Jimmy Wang Yu: Bruce Lee’s Rival, A Legend, A Killer.

Discover the incredible story of Jimmy Wang Yu, the actor who revolutionized kung fu cinema and lived a life filled with fame, controversy, and danger. From his rise as Shaw Brothers' biggest star with "The One-Armed Swordsman," to his rivalry with Bruce Lee, triad connections, and personal struggles, this video dives deep into the highs and lows of his career. Learn how he influenced martial arts movies, paved the way for stars like Jackie Chan (even saving his life), and left an unforgettable mark on Hong Kong cinema.


0:00 - Intro
1:23 - Early Life
5:20 - The Big Boss: Raymond Chow
6:44 - Back to the Studios
11:52 - Jeanette Lin Tsui
18:07 - The Chinese Boxer
26:38 - Exiting Shaw Bros.
30:51 - The Dragon and the Screaming Tiger.
37:37 - A Change of Seasons.
40:58 - Enter the Bamboo Union
47:45 - The Jackie Chan Incident.
54:34 - Mo’ Triads, Mo’ Problems.
57:30 - One-Armed Lover.
1:01:06 - Jimmy At an Older Age.

BOOK/ARTICLE REFERENCES:
- Jimmy Wang Yu and the Birth of the Kung Fu Movie by David West (General Jimmy Wang Yu information).
- A Farewell to Arms by Simon Abrams (General Jimmy Wang Yu information).
- These Fists Break Bricks by Chris Poggiali and Grady Hendrix (Lots of good information about Jimmy Wang Yu and Raymond Chow, including an awesome story about a producer in America who released The Desperate Chase as Blood of the Dragon and he went on a k*lling spree after because he was involved in some nefarious stuff! Almost included it, but didn't because the video was already too long).
- Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly (So much of the stuff about the relationship between Bruce Lee and Wang Yu, plus the whole start of Golden Harvest. I also found an interview with Andre Morgan on the Legend of the Dragon documentary on Arrow's Fist of Fury 4k where Morgan confirms the story of GH once being a Shaw division).
- I Am Jackie Chan by Jackie Chan (Obviously the whole Jackie Chan incident story).

INTERNET REFERENCES:
- https://www.easternkicks.com/features/jimmy-wang-yu-interview-how-did-i-get-popular-i-was-a-street-fighter/ - Great Interview with Wang Yu, got the "I fight 100 times" line from this.
- https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/kaiju-shakedown-jimmy-wong-yu/ - Great article from Grady Hendrix, These Fists Break Bricks would later go into even more detail.
- https://j.eastday.com/p/1649657180046475 - Great and detailed biography of Wang Yu from the Chinese side of the internet. Focuses on Jimmy's love life.
- http://www.coolasscinema.com/2022/09/the-wild-wild-east-duel-of-independent.html - Bryan Bankston wrote up some AMAZING articles on Wang Yu, do check it out! His section here about Wang Yu is great in particular.
- http://www.coolasscinema.com/2020/06/the-flying-guillotines-history-of-shaw_8.html?m=1 - Great information from Bankston in regards to the triad issues revolving around Jimmy, amongst other things.
- http://www.coolasscinema.com/2022/10/the-wild-wild-east-duel-of-independent.html - Another great article on CAC about the early days of Golden Harvest, Jackie Chan, etc.!
- https://www.kungfufandom.com/ - Great website to learn more about kung fu cinema!

VIDEO RESEARCH:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCZ14dmMss - Great information on Tiger Boy