ABOUT THE MOVIE
Original Title: 死亡遊戲
Production Company:
Golden Harvest
Year: 1972/1978
Country: Hong Kong
Language: English-Cantonese
The production of Game of Death began in 1972 following Bruce Lee's directorial debut in the Way of The Dragon. After filming several fight scenes, production stopped after he was offered the chance to star in Enter The Dragon. Filming was due to restart again but due to his sudden death in 1973, the the film was left uncompleted.
The footage Lee shot was left at the Golden Harvest studio vaults for five years before they finally cobbled together Game of Death for release. The movie was completed using three doubles to replace Bruce, American B-list actors, with Robert Clouse serving as the films director.
The movie was successful at the box office but was not well received. Criticism of the revised version included the inclusion of scenes that could be considered in bad taste, such as the incorporation of footage of Lee's actual funeral, and that a large portion of the footage Bruce had shot was not included in the final 1978 version.
Years later, most of the footage Bruce Lee originally shot was found in the vaults of Golden Harvest, and re-edited into a more complete form for the documentary, A Warriors Journey.
SYNOPSIS
(1972 Version)
The original plot involved Bruce Lee playing the role of Hai Tien, a retired champion martial artist who is confronted by the Korean underworld. They tell him about a pagoda that is under heavy guard by highly skilled martial artists. Guns are prohibited at the pagoda and it seems that they are protecting something held on the top level.
The gang boss wants Hai to be a part of a group whose purpose is to retrieve the item. When Hai refuses, his younger sister and brother are kidnapped, forcing him to participate. Hai, as well as four other martial artists, then fight their way up a five-level pagoda, encountering a different challenge on each floor.
(1978 Version)
After gaining international success as a martial arts movie star, Billy Lo (Bruce Lee) is approached by gangsters who want a piece of the action. When Billy refuses to be intimidated by henchman Steiner (Hugh O'Brian) and his gangs of thugs, the syndicate's owner Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) orders his assassination to serve as an example to others.
Disguised as an extra, Land's assassin Stick (Mel Novak) sneaks onto the set of Billy's new film, and shoots Billy during filming. A fragment of the bullet passes through Billy's face, leaving him alive but in need of plastic surgery which alters his facial features. Billy takes the opportunity to fake his death and disguise himself so that he can exact revenge against those who wronged him one at a time.
When the syndicate threatens and kidnaps his fiancee, Ann Morris (Colleen Camp), Billy is forced to come out of hiding and must fight each of Dr Land's expert fighters to save her.
REVIEWS
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VIDEO
CAST
Bruce Lee, Gig Young, Colleen Camp, Dean Jagger,
Bob Wall, Mel Novak, Dan Inosanto, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ji Han-Jae, Sammo Hung, Roy Chiao... MORE
CREW
Director: Robert Clouse, Bruce Lee
Producer: Raymond Chow
Action Directors: Bruce Lee, Sammo Hung.
... MORE
PHOTOS
> 1978
>1972
POSTERS
ADDITIONAL CAST
Peter Chan Lung, Jim James, Russell Cawthorne,
Lai Kim-Hung, Austin Wai Tin-Chi, Tai San, Fung Hak-On,
James Tien, Yuan Chieh, Casanova Wong.
ADDITIONAL CREW
Bruce Lee's Doubles: Kim Tai-Jung (Tong Lung),
Yuen Biao, Chen Yao Po.
Script: Bruce Lee, Robert Clouse
Cinematographer: Godfrey A. Godar, Ho Lan-Shan
Production Manager: Andre E. Morgan
Editor: Alan Pattillo
Planning: Leonard Ho Koon-Cheung
Composer: John Barry
Stuntmen: Baan Yun-Sang, Mars, Chung Faat, Law Keung, Chik Ngai-Hung, Kong Chuen, Lam Ching-Ying.
Motorcycle stunts: William H. Burton, David R. Ellis,
Buddy Joe Hooker.
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