Pilot 

After avenging the death of his teacher, a Shaolin monk flees China to the American West and helps people while being pursued by bounty hunters.

Director:

Jerry Thorpe

Writers:

Ed Spielman (teleplay), Howard Friedlander (teleplay)

Stars:

David Carradine, Barry Sullivan, Albert Salmi

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
David Carradine	...	Caine
Barry Sullivan	...	Dillon
Albert Salmi	...	Raif
Wayne Maunder	...	McKay
Benson Fong	...	Han Fei
Richard Loo	...	Master Sun
Keye Luke	...	Master Po
Philip Ahn	...	Master Kan
Victor Sen Yung	...	Chuen
Robert Ito	...	Fong
James Hong	...	Hsiang
Radames Pera	...	Young Caine
Roy Jenson	...	Fuller
John Leoning	...	Master Teh
David Chow	...	Little Monk

Storyline

From the tiger, he learns tenacity and power. From the white crane, gracefulness. And the dragon teaches him to ride the wind. It could take a lifetime to master just one of the many Kung Fu disciplines. But young Kwai Chang Caine knows them all. He was educated in a Shaolin monastery around 1800 by the monks. Against all forms of violence he face his ultimate challenge when his preferred master was killed by the hands of the imperial forces. After avenging the death of his teacher, as a Shaolin monk, he flees China to the American West and helps people defending the weak and fighting against the evil while being pursued by Chinese bounty hunters.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Warrior

Filming Locations:

Stage 16, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Loo here plays Shaolin Master Sun, a character he would reprise in two episodes, Kung Fu: Blood Brother (1973) during the first season, and Kung Fu: Besieged: Cannon at the Gates (1974) during the third. He would also feature in three other entries, playing three different characters: Kung Fu: The Tong (1973), Kung Fu: Arrogant Dragon (1974) and Kung Fu: The Devil's Champion (1974).

---

Goofs

In a scene where Chinese laborers are pounding railroad spikes, a worker misses hitting his spike.

---

Quotes

Caine: I seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions.

---

Connections

Referenced in A Tale of Two Titans (2004)

User Reviews

A movie that defines the Martial Arts genre

This movie was beautifully written in a style that was less about the fact that the main character could have taken every man in the film, but the fact that he didn't have to. This movie used no special effects and is still better than most of the martial arts movies that are more recent, because it focuses on character developement and the coming of age. The first movie to ever use light refraction from the sun, displaying revolutionary photographical techniques. The movie that introduced the Eastern way of life to America, Kung Fu is a must have movie for your DVD collection. In fact Bruce Lee was actually supposed to star but the movie's producers didn't think that Americans were ready for an Asain movie star. But David Carridine still delivers beautifully as a half Asain half white. The movie's defining line is, "Run away rather than hurt, hurt rather than mame, mame rather than kill"