"Kung Fu" (1972) TV series 1972-1975

Creator:

Ed Spielman
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

14 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Western

Plot:

The adventures of a Shaolin Monk as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.

Plot Keywords:

Kung Fu | Monk | Shaolin | Wild West | On The Run

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

David Carradine	...	Kwai Chang Caine / ... (63 episodes, 1972-1975)
Radames Pera	...	Young Caine (47 episodes, 1972-1975)
Keye Luke	...	Master Po (46 episodes, 1972-1975)
Philip Ahn	...	Master Kan (39 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Directed by
Richard Lang		(16 episodes, 1973-1974)
Jerry Thorpe		(8 episodes, 1972-1974)
Marc Daniels		(5 episodes, 1974-1975)
Harry Harris		(5 episodes, 1974-1975)
John Llewellyn Moxey		(4 episodes, 1973-1974)
Robert Butler		(4 episodes, 1973)
Walter Doniger		(3 episodes, 1973)
Charles S. Dubin		(3 episodes, 1973)
David Carradine		(3 episodes, 1974)
Robert Totten		(2 episodes, 1973)
Barry Crane		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Robert Michael Lewis		(2 episodes, 1974)
Gordon Hessler		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Writing credits
Ed Spielman		(63 episodes, 1972-1975)
Herman Miller		(62 episodes, 1972-1975)
John T. Dugan		(7 episodes, 1973-1975)
William Kelley		(6 episodes, 1973-1974)
Ed Waters		(6 episodes, 1973-1974)
David Korn		(5 episodes, 1974-1975)
Michael Michaelian		(4 episodes, 1973-1974)
Katharyn Powers		(4 episodes, 1973-1974)
A. Martin Zweiback		(4 episodes, 1973)
Elinor Karpf		(4 episodes, 1975)
Steven Karpf		(4 episodes, 1975)
Robert Lewin		(3 episodes, 1973-1974)
Robert Schlitt		(2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Theodore Apstein		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Gerald Sanford		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Abe Polsky		(2 episodes, 1974)
Norman Katkov		(2 episodes, 1975)
Kittridge Buston		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Jerry Thorpe	....	executive producer / producer (63 episodes, 1972-1975)
Alex Beaton	....	producer / associate producer / ... (61 episodes, 1972-1975)
Herman Miller	....	producer (31 episodes, 1974-1975)
John Furia	....	producer (12 episodes, 1973-1974)

Series Original Music by
Jim Helms		(63 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Cinematography by
Richard L. Rawlings		(35 episodes, 1972-1974)
Chuck Arnold		(24 episodes, 1974-1975)
Fred J. Koenekamp		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)

Series Film Editing by
Gary Griffin		(22 episodes, 1973-1975)
Joseph Dervin		(16 episodes, 1973-1975)
Albert P. Wilson		(10 episodes, 1974-1975)
David Rawlins		(5 episodes, 1973)
George Watters		(4 episodes, 1973-1974)
Carroll Sax		(2 episodes, 1972)
Bill Lewis		(2 episodes, 1973)

Series Casting by
Tom Jennings		(33 episodes, 1974-1975)
Edward R. Morse		(8 episodes, 1973-1974)

Series Art Direction by
Eugène Lourié		(63 episodes, 1972-1975)

Series Set Decoration by
John Lamphear		(47 episodes, 1973-1975)
Antony Mondello		(15 episodes, 1972-1973)

Series Makeup Department
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist (36 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist (24 episodes, 1973-1974)
Michael Hancock	....	makeup artist (24 episodes, 1974-1975)
Thomas R. Burman	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Mary Skolnik	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 1973)

Series Production Management
Robert M. Beche	....	unit production manager (24 episodes, 1974-1975)
Austen Jewell	....	unit production manager (23 episodes, 1973-1974)
Edward Haldeman	....	unit production manager (15 episodes, 1972-1973)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Ziesmer	....	assistant director (19 episodes, 1973-1974)
Robert Doudell	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1974-1975)
Jerome M. Siegel	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1973-1974)
Ronald L. Schwary	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1973)
Robert Gilmore	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1974-1975)
Morris R. Abrams	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Fred Gammon	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1974)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
William M. Randall Jr.	....	sound (30 episodes, 1973-1974)
Jack C. May	....	sound coordinator (24 episodes, 1974-1975)
Dean Salmon	....	sound (18 episodes, 1974-1975)
Barry Thomas	....	sound (5 episodes, 1974)
L. Ralph Zerbe	....	sound (4 episodes, 1973)
Richard Raguse	....	sound (3 episodes, 1972-1973)

Series Special Effects by
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	special effects (59 episodes, 1973-1975)

Series Stunts
Greg Walker	....	stunt liaison (47 episodes, 1973-1975)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1974-1975)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Henry Salley	....	wardrobe (57 episodes, 1973-1975)

Series Music Department
Jim Helms	....	conductor (63 episodes, 1972-1975)
Steve Livingston	....	music editor (32 episodes, 1973-1974)

Series Other crew
Lloyd Richards	....	assistant: producers / assistant: producer / ... (58 episodes, 1973-1975)
Kam Yuen	....	advisor: kung fu / technical advisor / ... (37 episodes, 1972-1975)
Ed Waters	....	executive story consultant (31 episodes, 1973-1975)
David Chow	....	technical advisor / advisor: kung fu (29 episodes, 1972-1974)
John Furia	....	executive story consultant (12 episodes, 1973)
Norman Katkov	....	executive story consultant (9 episodes, 1975)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Television (1972-1975) (worldwide) (all media)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972-1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cuatro (2006) (Spain) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2005-) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005-) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (60 episodes) | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

The set for the Shaolin Temple was originally a set used for the Camelot (1967) that was inexpensively and effectively converted for the Chinese setting.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the title sequence, when Master Kahn says 'pebble' his mouth says 'stone'.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Weeds: Grasshopper (#3.6)" (2007)

One of the best TV shows ever...

I saw this series exactly 20 years after it was released, but its excellence made the viewing experience timeless.

Carradine plays the immigrant drifter Caine, who walks through the Wild West encountering different situations, people, etc, there was a different plot for each episode. This was more a "Drama" than a "Western" but the interesting sparring moves and Caine's relaxed personality made it a decent alternative to the more violent and rowdy martial arts movies that released around that time.

Whenever this series is brought back to your TV station or one episode happens to be on, it would be an excellent show to tape and watch again and again - if not already released, I'm sure they'll have the show reissued on an official DVD/VHS set.