Enter the Dragon (1973)

Director:

Robert Clouse

Writer:

Michael Allin (written by)

Release Date:

19 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The first American produced martial arts spectacular!

Plot:

A martial artist agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a tournament there as cover.

Plot Keywords:

Tournament | Martial Arts | Shaolin | Temple | Monk

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bruce Lee	...	Lee
John Saxon	...	Roper
Jim Kelly	...	Williams
Ahna Capri	...	Tania
Kien Shih	...	Han (as Shih Kien)
Robert Wall	...	Oharra (as Bob Wall)
Angela Mao	...	Su Lin (Guest star) (as Angela Mao Ying)
Betty Chung	...	Mei Ling
Geoffrey Weeks	...	Braithwaite
Bolo Yeung	...	Bolo (as Yang Sze)
Peter Archer	...	Parsons
Li Jen Ho	...	Old Man (as Ho Lee Yan)
Marlene Clark	...	Secretary
Allan Kent	...	Golfer
William Keller	...	L.A. Cop
Mickey Caruso	...	L.A. Cop
Pat E. Johnson	...	Hood (as Pat Johnson)
Darnell Garcia	...	Hood
Mike Bissell	...	Hood
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hidy Ochiai	...	(unconfirmed)
Mi Tien	...	(Guest star)
Yuen Biao	...	Tournament Fighter (uncredited)
Siu Hung Cham	...	Tourney referee (uncredited)
Billy Chan	...	Cave guard (uncredited)
Jackie Chan	...	Thug in Prison (uncredited)
Lung Chan	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Ling Wei Chen	...	Guard (uncredited)
Chok Chow Cheung	...	Monk (uncredited)
Roy Chiao	...	Shaolin Abbott (Guest star) (uncredited)
Alan Chui Chung San	...	Guard (uncredited)
Fat Chung	...	Han traitor (uncredited)
Paul M. Heller	...	Radio Operator (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	...	Shaolin Fighter (uncredited)
Phillip Ko	...	Guard (uncredited)
Yung-sheng Kuo	...	Guard (uncredited)
Jen Kwan	...	Party guest (uncredited)
King Chu Lee	...	Ohara's crew (uncredited)
Tony Liu	...	Tournament Fighter (Guest star) (uncredited)
Hoi Mang	...	Ship's mate (uncredited)
Mars	...	Han traitor (uncredited)
Yao-kun Pan	...	Ohara's crew (uncredited)
Yung-sheng Pan	...	Ohara's crew (uncredited)
Steve Sanders	...	BKF Karate Instructor (uncredited)
Chin-lai Sung	...	Han's guard (uncredited)
Po Tai	...	Ohara's crew (uncredited)
Wilson Tong	...	Ohara's crew (uncredited)
Wei Tung	...	Lao, Lee's Student (uncredited)
Tian-lin Wang	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Donnie Williams	...	BKF Assistant Karate Instructor (uncredited)
Chieh Kuang Wu	...	Guard (uncredited)
Ming-tsai Wu	...	Han traitor (uncredited)
Hua Yang	...	Guard (uncredited)
Tau Wan Yue	...	Guard (uncredited)
Bun Yuen	...	Guard (uncredited)
Wah Yuen	...	Tournament Fighter (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Clouse

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Allin		written by

Produced by
Raymond Chow	....	associate producer
Paul M. Heller	....	producer (as Paul Heller)
Bruce Lee	....	producer
Fred Weintraub	....	producer
Leonard Ho	....	producer (uncredited)
Andre Morgan	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Gil Hubbs		(director of photography) (as Gilbert Hubbs)

Film Editing by
Yao Chung Chang
Kurt Hirschler
George Watters

Art Direction by
Shen Chien

Costume Design by
Sheng-hsi Chu

Makeup Department
Kuo Hsiung Chen	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Wah Kam	....	unit manager
Louis Sit	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chaplin Chang	....	assistant director
Yao-chang Chih	....	assistant director
Wen Tu	....	assistant director

Art Department
Shun-chang Huang	....	props

Sound Department
Ping Wong	....	sound

Stunts
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts
Yuen Biao	....	stunt double: Bruce Lee (uncredited)
Yuen Biao	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jackie Chan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pat E. Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ching-Ying Lam	....	martial arts and acrobatic double: Shih Kien (uncredited)
Ching-Ying Lam	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mars	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kien Shih	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Wall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wah Yuen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hsu Chen	....	still photographer
Hui-yan Cheng	....	electrical gaffer
Charles Lowe	....	camera operator: second unit
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Henry Wong	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Eugene Marks	....	music editor (as Gene Marks)
Richard Hazard	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Lalo Schifrin	....	conductor (uncredited)
Lalo Schifrin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Madalena Chan	....	executive assistant
Hua Kan	....	production assistant
Hua Ku	....	script supervisor
Bruce Lee	....	fighting sequences stager
Andre Morgan	....	assistant to producer: Hong Kong
Jeff Schechtman	....	assistant to producer: USA
Louis Sit	....	assistant to producer: Hong Kong
James Wong Sun	....	set supervisor
Ching-Ying Lam	....	assistant action director (uncredited)
Bruce Lee	....	teaser writer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Concord Productions Inc.
• Golden Harvest Company
• Sequoia Productions
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Nelonen (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrews (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS) (special edition)
• Winner World (2002) (South Korea) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (2003) (Australia) (theatrical) (re-issue 30th anniversary version)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• SubTV (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (HD DVD)
• Creative Design (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Operation Dragon" - Europe (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for martial arts violence and brief nudity

Runtime:

98 min | USA:110 min (25th Anniversary Edition) | USA:99 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release) | Dolby Digital (re-release) | Mono (original release) | SDDS (re-release)

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | UK:18 (director's cut) (1998) (uncut) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1973-2003) (cinema release) | Finland:(Banned) (1973) (1974) (1985) (1987) (1993) | Finland:K-18 (1999) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (uncut) | Sweden:(Banned) (original rating) | Sweden:15 (edited for re-rating) | Japan:G (2013)

Filming Locations:

Aberdeen Harbour, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, China

Company:

Concord Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Cameo: [Jackie Chan]Appears twice in the film. He is one of Su Lin's attackers (she knees him in the groin), and later, towards the end of the film in the big cave fight scene. Lee grabs his hair for a while before breaking his neck.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the tournament first begins, and the fighters are standing around waiting for it to start, Williams stands close to Han's throne wearing black trainers (sneakers). When he fights Parsons, his trainers are white.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lee:Teacher?
Shaolin Abbott:I see your talents have gone beyond the mere physical level. Your skills are now at the point of spiritual insight. I have several questions. What is the highest technique you hope to achieve ?
Lee:To have no technique.
Shaolin Abbott:Very good. What are your thoughts when facing an opponent ?
Lee:There is no opponent.
Shaolin Abbott:And why is that ?
Lee:Because the word "I" does not exist.
Shaolin Abbott:So, continue...
Lee:A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Love Guru (2008)

The films of Bruce Lee: Enter the Dragon.

Enter the Dragon (1973) was Bruce Lee's first (and only) solo big Hollywood production. Too bad he never got to see the fruits of his labor. He passed away during the film's post production (don't fret, two more official Bruce Lee films were made after this one. Despite all of the years of hard work and finally making it to the big times, he wasn't around long enough to enjoy it. Even though Robert Clouse is credited as director and another person is credited for writing the screenplay. This film has Bruce Lee's fingerprints all over it.

The movie is about a shady underworld crime lord (aren't they always) who controls most of the world's opium drug ring and a lot of other illegal dealings. British Intelligence is stumped, so they seek out someone who's slick, sly, stealth and who can kick a lot of butt and take care of himself. They find their man (Bruce Lee). After a great deal of convincing they get him to go to the island and participate in the crime lord's fighting tournament. Along the way, Bruce meets two American fighters (John Saxon and Jim Kelly) who are in the tournament for various reasons. Whilst on the island, Bruce does his nightly snooping around so he can find out more about the crime lord and his illegal activities. Will Bruce topple the organization? Can he make it out alive? Does Bruce really kick a whole lot of butt and take names? To find out you'll have to watch Enter The Dragon!!!!

Bruce Lee worked a great deal on this picture. He wrote most of the screenplay (uncredited), filmed all of the action scenes (uncredited) and directed several scenes (uncredited). Lam Ching-Ying, Angela Mao, Jackie Chan and Bolo Yeung appear in this film. If you haven't seen this film already then you're either a kid, lame or something is wrong with you.

Highly recommended.