The Big Boss
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''The Big Boss'' (; originally titled as ''Fists of Fury'' in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by
Lo Wei Lo Wei ( 12 December 1918 – 20 January 1996) was a Hong Kong film director and actor best known for launching the martial arts film careers of both Bruce Lee, in ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', and Jackie Chan, in ''New Fist of Fury''. ...
(who also wrote the film) and Wu Chi-hsiang.
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
stars in his first major film in a lead role, and his first Hong Kong film since 1960. The film co-stars
Maria Yi Maria Yi (born 29 July 1953) is a retired Chinese actress from Hong Kong. She appeared in films by Hong Kong's Golden Harvest Productions in the 1970s, most notably in ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', both starring Bruce Lee. Career Yi beg ...
, James Tien,
Tony Liu Tony Liu Tian-jue (born 7 February 1952) is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He is often credited by his Cantonese stage name Lau Wing. Liu is best known for starring in many Hong Kong martial arts films, especially in the 1970s and 1980s ...
, and
Nora Miao Nora Miao (, born Chan Wing-man (); 8 February 1952) is a Hong Kong film actress. She is best known for appearing in many kung fu films in the 1970s, opposite Hong Kong action film stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Background Chan Wing-ma ...
. Originally written for Tien, the leading role was given to Lee instead when the film's original director, Ng Kar-seung, was replaced by Lo Wei. The film was a critical success and excelled at the box office. Lee's strong performance overshadowed Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, and made Bruce Lee famous in Asia and eventually the world. The film went on to gross nearly worldwide (equivalent to approximately adjusted for inflation), against a tight budget of $100,000, approximately times its original investment. It was the highest-grossing
Hong Kong film The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of ar ...
up until Lee's next film, ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
'' (1972).


Plot

Cheng Chao-an is a Chinese mainlander who moves to Pak Chong, Thailand to live with his extended family and to work in an ice factory. He meets his cousin Hsu Chien when Hsu stands up to local street thugs who beat his kid brother. Cheng refrains from getting involved despite being tempted to, because he had sworn to his mother never to participate in any fighting, and wears a jade amulet as a reminder of his pledge. Cheng begins his work at the factory. When an ice block is accidentally broken, a bag of white powder — obviously illegal drugs — falls out. Two of Cheng's cousins pick up the bag and are told to see the manager later that night, who tell them that the factory is a front for a drug smuggling ring led by Hsiao Mi (a.k.a. the Big Boss). When Cheng's cousins (Wang and Chang) refuse to join them, the manager sends his thugs to kill them and dispose of their bodies, thereby preserving the secret. Hsu Chien and Ah Pi, another of Cheng's cousins, go to Hsiao Mi's mansion to find out what happened to the Wang and Chang. Hsu doubts Hsiao's claims that he knows nothing and threatens to go to the authorities, leading Hsiao to set his gang on the duo. After a brutal battle, they are also killed. When the Chinese workers at the factory learn that Hsu and Ah Pi are missing, they refuse to work and start a riot against the Thai management, who are joined by a group of hired thugs. Cheng still refuses to participate, but during the chaos, one of the thugs accidentally rips off and breaks Cheng's amulet. Enraged, Cheng jumps into the brawl and beats the thugs, causing them to flee. To reduce tensions, the factory manager makes Cheng a foreman, inviting him to a dinner that night to meet the boss. Everyone is happy that Cheng is the new foreman, except Chow Mei, because the others have forgotten about the missing men. Cheng promises to find out what he can about them. At the dinner, the manager tells Cheng that the boss cannot make it due to a meeting with visitors from out of town. Several women arrive at the dinner table, sit next to Cheng, and ply him with cognac. Cheng gets drunk and spends the night with Sun Wu Man, a prostitute who attended the dinner. Cheng meets Chow Mei as he leaves the brothel in the morning, embarrassing him. Because Cheng attended the dinner and got drunk, he did not follow up on his promise to speak to the police about the missing men. He tells his family when he returns home that he forgot. This causes much unease for Cheng's family and friends, who believe that Cheng is reveling in his new position instead of helping to look for their brothers. They resent him, except Chow Mei, who stands up for him. Later, Sun Wu Man warns Cheng that his life is in danger and reveals that Hsiao Mi is running a drug trafficking operation. Immediately after Cheng leaves, Hsiao's son, Hsiao Chiun, sneaks in and murders Sun. Cheng breaks into the factory and first finds the drugs before discovering a hand, the head of Sun, and the head of Hsu Chien in the ice blocks. Cheng is surrounded by Hsiao Chiun and a group of his men. Cheng fights his way out, killing Hsiao Chiun and his gang in the process. He returns home to find that his remaining family members have been murdered, while Chow Mei is missing. Mourning his loss by a river, Cheng vows to exact revenge, even if he dies. Cheng subsequently storms Hsiao Mi's mansion to fight him and his men. One of Hsiao Mi's disgruntled slaves frees Chow Mei, who was being held hostage in a cramped room used as a prison cell. She runs away to get help from the Thai police. Cheng finally kills Hsiao Mi after a fierce fight by deflecting the knife Mi throws at him with his shoe. Once he learns that Chow Mei is safe (as she came running along with the police division), he surrenders to the police when they arrive at the mansion.


Cast

*
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
as Cheng Chao-an () (dubbed by Zhang Peishan), a young man who, along with his uncle, travels from
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to
Pak Chong Pak Chong (, ; , ) is the westernmost district (''amphoe'') of Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand, and the main point of entry into Isan as the main road and rail lines cross the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains into the region. It is a pop ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
to stay with his cousins. Before departing, he swore an oath to his mother to not get into any fights. This is made legitimate by Cheng wearing his mother's jade amulet necklace to serve as a reminder to that oath he swore. *
Maria Yi Maria Yi (born 29 July 1953) is a retired Chinese actress from Hong Kong. She appeared in films by Hong Kong's Golden Harvest Productions in the 1970s, most notably in ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', both starring Bruce Lee. Career Yi beg ...
as Chow Mei (), a typical
damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...
; Cheng's only female cousin * James Tien (a.k.a. Paul Tien) as Hsu Chien (), a
martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...
who commonly fights with the local gangs *
Nora Miao Nora Miao (, born Chan Wing-man (); 8 February 1952) is a Hong Kong film actress. She is best known for appearing in many kung fu films in the 1970s, opposite Hong Kong action film stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Background Chan Wing-ma ...
as a local cold drinks vendor (guest star) *
Li Kun Li Kun (Simplified Chinese: 李鲲) (born August 1, 1981) is a former Chinese footballer. He holds the dubious distinction of having played in the most teams to be relegated and then subsequently disbanded from the top tier of Chinese football ...
as Ah Kun () *
Han Ying-chieh Han Ying-chieh (January 1, 1927 – October 15, 1991) was a Hong Kong Chinese actor. He started acting from 1966 and acted in movies such as ''Come Drink with Me'' and others. He acted in some films with Bruce Lee such as ''The Big Boss'' and ''F ...
as Hsiao Mi (; "The Big Boss"), owner of an ice factory which is really a front for his drug-trafficking operation *
Lau Wing Tony Liu Tian-jue (born 7 February 1952) is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He is often credited by his Cantonese stage name Lau Wing. Liu is best known for starring in many Hong Kong martial arts films, especially in the 1970s and 1980s ...
as Hsiao Chiun (), Hsiao Mi's son *Kam San as Ah San *Ricky Chik as Ah Chang (also assistant director) *Li Hua Sze as Ah Wang * Billy Chan Wui-ngai as Ah Pi *
Lam Ching-ying Lam Ching-ying (; born Lam Gun-bo (); 27 December 1952 – 8 November 1997) was a Hong Kong stuntman, actor, martial artist and action director. As a practitioner of martial arts Lam starred in a number of notable films that found recognition o ...
as Ah Yin *Marilyn Bautista (a.k.a. Malarin Boonak) as Miss Sun Wu Man, a prostitute *Chan Chue as the factory manager (also assistant director) *Chom as the factory foreman *Tu Chia-Cheng as Uncle Liu, Cheng's uncle (also unit manager) *Ma Man-Chun as Old Ma (also props) * as Hsiao Mi's henchman and gatekeeper


Background and conception

The four years following the cancellation of ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
'' were difficult and frustrating for Bruce Lee. In 1970, he was incapacitated for several months after damaging a
sacral nerve A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into th ...
in his lower back while weightlifting. Money became tight as roles in Hollywood proved hard to come by, and wife Linda had to work evenings at an answering service to help pay the bills. Bruce was still keen to develop film and TV projects in Hollywood, but Warner Bros. was reluctant to accept a TV script project he had developed (the plotline of which was similar to, but not the same as, ''
Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...
''), and production on '' The Silent Flute'' had to be suspended indefinitely after a three-week trip to India with
James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...
and
Stirling Silliphant Stirling Dale Silliphant (January 16, 1918 – April 26, 1996) was an American screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his screenplay for '' In the Heat of the Night'', for which he won an Academy Award in 1967, and for creating ...
to scout locations for the movie proved unproductive. In light of these recent events, Coburn suggested to Bruce that he try his luck in Hong Kong's growing film industry. In spring 1970, Bruce paid a visit to Hong Kong with his young son Brandon. Unbeknownst to Bruce, he had become famous there due to reruns of ''The Green Hornet'' on TV, and the enthusiastic reception he received took him by surprise. He was invited to appear on popular HKTVB chat show ''
Enjoy Yourself Tonight ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' or ''EYT'' is a popular variety show that was produced in British Hong Kong. It first aired on TVB Jade on 20 November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast on Friday, 7 October 1994. During the 1980s ...
'', where he was interviewed and gave a board-breaking demonstration. Encouraged by the interest in Hong Kong, Bruce asked his childhood friend
Unicorn Chan Unicorn Chan (1940–1987) was a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, stuntman and one of Bruce Lee's best friends since childhood. He acted in many films during childhood including ''The Birth of Mankind'' (1946) in which Bruce Lee starred. Unico ...
to pass on his CV to
Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
, Hong Kong's largest film production company. They offered Bruce a long-term contract but only US$2,000 per film, which Bruce declined. Another offer appeared unexpectedly from
Raymond Chow Raymond Chow Man-wai ( zh, t=鄒文懷; 8 October 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter. He was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage. As ...
, a film producer who had in 1970 left Shaw Brothers to form a new company, Golden Harvest. Chow, aware of the rejected offer from Shaw Brothers, had been impressed by Bruce's interviews on Hong Kong television and radio, and also by his confidence during a long-distance phone call. During that phone call, Lee determined the best action movie playing in Hong Kong and assured Chow that he could do much better. In June 1971, Chow sent one of his producers, Liu Liang-Hua (the wife of director Lo Wei) to Los Angeles to meet and negotiate with Bruce, who signed a contract to make two films for Golden Harvest for US$15,000 ($10,000 for ''The Big Boss'' and $5,000 on completion of a second film tentatively titled ''King of Chinese Boxers'' and which became ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
''). This eased the Lees' financial worries and permitted Linda to quit her job. With the contract signed, Chow hastily arranged a meeting with his Golden Harvest executives and an old friend called Ma Thien-Ek (Fatty Ma), a Thai businessman, film distributor and cinema owner. They knew that Shaw Brothers were making a
Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
boxing film in Thailand (''
Duel of Fists ''Duel of Fists'' (; ''Quan Ji'' or ''Kuen gik'') is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh and starring David Chiang and Ti Lung. Filmed on location in Bangkok, the story concerns a Hong Kong engineer (Chiang) who goes to Th ...
''), and wanted to make their new film there, which would also help to keep costs down. Fatty Ma, an expert in Thai affairs, offered to help with locations and expenses.


Production


Writing

Veteran Chinese novelist and screenwriter
Ni Kuang Ni Cong (30 May 1935 – 3 July 2022), courtesy name Yiming, better known by his pen name Ni Kuang (also romanised Ngai Hong, I Kuang and Yi Kuang), was a Hong Kong American, Hong Kong-American novelist and screenwriter. He wrote over 300 C ...
was commissioned to create a script based loosely on Cheng Chi-Yong, a prominent Chinese figure in Thai society in the early 20th century. Ni Kuang changed the name of the character to Cheng Chao-an, after Chao'an county in eastern China, the home of Cheng Chi-Yong's ancestors. He also developed the idea of Cheng being sent by his mother to live and work with fellow Chinese migrants in Thailand, after his father had been killed in a fight. She gave her son a jade necklace symbolising peace, protection and good fortune, as a reminder to avoid trouble. It was not unusual in Hong Kong cinema for the director to amend the script during filming, and ''The Big Boss'' was no exception. When Lo Wei replaced the original director in late July 1971, he was unhappy with the script and re-wrote it, without Bruce's knowledge. Lo later recalled, "I wouldn't tell him I was re-writing the script for fear of affecting his morale. In my hotel room, he would often discuss the script with me which would leave me tongue-tied, so I would tell him I needed to rest, and as soon as he left I would be burning the midnight oil in order to get the script ready for the next day's filming."


Filming

Bruce Lee flew from Los Angeles to
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
via Hong Kong on 12 July 1971. Raymond Chow, concerned about renewed interest from Shaw Brothers, had wanted him to fly directly to Bangkok, but Bruce refused, stopping in Hong Kong briefly to greet a friend and make a few phone calls. Bruce stayed in Bangkok for five nights, and it was here that he met most of the cast and crew and also Raymond Chow for the first time. Filming commenced on 22 July in
Pak Chong Pak Chong (, ; , ) is the westernmost district (''amphoe'') of Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand, and the main point of entry into Isan as the main road and rail lines cross the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains into the region. It is a pop ...
, a small town situated some northeast of Bangkok, on the northern edge of the
Khao Yai National Park Khao Yai National Park is a List of national parks of Thailand, national park in Thailand. Established in 1962 as Thailand's first national park, it is the third largest national park in Thailand. Description Khao Yai National Park is in the ...
, Thailand's oldest reserve; it also serves as the gateway to the northeast (
Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...
) of Thailand from the
Bangkok Metropolitan Region The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) (; ; ), may refer to a government-defined "political definition" of the urban region surrounding the metropolis of Bangkok, or the built-up area, i.e., urban agglomeration of Bangkok, Thailand, which varies in ...
. Pak Chong would be Bruce's home for about four weeks, and he made no secret of his dislike for it in letters to wife Linda, describing it as a lawless, impoverished and undeveloped village. Due to the lack of fresh food, Bruce was losing weight due to a lack of proper diet, having to eat canned meat and supplement his diet with vitamins, which he had thankfully brought along. He occasionally lost his voice through trying to shout above the noise on set; mosquitoes and cockroaches were everywhere, and the tap water in the hotel was yellow. Bruce asked the hotel staff to put his mattress on the floor, as sleeping on the bed was uncomfortable due to his ongoing back problem. He also needed lots of rest after a fight scene. When Bruce arrived in Pak Chong, rival film companies tried desperately to poach him away from Golden Harvest, including Shaw Brothers, with a new and improved offer. A film producer from Taiwan told Bruce to rip up his contract and promised to take care of any lawsuit. Bruce, a man of his word, had no intention of considering the offers, although it did add some extra tension on the film set. Shooting did not go smoothly at first. After just a few days, the "uncertain" original director, Wu Chia Hsiang, was replaced by Lo Wei (the husband of associate producer Liu Liang-Hua). Bruce was initially sceptical of Lo, describing him in letters to Linda as a "fame lover" and "another so-so one with an almost unbearable air of superiority". Bruce badly cut his right hand while washing a thin glass, the wound requiring ten stitches and a large plaster, which is very noticeable throughout the movie, especially the scenes filmed at the Thamrongthai ice factory, the first filming location used in Pak Chong. Fatty Ma had a contact who knew the owner of the factory, and arranged for Golden Harvest to film there for a few days. One night, filming of the big fight in the ice house had to be stopped for an hour as Bruce had lost a contact lens, and dozens of people were on their hands and knees looking for it amongst thousands of ice chips. Eventually Bruce found it himself, leading Lo Wei to wonder if he had it in his pocket all along, and was deliberately being disruptive. Aside from the factory, other locations in Pak Chong used for filming include the Lam Ta Khong river (a tributary of the
Mun River The Mun River (, , ; , ), sometimes spelled ''Moon River'', is a tributary of the Mekong River. It carries approximately of water per year. Geography The river begins in the Khao Yai National Park area of the Sankamphaeng Range, near Nakhon R ...
), and a local brothel (the Mitsumphun Hotel), which has since burnt down. The actual bedroom scenes however were filmed in a riverside bungalow owned by the nearby New Wan Chai Hotel (now the Rimtarninn), where the film crew stayed during filming, due to the bedrooms in the brothel being smelly and unhygienic. The prostitutes charged only fifteen Baht in Thai money per client, but the film crew paid them one to two hundred Baht each to appear as extras in the film. Perhaps the most iconic location seen in the film is the titular big boss's mansion and gardens, which was a Buddhist temple situated on the main road called Wat Siri Samphan, built in 1963. Like the ice factory, it is still in Pak Chong today and remains largely unchanged, much to the delight of the dedicated fans who have made the pilgrimage to Thailand to view the filming locations.''In Pursuit of the Dragon'' (2012 documentary) by John Little. There has been some speculation that Bruce was involved in a real fight on the set of ''The Big Boss'', as depicted in the 1993 biopic '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. Although no such fight actually took place, Bruce did interact extensively with a few of the Thai stuntmen (one of whom was a former
Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
bantamweight champion), and exchanged info and skills with them between takes. Bruce reportedly though seemed unimpressed and called their kicks "telegraphed", while the Hong Kong stunt team (Lam Ching-Ying, Billy Chan and his brother ) were initially unimpressed with Bruce, and doubted his abilities. Their opinion of him soon changed when Lam challenged Bruce in the hotel, and Bruce sidekicked him across the room. After an eventful, and at times chaotic, first few days' filming in Pak Chong, by early August the filming had picked up speed and was progressing well. Bruce and Lo Wei were collaborating, but they still clashed over a few of the scenes, in particular the use of trampolines and mattresses to propel people through the air, and also the scene where Bruce punches a man through a wooden wall, leaving a cartoonish outline in the wood.''Bruce Lee in The Big Boss'' published by Bruce Lee JKD Club (1980) Bruce was also hesitant to go along with Lo Wei's ideas of filming risqué scenes of his character getting in bed with Thai ladies portraying prostitutes, although he eventually agreed to do them as Lo insisted it would add to his character's newfound image as a revenge-driven warrior. The final scene filmed in Pak Chong was the climactic fight between Bruce and the boss (played by Han Ying Chieh, who also served as the fight choreographer), which proved to be problematic: Bruce endured "two days of hell" when he sprained his ankle from a high jump on a slipped mattress, and had to be driven to Bangkok to see a doctor, where he caught a virus in the hot and stuffy conditions. Close-ups were used to finish the fight, as Bruce struggled and had to drag his leg, which was covered up with, and contributed to, his character's worn out, exhausted appearance. The cast and crew spent the last twelve days in August filming further scenes in Bangkok, where Bruce enjoyed breakfast in bed at the Thai Hotel, a luxury he never had in Pak Chong. The dinner party scene was filmed in the back room of the Poonsin Chinese Restaurant, close to the Thai Hotel. A few scenes were filmed at the
Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...
in Phra Pradaeng District, including the opening scene in the film where Bruce and his uncle step off the ferry boat and walk through the busy pier. An old teak house in the east side of Phra Pradaeng district was used as the family home, while Nora Miao's scenes (and part of the opening fight sequence) were filmed on the quieter west side, which resembled rural Pak Chong. At times filming was delayed by heavy rain. ''The Big Boss'' film crew returned to Hong Kong on 3 September, where there would be a further day of filming for insert shots including close-ups of Bruce avoiding the dogs and the "leg-grappling" scene during the fight with the boss (these were filmed at the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club). The final scene filmed was the now deleted "pushcart attack" in the alleyway, at Wader Studio in Hong Kong, as Golden Harvest had not as yet moved into their famous studios on Hammer Hill Road.


Post-production

Bruce viewed over three hours of unedited footage on 5 September, and was pleased with the results. The next day, he flew to the U.S. to see his family and film further episodes of ''Longstreet''. While Bruce was in the US, the footage was sent for processing and editing. The editing was initially done by Golden Harvest editor Sung Ming, but because they were behind schedule, the renowned award-winning editor Chiang Hsing-Lung was also brought in to help. A veteran of over 170 movies, Chiang worked very quickly, and helped deliver the film on time. Since he was employed by Shaw Bros at the time, his involvement was kept secret, and he was uncredited. Bruce returned to Hong Kong on 16 October with his family plus friend Robert Baker. They were greeted at
Kai Tak Airport Kai Tak Airport was an international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak, or simply K ...
by several friends, news reporters and a large group of scouts from the Scout Association of Hong Kong. The next day, a private screening was held at Golden Harvest for cinema owners. Sung Ming then made further edits to appease the Hong Kong censors, for the film's general release at the end of October. On 22 October, Bruce and Robert Baker appeared on ''
Enjoy Yourself Tonight ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' or ''EYT'' is a popular variety show that was produced in British Hong Kong. It first aired on TVB Jade on 20 November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast on Friday, 7 October 1994. During the 1980s ...
'' to promote the film.


Bruce Lee and JKD short film

While in Thailand, Bruce wrote to Linda regularly, telling her he missed her and the children, and was looking forward to seeing them in Hong Kong once filming had been completed. In return for their air fare (from their home in Los Angeles to Hong Kong), Golden Harvest wanted Bruce to make a short film for them called ''Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do'', which would run for approximately 15 minutes and be narrated by actress Nora Miao. According to Hong Kong press reports, Golden Harvest had originally planned for the short film to accompany the release of another upcoming film of theirs called ''The Hurricane'' (a.k.a. ''Gold Cyclone Whirlwind''), starring Nora and written and directed by Lo Wei. This would promote Nora and introduce Lee's skills to the Hong Kong public prior to the release of ''The Big Boss''. Nora, who was already in Thailand on vacation, joined the film crew in Bangkok in late August 1971, but the short film was not made, presumably because there was not enough time; she did, however, film a few brief scenes for ''The Big Boss'' in a cameo role as a roadside refreshment vendor.


Release


Box office

On 23 October 1971, the film premiered at the Queen's Theatre in Hong Kong's Central district for a now legendary midnight screening. Linda recalled: "Every dream that Bruce had ever possessed came true that night. The audience rose to its feet, yelling, clapping, cheering. It was almost impossible to leave the theatre; we were absolutely mobbed." The Lees also attended the official gala premiere on 3 November, which was a charity screening for the Scout Association of Hong Kong. The film was an instant success, taking just 3 days to reach , and a week to reach . By the end of its relatively brief run (ending on 18 November), ''The Big Boss'' had made , breaking the previous record held by ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'' by more than HK$800,000. An estimated people in Hong Kong, out of a population of four million, had paid to watch the film. It became the highest-grossing film of all time in Hong Kong until Lee's second film, ''Fist of Fury'', was released in March 1972. Shortly after the Hong Kong run, ''The Big Boss'' was released in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, and enjoyed similar success there, where it played for a total of 45 days at five theatres. There was chaos at a midnight preview screening (27 November 1971) at Cathay's Jurong Drive-in cinema; police were called as hundreds of cars caused huge jams, and the film had to be delayed for 45 minutes."Confusion at the Jurong Drive-in". ''New Nation'' (29 November 1971, page 1). It went on general release on 8 December, and by the end of its run on 21 January 1972, it had broken box office records with just over , about S$240,000 more than previous record-holder ''
The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten C ...
''.Richards, Arthur (24 January 1972). "Mandarin film Big Boss shatters all-time cinema box office record". ''The Straits Times''. The film also played to packed cinemas in
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, the third territory to show the film. By September 1972, it had grossed in the Malaysian capital city of
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
. During its initial run, the film grossed more than in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
alone and across Asia. Despite the enormous success of ''The Big Boss'' in the Far East, overseas distributors were initially reluctant as they did not think it had potential outside Southeast Asia. It was only when the film suddenly became a surprise hit in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
(
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
) in 1972 that they began to take notice. Suddenly buyers from all over the world were arriving in Hong Kong to buy the film, which was soon opening in new markets for Chinese films such as South America, Africa and southern Europe.''Death by Misadventure'' (1995 documentary). Director Toby Russell. The film became a major box office hit in Europe between 1972 and early 1973. In the UK, however, the release of the English-dubbed version was delayed as distributors Crest Films withdrew their application for a BBFC certificate, while they waited for the current storm surrounding film censorship in Britain to pass (the Mandarin version was shown in Chinese cinema clubs in Britain in June 1972).Fong, Leslie (28 April 1972). "Big Boss only at Chinese film clubs in Britain". ''The Straits Times''. There was also a delay in the US, as distributors
National General Pictures National General Corporation (NGC) was a theater chain holding company, film distributor, film distribution and film production, production company and was considered one of the "instant majors". It was in operation from 1951 to 1974. Division ...
disliked the dubbing, and spent a lot of money on a new soundtrack featuring new music and rewritten, redubbed English dialogue. This new version was eventually released in the U.S. in April 1973 with the title ''Fists of Fury'', about 18 months after the Hong Kong premiere and after ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
'' (retitled ''The Chinese Connection'' in the US), Lee's second major role, had a limited run in New York. It was an instant hit, with opening day earnings of from 53 theaters in the New Jersey and New York areas. It topped the North American box office in May 1973, above two other Hong Kong martial arts films in the second and third spots, ''
Lady Whirlwind ''Lady Whirlwind'' a.k.a. ''Deep Thrust'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Huang Feng, starring Angela Mao. Plot A young man Ling Shih-hua (Chang Yi) is severely beaten by Japanese mobsters and left for dead on ...
'' (''Deep Thrust'') and ''
King Boxer ''King Boxer'' (, released in the United States as ''Five Fingers of Death'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film produced by Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Jeong Chang-hwa, starring Lo Lieh, and featuring fight choreography by Lau Kar-wi ...
'' (''Five Fingers of Death''). Its success was surprising given that the film was only originally intended for the Mandarin circuit. The film earned in
distributor rentals A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is freque ...
at the American and Canadian box office during its initial run in 1973. ''The Big Boss'' went on to gross a total revenue of in the United States (equivalent to adjusted for inflation in 2020), where it sold approximately tickets and was one of the top 20 films released in 1973. In France, the film became one of the top ten highest-grossing films of 1973, with 2,519,063 ticket sales. In Spain, the film sold 2,211,383 tickets. Upon its October 1973 release in South Korea, the film sold 209,551 tickets in the capital city of
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
. In
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, the film had a packed six-week first run in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and then a second run that outperformed ''
The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...
'' (1972). The UK and Japan were among the last countries to release the film, in April 1974. In Japan, it was the year's seventh-highest-grossing film, with in
distributor rental A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is freque ...
earnings. Against a tight budget of , the film grossed nearly worldwide (equivalent to approximately adjusted for inflation), earning nearly times its budget.


Re-releases

When the film was released in the United States, the death of Hsiao Mi, "The Boss", was cut down to him simply being stabbed in the chest with a knife in order to receive an " R" rating. The original version of his death, which not only shows an explicit close-up of the knife in his chest but Cheng Chao-an's fingers piercing his rib cage and blood flowing from under his shirt, would have given the film an " X" rating. The first time this scene was shown in the U.S. was when it played on cable channel
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
in July 2004.
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
released the film as a re-issue in 1978 and again re-issued it with ''Fist of Fury'' as a studio sanctioned double feature in February 1981.
Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
distributed ''The Big Boss'' on television & streaming (Hulu & Netflix) along with ''Bruce Lee, the Legend'' (1984), ''
Game of Death ''Game of Death'' () is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, and was planned and scheduled to be released by 1973, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. Th ...
'', ''
Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee's only complet ...
'' and ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
''. In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 300,000 viewers on Channel 5 in 2008, making it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on Channel 5. On July 14, 2020,
The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of art film, arth ...
released a Blu-ray box set featuring ''The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon, Game of Death,'' and ''Game of Death II'' titled ''Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits.''


Critical reception

''The Big Boss'' received mixed reviews from critics upon release. The ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
'' during the film's original Hong Kong run said that "This is probably the biggest thing to hit the Mandarin film business since the invention of fake blood ... Every cinema showing this film is packed to the fire exits."''South China Morning Post''. 7 November 1971. In a positive review for Singapore newspaper ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'', Arthur Richards wrote, "It is a delightful study of
Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...
mixed with
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
and lightning kicks, Western-style ... An acceptable thriller of the James Bond calibre."Richards, Arthur (5 December 1971). "Fistful of thrills of the 007 calibre". ''The Straits Times''. Conversely, a negative review by Edgar Koh had appeared in another Singapore newspaper, New Nation, a few days earlier: "Bruce Lee is certainly skilled in his job, not as an actor but as an exponent of his particular brand of fighting with fists and legs ... There are the stereotype good and bad, and the by now redundant theme of revenge. On top of this, it doesn't flow smoothly; the emotional mood, shallow though it is, is sometimes left out on a limb."Koh, Edgar (2 December 1971). "Skilful pugilism but it's repugnant cinema". ''New Nation''. Reviews were also mixed when the film was released (as ''Fists of Fury'') in the U.S. in spring 1973. J. Oliver Prescott of the ''
Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute ...
'' wrote, "Bruce Lee is the fastest foot in the East ... Now back in Hong Kong, he has become the hottest international movie star since
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
. Unlike Eastwood's anti-hero, Bruce Lee is giving the American audiences what they apparently want now: a hero. Lee is Rex Allen, Lash Larue, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry all rolled into one ... The characters are certainly simple: these are just plain Chinese country folk whose little disagreements develop overnight into Oriental rumbles equivalent to the Sharks and Jets in
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...
."Prescott, J. Oliver (12 June 1973). ''Tampa Bay Times''.
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote, "
Kung fu movies Kung fu film () is a subgenre of martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema set in the contemporary period and featuring realistic martial arts. It lacks the fantasy elements seen in ''wuxia'', a related martial arts genre that uses historical ...
began as a local phenomenon in Hong Kong a couple of years ago. The two I've just seen, ''Fists of Fury'' (a.k.a. ''The Big Boss'') and ''Deep Thrust'' (a.k.a. ''
Lady Whirlwind ''Lady Whirlwind'' a.k.a. ''Deep Thrust'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Huang Feng, starring Angela Mao. Plot A young man Ling Shih-hua (Chang Yi) is severely beaten by Japanese mobsters and left for dead on ...
''), make the worst Italian Westerns look like the most solemn and noble achievements of the early Soviet cinema."Canby, Vincent (13 May 1973). ''The New York Times''. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' stated, "Despite the silly plot, dreadful supporting cast and prim morality (or perhaps because of them), ''Fists of Fury'' is sometimes entertaining, with most of the credit due to Lee."Variety. On
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film holds a score of 65% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10.


Alternative versions


Censorship and missing scenes

''The Big Boss'' has a long and complicated history of censorship and editing, with many scenes being trimmed or removed completely for various reasons and for different markets. A few shots of excessive violence and bloodshed (including the notorious "saw in the head" kill) and a sex scene were cut by the Hong Kong censors before the film was released, and haven't been seen since. Numerous further scenes were cut for all prints released outside of Hong Kong, mainly to increase the pacing of the film, as follows: * The scene at the refreshments stall is shortened, including an extended fight between Hsu Chien (James Tien) and the thugs. * An entire scene in which some of the cousins play a game of Chinese chess, only for Ah Kun (Li Kun) to complain about cheating; also some of Cheng Chao An's (Bruce Lee) arrival at the house. * Cheng and Hsu are walking home after the fight near the gambling den; they enter a narrow alleyway and have to grab hands and leap onto a wall to avoid two carts which are hurled towards them. The pair return home, with Cheng looking amused as Hsu describes the fight to the family. * A scene in which Cheng, after seeing his uncle off, heads down a road and observes the drink stand seller smiling at him from her stall; he walks past her looking glum. * As the thugs dispose of the two cousins at the ice house, a severed head is thrown into an ice container. * Some shots of Hsiao Chiun (Tony Liu) and then his father demonstrating fighting tactics to their men. * Some shots of Hsu and Hsiao Chiun after the former is stabbed in the head. * Some shots of the thugs approaching and entering the grounds of the family home. * The shot of Cheng lifting the net to reveal Ah San's body is shortened. * The scene of Cheng at the riverside is shortened to remove some of his inner monologue and shots of his cousins' murdered bodies. After standing up and throwing his bundle of belongings into the river, the parts of him angrily shaking his fist and repeatedly shouting "Revenge!" are removed. * After Cheng runs down the road from the creek, rather than cutting to him arriving at the big boss's mansion as in the usual versions, he returns to the brothel for a third time. Here, he picks the prostitute in a red sweater-type dress (seen in the background the second time Cheng visits the brothel). They go to her room; Cheng pushes her onto the bed, and the two begin to strip. Cheng stands behind the bed, completely nude, but also completely emotionless. The woman lies on the bed and Cheng walks (waist-high shot) towards the camera, blurring out the scene. Next, Cheng is shown tucking in his shirt, while the woman remains in bed, staring at him. He hands all his money to her, even though he already paid. He then picks up a bag of prawn crackers from the bedside table, tries one, and then leaves. * Cheng punches Hsiao Mi one more time as he lies lifeless. In December 1979, a Bruce Lee film festival in Kilburn, London, was organised by Kung-Fu Monthly poster magazine; a Mandarin print from Golden Harvest's London office was screened for over 1,700 fans and was complete with the exception of a few shots cut by the Hong Kong censors. In 2023,
Arrow Films Arrow Films is a British independent film distributor and restorer specialising in world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films. As Arrow Video, it sells Ultra HD Blu-rays, Blu-rays and DVDs online; it also operates its own subscript ...
announced the release of a set titled Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest, whose contents include an early Mandarin version of ''The Big Boss'', which restores the scenes listed above. A few scenes remain missing, presumably lost. These include more footage of Chow Mei (Maria Yi) at the family home, a drunken Cheng approaching the girl at the dinner party and imagining her topless, and more of Cheng discovering the body parts in the ice.


Alternative title confusion

When ''The Big Boss'' was being prepared for American distribution, the U.S. release was to be re-titled ''The Chinese Connection'', a play on the popular '' The French Connection'', since both dealt with drug trafficking. The U.S. title of Lee's second film, ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
'', was to be kept nearly the same, except using the plural ''Fists''. However, the titles were accidentally reversed. ''The Big Boss'' was released as ''Fists of Fury'' and ''Fist of Fury'' became ''The Chinese Connection''. Recent American TV showings and the official U.S. DVD release from
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
in 2005 have restored the original titles of all Bruce Lee films, though the descriptions do not match in some cases.


Alternative music scores

Unlike other Lee films, ''The Big Boss'' is unique in having three completely different music scores. ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
'', ''
Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee's only complet ...
'' and ''
Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...
'' all only feature one score with minor alterations. The first music score for it was composed by Wang Fu-ling, who worked on films such as ''
The Chinese Boxer ''The Chinese Boxer'' (龙虎斗; also known by its international title ''The Hammer of God'') is a 1970 Hong Kong action kung fu film written, directed by and starring Jimmy Wang Yu. Tong Gaai was the action director. ''The Chinese Boxer'' was ...
'' and ''
One-Armed Swordsman ''The One-Armed Swordsman'' is a 1967 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. Directed by Chang Cheh, it was the first of the new style of ''wuxia'' films emphasizing male anti-heroes, violent swordplay and heavy bloodle ...
''. This was made for the original Mandarin language version and was also used for the first English version, in addition to the theatrical French and Turkish versions. Wang was the only one to receive credit, but it is also believed composer Chen Yung-Yu assisted with the score. At least one cue from Japanese composer
Akira Ifukube was a Japanese composer. He is best known for composing several entries in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise as well as developing the Godzilla, titular monster's roar. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born o ...
's scores for the ''
Daimajin is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' series centering on an eponymous fictitious giant warrior god. It initially consisted of a film trilogy shot simultaneously and released in 1966 with three different directors and predominantly the same crew. The seri ...
'' trilogy of films was also utilised as stock music. The second and most widespread of the music scores was by German composer Peter Thomas. This did not become widely known until 2005, when most of the music he composed for the film was published on
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. Thomas's involvement stems from a complete reworking of the English version of the film. The early version featured expatriate voice actors living in Hong Kong who worked on the
Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
' films, and used Wang Fu-ling's score. In early 1973, American distributor National General Pictures decided to make a new English version that would stand out from the ones of other martial arts films. New actors were brought in to re-dub the film, and Thomas re-scored the film, abandoning Wang Fu-ling's music. The German dubbed version (German: Die Todesfaust des Cheng Li, English: The Deadly Fist of Cheng Li), premiering before the reworked English version, features his score. The third score is the 1982 Cantonese release score, which primarily features music from Golden Harvest composer
Joseph Koo Joseph Koo Kar-Fai (; 25 February 1931 – 3 January 2023) was a Hong Kong composer. He used the pen name Moran (莫然) for Mandarin songs early in his career. According to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Koo was one of the most ...
. However, a good portion of Koo's music in the Cantonese version was originally created in 1974 for the Japanese theatrical release of ''The Big Boss'', which was half Koo's music and half Peter Thomas's. Golden Harvest simply took Koo's music from the Japanese version and added it to the Cantonese version. Aside from this, this version is most infamous for its use of the
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
music cues from "
The Grand Vizier's Garden Party ''Ummagumma'' is a part-studio, part-live album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It is a double album and was released on 7 November 1969 by Harvest Records. The first disc consists of live recordings from concerts at Mothers Club in Birmingha ...
, Part 2", "
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
" and "
Obscured by Clouds ''Obscured by Clouds'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 2 June 1972 by Harvest and Capitol Records. It serves as the soundtrack for the French film '' La Vallée'', by Barbet Schroeder. ...
", as well as
King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
's " Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two". Other music cues were taken from old horror films and B-movies, including ''
I Was a Teenage Werewolf ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' is a 1957 American science fiction horror film directed by Gene Fowler Jr., and starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime, and Whit Bissell. Co-written and produced by cult film producer Herma ...
'' and ''How To Make A Monster''.Hart, Jason (2011). "Unravelling the Cantonese Soundtrack". ''BLR (Bruce Lee Review), issue 3''.


Legacy

''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'' has traced the video game usage of the term "
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
" back to ''The Big Boss''.


Unofficial sequels

In 1976, a non-canon continuation to ''The Big Boss'' was made called ''The Big Boss Part II'', starring
Bruce Le Bruce Le (; born June 5, 1950) is a martial artist and actor known for his martial arts films of the 1970s and 1980s. Most of these were inexpensively produced and were made to capitalise on the martial arts phenomenon started by Bruce Lee, w ...
(Huang Kin Lung) as Cheng Chao-an and
Lo Lieh Wong Lap Tat (June 29, 1939 – November 2, 2002), better known by his stage name Lo Lieh, was an Indonesian-born Hong Kong martial artist and film actor. Lo was perhaps best known as Chao Chih-Hao in the 1972 martial arts film ''King Boxer'' ...
as Cheng's brother, who wants revenge for their father's murder. The film was directed by Chan Chue, who was an assistant director on the original film and also reprises his role as the villainous ice factory manager. ''The Big Boss Part II'' was partly filmed at some of the Pak Chong locations used in the original film, including the ice factory and the Buddhist temple which is used as the villain's lair. The elusive film still exists, but did not make it to home video until
Severin Films Severin Films is an American independent film production and distribution company known for restoring and releasing cult films on DVD and Blu-ray. It is considered a boutique Blu-ray and DVD label. History The label was created in 2006 in Los A ...
released a new scan of a Mandarin print as a bonus on the ''Enter the Clones'' boxset in 2024.Who's The Boss? (Or How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Love The Big Boss Part II)
/ref> A later sequel, ''Big Boss Untouchable'', was produced in 2002 with Dragon Sek in the lead role.


Loose sequel

In 1981, another film simply called ''Big Boss II'' (杰泉达东考, Jiě quán dà dōng kǎo) was released. Directed by Lu-Po Tu and starring Ryong Keo ( Dragon Lee), Tan Yin (
Bolo Yeung Yeung Sze (; born February 7, 1946), better known as Bolo Yeung, is a Hong Kong former competitive bodybuilder, martial artist, and actor. Primarily known for playing villains in action and martial arts films, he is regarded as one of the most i ...
), Lik Cheung, Yoo-haeng Kim, Ying-Hung Lau, Fa-Yuan Li, Ni Liu, Yao-Kun Pan, Chien-Po Tsen, and Wei-Ho Tu. While transporting funds for independence movement, Lee Han-saeng is shot in the legs by the Japanese military police. He recovers from his wounds with the help of Jang Geo-chil, an independence fighter, and his daughter, Wan-ah. When the Japanese police investigate Jang's house, Han-saeng and Jang take refuge in the home of Wan-ah's uncle. But he sells them out, blinded by his greed for the reward on their heads. They run and hide in kisaeng Ae-hi's home. Ae-hi and her sister Yu-ha desire revenge on the Japanese police who killed their father. But they are killed when Wan-ah's uncle turns them to the Japanese police while Han-saeng is away. When Jang and his wife are killed, Han-saeng takes revenge on the Japanese police. In the US, the film also goes by the titles ''Chinese Goliath'', ''Muscle of the Dragon'', and ''The Deadly Dragon Lee Fights Again''.


Other actors as Bruce Lee playing Cheng Chao-an

Various Bruce Lee biopics have been filmed over the years, with the two most famous being '' Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth'' and '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. Both of these films feature their respective actors,
Bruce Li Bruce Li (; born Ho Chung-Tao; 5 June 1950) is a Chinese martial artist and actor who starred in martial arts films from the Bruceploitation movement. Career Ho Chung-Tao went to play a stuntman in Taiwan and Hong Kong under the name of James ...
and
Jason Scott Lee Jason Scott Lee (; born November 19, 1966) is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of ''The Jungle Book'' and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. P ...
, at one point acting as Lee on the set of ''The Big Boss''. Both films feature a variation of the rumour that Lee was challenged on the set by a Thai boxer. In ''Myth'', Lee was challenged on set and was caught in the middle of an ambush later on off the set. In ''Dragon'', Lee is challenged during an actual take during filming of ''The Big Boss'', wearing the trademark rolled up long sleeve white T-shirt, white sash, and black pants. Both of these are highly exaggerated accounts (not to mention that ''Dragon'' makes the mistake of saying that filming for ''The Big Boss'' began in July 1970 rather than in July 1971), as the story told is that Lee merely discusses martial arts with a Thai fighter on the set. Besides these two examples, a third Bruce Lee biopic, ''
The Legend of Bruce Lee ''The Legend of Bruce Lee'' ('' Chinese'': 李小龍傳奇) is a 2008 Chinese biographical television series based on the life story of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. The 50-episode series was produced and broadcast by CCTV and began airing ...
'', this time with
Danny Chan Kwok-kwan Danny Chan Kwok-kwan (born 1 August 1975) is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He is known for resembling Bruce Lee in appearance and has portrayed Lee in the 2008 television series '' The Legend of Bruce Lee'', the 2015 film ''Ip Man 3'', ...
as Lee and filmed in mini-series form, was shown in Hong Kong in 2008 as part of China's hosting of the summer Olympics. Once again, this biopic shows Lee encountering a Thai boxer on the set of ''The Big Boss'', this time with the challenger being played by martial arts film veteran
Mark Dacascos Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. A 4th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo#Wun Hop Kuen Do, Wun Hop Kuen Do, he is known for his roles in Action film, action films, including ...
. Photos and behind-the-scenes video of this scene have appeared on various websites, including Dacascos's official site.


Home media


VHS releases

''4 Front (United Kingdom)'' *Released: 17 March 1997 *Classification: 18 ''4 Front (United Kingdom)'' *Released: 1 October 2001 *Part of a boxset *Classification: 18 ''20th Century Fox (America)'' *Released: 21 May 2002 *Named ''Fists of Fury'' *Classification: R, X (known in some video releases) *Color: NTSC *Run time: 99 minutes


DVD releases

''Universe (Hong Kong)'' *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) letterboxed *Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1) *Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese *Supplements: Trailer, trailers for ''
Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee's only complet ...
'', ''
Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...
'', ''
Game of Death ''Game of Death'' () is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, and was planned and scheduled to be released by 1973, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. Th ...
'', ''
Legacy of Rage ''Legacy of Rage'' () is a 1986 Hong Kong action film directed by Ronny Yu. The film stars Brandon Lee, Michael Wong, Regina Kent and a special appearance by Bolo Yeung, who appeared alongside Lee’s father Bruce Lee in his posthumous 1973 f ...
'', star files *All regions, NTSC ''Mega Star (Hong Kong)'' *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:29:1) *Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono) *Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean *Supplements: Trailer, synopsis, cast and Crew biographies *All regions, NTSC ''Fortune Star – Bruce Lee Ultimate DVD Collection (Hong Kong)'' *Released: 29 April 2004 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic *Sound: Cantonese (DTS 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Mandarin (DTS 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1) *Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English *Supplements: Original trailer, new trailer, still photos, slideshow of photos, celebrity interviews, unseen footage, ''Game of Death'' outtakes, ''Enter the Dragon'' alternate opening, 32-page booklet *Region 3, NTSC ''Fox (America)'' *Released: 21 May 2002 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:27:1) letterboxed *Sound: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) *Subtitles: English *Supplements: None *Region 1, NTSC ''Fox – Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection (America)'' *Released: 18 October 2005 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic *Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Manadarin (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1) *Subtitles: English *Supplements: Original trailer, new trailer, still photos, slideshow of photos, interview with Tung Wai, bonus trailers *Region 1, NTSC ''Hong Kong Legends – Special Collector's Edition (United Kingdom)'' *Released: 6 November 2000 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic *Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono) *Subtitles: English, Dutch *Supplements: Commentary by Bey Logan, production photo gallery, animated biography showcase of Bruce Lee with voice over, original Mandarin trailer, Hong Kong promotional trailer, UK promotional trailer, bonus trailers *Region 2, PAL ''Hong Kong Legends – Platinum Edition (United Kingdom)'' *Released: 23 October 2006 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic *Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono), English (2.0 Dual Mono) *Subtitles: English, Dutch *Supplements: Disc 1: Commentary by Andrew Staton and Will Johnston, bonus trailers; Disc 2: UK platinum trailer, UK promotional trailer, original Mandarin trailer, Hong Kong promotional trailer, rare uncut 8 mm UK trailer, original 35 mm UK title sequence, textless 35 mm title sequence, original lobby cards, "Paul Weller: Breaking the West", "Fred Weintraub: A Rising Star", "Tom Kuhn: What Might Have Been", "The History of ''The Big Boss'': A Photographic Retrospective", "Deleted Scenes Examined: The Story of the Elusive Original Uncut Print", animated biography showcase of Bruce Lee with voice over, DVD credits *Region 2, PAL


Blu-ray Disc release

''Kam & Ronson (Hong Kong)'' *Released: 6 August 2009 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) *Sound: Cantonese (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), Cantonese (Dolby True HD 7.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital EX 6.1), Thai (Dolby Digital EX 6.1) *Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English, Thai *Supplements: Tung Wai interview *Region A ''Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits (Criterion Collection #1036)'' Disc 1 *Released: 14 July 2020 *Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) *Sound: Original Mandarin Mono, Original English-Dubbed Mono, Cantonese Mono, Mandarin with score by Peter Thomas Mono *Subtitles: English *Supplements: Commentary by Brandon Bentley, Commentary by Mike Leeder, Alternative Footage, Archival Program "Bruce Lee: The Early Years", "Bruce Lee vs Peter Thomas" on Peter Thomas' score, "On The Big Boss" making-of, TV Spots and Trailers, Leaflet shared with accompanying discs of ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' () is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after '' The Big Boss'' (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. ...
'', ''
The Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong action cinema, Hong Kong martial arts comedy film co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. Th ...
'', ''
Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...
'', ''
Game of Death ''Game of Death'' () is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, and was planned and scheduled to be released by 1973, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. Th ...
'' and its sequel, alongside the extended "Special Edition" of Enter the Dragon. *Region A


See also

*
Bruce Lee filmography This article details the filmography of Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Several of Lee's films premiered after his death, including ''Enter the Dragon'', ''Game of Death'' and '' Circle of Iron''. Filmography Feature fi ...


References


External links

*
''The Big Boss''
at the
Hong Kong Movie DataBase The Hong Kong Movie Database (HKMDB) is a bilingual ( English and Chinese) website started in 1995 by Ryan Law. It provides a repository for information about movies originating from Hong Kong and the people who created them. The database was ...
*
A gallery of still shots from ''The Big Boss''
* ttps://lee-junfan.com/the-movies-the-big-boss.html An article on the longer Mandarin print released in 2023 {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Boss, The 1971 films 1971 martial arts films 1970s Cantonese-language films 1970s Hong Kong films 1970s Mandarin-language films Censored films Films about organized crime Films about the illegal drug trade Films directed by Lo Wei Films scored by Peter Thomas (composer) Films set in Thailand Films set in Bangkok Films shot in Samut Prakan province Films shot in Thailand Golden Harvest films Hong Kong films about revenge Hong Kong martial arts films Hong Kong neo-noir films Jeet Kune Do films Kung fu films