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The screen presence of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris remains unprecedented to this day. Both have been endlessly mythologized as the toughest movie stars in history. Looking at their respective careers, it’s hard to find anyone who can match their inherent steel and determination. Lee was a natural in front of the camera when the martial arts craze took off, but Norris’s rise to fame didn’t begin until after his unforgettable collaboration with Lee on the 1972 action-comedy gem. The Way of the Dragon.
Lee played the role of Tang Lung, a young martial arts expert sent to help a woman and her uncle after local criminals target them. This is a classic setup for what would soon be considered a fundamental touchstone of the genre. Chuck Norris is fantastic in his first screen role as Colt, a talented martial artist recruited by the criminal organization to eliminate the enormous threat posed by Tang Lung. Norris’s career is now synonymous with martial arts, but at that time, seeing a Westerner in his role provided a thrill of pleasure to audiences who loved the film.
It was the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong history until another Bruce Lee film surpassed it a year later. Recently, rare footage surfaced on the internet featuring Chuck Norris’ comments on the film’s success. “This movie cost $145,000 to produce,” the actor reflects. “It brought in over $60 million [over $700 million when adjusted for inflation] global. It’s incredible, huh?
After watching the film’s iconic fight between Lee and Norris, many thought they had a real rivalry. In fact, the two had fought several times and Norris was always impressed by Lee’s speed and power. In an interview, the Hong Kong star even claimed that beating the likes of Joe Lewis, Mike Stone and Chuck Norris was like fighting children.
During the interview featured in the footage, Norris had nothing but good things to say about their collaboration. He commented: “I enjoyed working with Bruce Lee in the film. It was a lot of fun, the fight scene is considered the classic martial arts fight scene of all time. So it’s nice to be involved in a fight scene that everyone [loves].”
The wonderful fight scene of The Way of the Dragon It’s really something else, especially considering that the scene was filmed illegally because the crew didn’t have the necessary permits. Lee had to bribe some officials, which allowed the crew to film on location for about an hour before having to finalize everything.
But there is one moment from the legendary scene that has remained secret for years. “There’s a scene where I throw Bruce to the ground, and he grabs the hair on my chest and pulls it out,” Norris recalls. “I get a letter from this man and he says that he and his son had seen [The Way of the Dragon] 26 times… He said, “Did Bruce really pull the hair out of your chest?” If he did, you really are a stud.’
Norris often praised Lee the Fighter, calling him “a formidable opponent with a chiseled physique and technique”, as well as “charismatic and friendly in the ring and at home as he was in the film “. His confidence and spirit were dazzling, and sometimes even debilitating to others. But perhaps the most beneficial moment of their collaboration was the filming of the fight scene, which took place in a corner of Rome’s Colosseum, watched over by guards who had received bribes from Lee.
Initially intended for distribution in Asian markets, The Way of the Dragon has become a cultural phenomenon. The reason for the film’s popularity certainly comes down to the Colosseum fight scene, filmed in long takes, letting the audience soak in the poetry of this inimitable fight sequence. This would never have happened without the two giants of their craft and Lee’s drive to make history. Legal or otherwise.
Watch the clip below.
