/books?id=-c8DAAAAMBAJ&q=black+belt+may+1992+p+18&pg=PA22|url-status=live}}</ref> and went on to make several martial arts-themed [[blaxploitation]] films in the 1970s.<ref>''Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak'', 2009. pps.[https://books.google.com/books?id=LofIsZJPfEcC&q=jim+kelly+&pg=PA129 129–130] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007111549/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LofIsZJPfEcC&lpg=PR1&pg=PA129#v=onepage&q=jim%20kelly%20 |date=7 October 2018 }}</ref>

[[Jackie Chan]] has uncredited roles as various guards during the fights with Lee. However, [[Yuen Wah]] was Lee's main stunt double for the film, responsible for the gymnastics stunts such as the cartwheels and jumping back flip in the opening fight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ringtalk.com/those-amazing-bruce-lee-film-stunts|title=Those Amazing Bruce Lee Film Stunts|last=Boutwell|first=Malcolm|date=7 July 2015|website=ringtalk.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130210705/http://ringtalk.com/those-amazing-bruce-lee-film-stunts|archive-date=30 November 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref>

[[Sammo Hung]] also has an uncredited role in the opening fight scene against Lee at the start of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://blackbeltmag.com/bruce-lee-enter-the-dragon |title=Bruce Lee Movies: Enter the Dragon, Seen Through the Eyes of a Martial Arts Movies Expert |date=13 May 2013 |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121053241/https://blackbeltmag.com/bruce-lee-enter-the-dragon |url-status=live }}</ref>

A rumour surrounding the making of ''Enter The Dragon'' claims that actor [[Robert Wall|Bob Wall]] did not like Bruce Lee and that their fight scenes were not choreographed. However, Wall has denied this, stating he and Lee were good friends.<ref name="city on fire">{{cite web|url=http://www.cityonfire.com/feature-bob-wall-interview/|title=Bob Wall Interview|last=Bona|first=JJ|date=10 January 2011|website=Cityonfire|publisher=cityonfire.com|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322210358/http://cityonfire.com/feature-bob-wall-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref>