It was back in 1975 when a new serial started on German television. From the first episode I was a huge fan of it. The series met obviously the spirit of the times. In this time a lot of (mostly young male teenagers) went to the movies to watch the films of Bruce Lee. Also I could not avoid the fascination of Far Eastern fight art - even if the actions of most films were quite poor.
The TV serial Kung Fu acts from the adventures of a (half) Chinese Shaolin monk called Kwai Chang Caine in the second half of the 19th century. Caine killed during a discussion not caused by him in the fight a member of the imperial family and, therefore, is made leave China. He goes to the west of the United States to escape his seizure and to search there his half-brother, and, besides, roves through only the wild west. Besides, he always tries to bring the rough, western way of life meeting him of the cowboys with the values inward-looking in the Buddhist cloister of placidness and nonviolence in harmony. An essential component of every episode are Caine's in flashbacks shown recollections of his childhood in a Buddhist temple in China.
To the Chinese immigrants in the western federal states of the USA brought open hostility is subject of many episodes. Thus Caine succeeds once in clearing up a covered up murder of a Chinese in a provincial town, while he is put in another result in spite of thin proof situation even under murder accusation.
With the embodiment of Caine the main actor David Carradine attained worldwide fame. In many episodes other parts of his family (like his father and brother) had guest appearances. The series became a firm component of our regular TV behavor at that time and I have missed almost no result. Looking back looked has impressed me mostly the Coolness and placidness of the principal character. On every movie David Carradine acted in I always remembered his acting in Kung Fu. At last he has taken over in his last big movie success also again this role - with the difference that in this time he wasn't the good Caine and appeared as the evil Bill.
I can't resist in this connection to present a song which was stamped by the Sound of Philadelphia and was reduced to the hip Kung Fu theme.
2 Kommentare:
It was a hell of good series, Walter. Which is more than can be said for that song! but I can still sing along to it. Will you be featuring Honk Kong Phooey next??
George
Sounds like a good idea George and I will keep it in the back of my mind. I thought about two things for this series: First a special about cartoons and second about German series. But I'm not sure if anyone wants to read about it.
Have a good time.
Walter
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