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The presence of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris on screen is still unmatched today. Both have been mythologized repeatedly as the hardest film actors in history. Yet, Norris’ rise to popularity only started after his legendary partnership with Lee on the 1972 action-comedy masterpiece The Way of the Dragon.
When local criminals threatened a woman and her uncle, Lee played Tang Lung, a teenage martial arts expert dispatched to their assistance. Colt, a brilliant martial artist, hired by the criminal organization to eliminate the great threat posed by Tang Lung, is excellently played by Chuck Norris in his first acting role on the big screen.
Before being surpassed by another Bruce Lee picture a year later, it was the biggest box office performance in Hong Kong history. Chuck Norris’ comments on the movie’s success may be heard in some rare footage leaked online.
The actor thinks back on how much it cost to make the movie, $145,000. “It has raked in more than $60 million [more than $700 million when adjusted for inflation] globally. It’s incredible, huh?
Many people assumed that Lee and Norris had a genuine rivalry after seeing their famous fight in the movie.
The two had sparred several times, and each time Norris was astounded by Lee’s strength and quickness. The Hong Kong hero even asserted in one interview that defeating someone like Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Mike Stone was similar to beating little children.
Norris only had positive things to say about their partnership throughout the interview that was captured on camera. He said, “It was fun working with Bruce Lee on the movie. The fight sequence was great fun and is regarded as the best martial arts combat scene of all time. So it’s enjoyable to take part in a fight scene that everyone enjoys.
Photo Credits – Respective Owner
The Way of the Dragon’s fantastic fight sequence is something extraordinary, especially when you realize that it was illegally shot since the team lacked the required permissions. Lee had to pay some of the officials for the team to be able to film on location for approximately an hour before they had to wrap up.
Norris recalled, “There’s a moment where I toss Bruce to the floor, and he grabs the hair on my chest, and he pulls it out. “I received a letter from this father, who claims that he and his kid saw ‘The Way of the Dragon’ 26 times… Did Bruce tear the hair out of your chest? He asks. You’re truly a stud if he did.
The Way of the Dragon became a cultural sensation despite being initially intended for Asian audiences. The Colosseum fight scene, which was shot in extended takes so that viewers might savor the poetry of that unique fight sequence, is unquestionably the key to the film’s appeal.
