Dear Chan Fans: I found the following on a Bruce Lee site: Bruce Lee's big break came when producer William Dozier saw footage of Lee giving a kung fu demonstration at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championship. Immediately, Lee was cast in a Charlie Chan update entitled "Number One Son," but that project was soon abandoned in favor of "The Green Hornet," a superhero television show that capitalized on the success of Dozier's other pet project, the Adam West led "Batman". I must add strangly enough, Bruce Lee played Kato in that show. Keye Luke, Charlie Chan's number one son "Lee" in many of the films, also played Kato in the serial "The Green Hornet" 20 some years earlier. Truly, Russel
Re: Bruce Lee almost Charlie Chan's Number One Son
Dear Russell,
Thank you for bring this piece of information to light during last evening's Chat. The added information you offer points to an interesting irony that seems to pop up fairly often regarding the Charlie Chan series and the actors who took part in it! While "The Green Hornet" series added a boost to Bruce Lee's career, it is too bad that the other, seemingly Chan-based series never got off the ground. Had they waited just a couple more years, the producers may have gone ahead with a "Number One Son" project, as there was a resurgence of Chan's popularity beginning in 1968 with the re-issuing of the then-existing collection of Fox Chan films, and the publicity brought about by a surrounding publicity campaign and "exhibition" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
