Insights
   SAI FUNG & FIST OF FURY CONNECTION

Feb. 21st, 2017

Til this day, many fans of Bruce Lee still make the mistake of grouping all his Chinese period costume photos as having been shot at Shaw Brothers Studios. It is not true. The ones with the brick wall we've come to recognize as the 'Sai Fung collection' and 'what if Bruce had made a movie playing a swordsman, or a Dynasty warrior?' were absolutely taken at Golden Harvest Studios. By the way, would've been an instant classic, no doubt about it.
Anyhow, in this piece I will set the record straight that all the images in Fig. 1 below were taken at Golden Harvest Studios by simple observation and photo evidence. Perhaps this was confirmed already in publications, but I've yet to come across it until my good friend, Dean Langford also a fellow detective when it comes to all matters Bruce Lee, brought this to my attention.

Shall we begin?

Fig.1
Color collage of Bruce Lee in ancient Chinese costumes
Take notice of the ground tiles, the wall cinder blocks below the bricks, round window, sloping side of the roof and the cement wall with the clay shingles next to the brick wall. These clues will all be located in Fig. 3.
Fig.2
Black and white collage of Bruce Lee in ancient Chinese costumes
All these shots were taken at Shaw Brothers Studios believed to be after April 1973, after filming of Enter the Dragon was completed. Written in his diary, Sept. / Oct. of 1973, Bruce would make time for Shaw Brothers to possibly work on a film together.




Fig.3
Color screenshots of Fist of Fury aka Chinese Connection
See the brick wall with the round window in these screenshots from Fist of Fury? Now, locate the sloping sides of the roof, the cinder blocks below the brick wall, the cement wall with the clay shingles and the ground tiles. Are you seeing the connection now? Golden Harvest Studios right? Not Shaw Brothers Studios.
Still not convinced? I've saved the best clue for last! Look at the lamppost the dead men are hung on. Notice the red paper note with Chinese characters written on it... we'll come back to it in the final segment.
Fig.4
Color screenshots of Fist of Fury aka Chinese Connection
We can clearly see the ground tiles and cinder blocks especially in these Sai Fung shots are identical to the ground tiles and cinder blocks in Fist of Fury. Same with the round window and bricks along with the cement wall with clay shingles next to it. Remember the lamppost with the red paper note with Chinese characters written on it? Look at the black and white Sai Fung shot next to the color screenshot. It's all the proof you need. Without a doubt, the epic Sai Fung collection of Dynasty warrior and swordsman photos were taken at Golden Harvest Studios around February 1972 after Fist of Fury was completed. Just after Bruce formed his production company, Concord Productions. Until there is proof to show otherwise, Dean and I are sticking by this Sai Fung / Fist of Fury connection. We hope you do too.
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