David Carradine, Actor: 1936 – 2009
I woke up this morning to news on the radio that David Carradine had been found dead in a hotel in Bangkok. Speculation as to the circumstances and cause of his death are spreading around the Internet, but the only important fact is that Caine walks the earth no more.
Let this space be a remembrance of what was.
I was a little too young to appreciate him in his most famous role as Caine on the Kung Fu TV show when it originally aired, though my older brother was a huge fan and I remember him obsessing over it.
I was also a little too young to be dragged to the drive-in to see Death Race 2000 by my father, but I was and it left a mark. Carradine’s performance as Frankenstein in Paul Bartel’s cult classic is my first biggest memory of him and it freightened me. I was six or seven.
I saw him as Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby’s Bound for Glory sometime later on video after I’d become enamored of Ashby’s Harold and Maude.
Finally of course there is Kill Bill. The threat of him from off screen infused the first part and he brought genuine menace to volume 2.
Caine, Frankenstein, Woody, Bill, son of John, half brother of Robert and Keith, uncle of Martha Plimpton – RIP David Carradine.
Filed under: Obituaries
Tags: David Carradine
It’s to Quentin’s credit that Mr. Carradine has the KB films as a lasting legacy.
Quite the supreme shock. Came out of nowhere. Still can’t believe it.
RIP
I vaguely recall Grasshopper on Kung Fu back in the 70s, but it was one of those shows that was a little over my wee head as a child. I do recall Carradine making a strong impression as an ultimate bad ass then though. And I also loved the small homage paid him in Pulp Fiction when Jules decides to “walk the Earth, like Cain in Kung Fu.”
Of course, we’ll always have Bill.
RIP Mr Carradine.
I hate waking up to bad news. “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor died too.
Rest in peace, he built quite the body of work but was never really appreciated. Weird note – I was in a checkout line at a Los Angeles Gelson’s next to him just a month or two ago. Weird.
I actually first watched him in the Kung Fu revival/sequel series that TNT aired for a few years in the ’90s. My memories are a bit fuzzy now, but it was a fun show. Although it doesn’t get its just recognition (and maybe now it will), I thought he captured the spirit of Woody Guthrie in Bound for Glory. And, naturally, he was awesome in Kill Bill, as well.
R.I.P. Koko. I just started getting into her wealth of music in the last few years and she’s still got what it takes to make a lamb kick a tiger down.
I sometimes wish this was a general entertainment blog so I could’ve made a bigger deal about Koko. It’s sad how little play it got in the general news. She was amazing. Not a pretty voice like Etta James necessarily, but so raw and powerful.
I missed it, but apparently Bound for Glory played at the American Cinematheque here recently and Mr. Carradine was there for a Q&A. That would’ve been great…
That was at the Aero and it has gone down as a legendary night of havoc. RIP.
Did you see it?
I sat behind him at a LAFF screening of How to Rob a Bank a couple years ago. The usher referred to him as Grasshopper as we filed out and Carradine just looked at him like the guy was out of his mind.
My condolences to his family. I have been a fan since the Kung Fu days.
You’re not alone, Harv.
“I sometimes wish this was a general entertainment blog…”
Craig, I don’t think that anyone here would mind (IN THE LEAST) if you were to broaden your scope.
A little or a lot.
LiC is certainly well established enough that there woud be no possible repercussions. People know what they’re getting when they stop by. I’m sure they wouldn’t think of it as muddying the waters.
If you’re not comfortable with that, you could always make an exception if some specific story comes down the pike that you feel particularly passionate about.
I mean, there are sites that reference cinematic matters in their names that deal with a larger subject base than strictly movies…and civilization hasn’t ended.
Yet.
This is what I hear, anyway.
Up to you. But I think we’d all still love you anyway.
Just a thought…
the Kung Fu master will always be a source of wisdom for his students…