Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room closet and was believed to have committed suicide.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family. Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie “Stretch”, and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.
Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brothers Keith and Robert. In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. One of his prominent early film roles was as singer Woody Guthrie in Ashby's 1976 biopic "Bound for Glory." But he was probably best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75. He reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues." He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill." The character, the worldly father figure of a pack of crack assassins, was a shadowy presence in 2003's "Kill Bill — Vol. 1." In that film, one of Bill's former assassins (Uma Thurman) begins a vengeful rampage against her old associates. In "Kill Bill — Vol. 2," released in 2004, Thurman's character comes face to face again with Bill himself. The role brought Carradine a Golden Globe nomination as best supporting actor.
After "Kung Fu," Carradine starred in the 1975 cult flick "Death Race 2000." He starred with Liv Ullmann in Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg" in 1977 and with his brothers in the 1980 Western "The Long Riders." One thing remained a constant after "Kung Fu": Carradine's interest in Oriental herbs, exercise and philosophy. He wrote a personal memoir called "Spirit of Shaolin" and continued to make instructional videos on tai chi and other martial arts.
David Carradine appeared in three Euro-westerns:
On the Line – 1983 (Bryant)
Arrivano i vostri (TV) – 1984 [himself]
Queen of Swords (TV) – 2001 (“The Serpent”) [episodes 1:10 “The Serpent”, 1:21 “End of Days” (guest appearance)]
Born Gastone Moschine on June 8, 1929 in San Giovanni a Lupatoto, Verona, Italy, he began his career in theater in Genoa and then Milan. At the same time he began to make appearances in feature films such as “La rivale” (1955) and “L’audace colpo dei soliti ignoti” (1959). In 1965 he was featured in “Signori e signore” and starred in “Seven Times Seven” in 1968. His most famous role was that of Rambaldo Melandri in the “Amici miei” (1975-1985). He would later appear in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” as Don Fanucci. He was once married to actress Marzia Ubaldi and then went on to appear on both Italian and French television. He appeared in two Euro-westerns “Face to Face” (1967) and as Sheriff Gordon in Johnny Hallyday’s “Il Specialisti” (aka “Drop Them or I’ll Shoot) (1968). Today we celebrate his 80th birthday.
Back to Hell – English title
Julián Ugarte Landa was born on June 6, 1929 in Sestao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. He would settle in Madrid where he studied painting, sculpture, pottery and ballet. He made his film debut in 1953 under the direction of Fernando Fernan-Gomez in the film “The Message”. His tall thin, pale appearance made for the perfect villain, vampire etc. which he did with relish in several horror and Euro-westerns. Most of us remember him for his role as Yancy Hobbitt the travelling pastor pursuing Lee Van Cleef and Lo Leigh in 1974’s “The Stranger and the Gunfighter”. He also appeared in “A Man Called Noon” (1973) and “Revenge of the Black Wolf” (1981). Ugarte was married for a time to actress Didi Sherman and died in Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain on December 27, 1987. We remember Julián Ugarte today on what would have been his 80th birthday.
B.B.K. (Baby Bounty Killer) – International title
Born Ignacio-Rafael Garcia Escudero in Madrid, Spain on June 5, 1919, he had a thorough education and enjoyed playing the piano and the violin. Speaking both French and English, he travelled a good deal through Holland, France and Belgium in his youth. Rafael wrote music and was an accomplished artist who designed costumes for the bullring. He became a torero and appeared in many of Spain’s greatest bullrings from 1942 until 1948. After his bullfighting career and because of his name recognition in Spain he became a character actor and appeared in over 30 Euro-westerns during his career some of his most recognizable titles are “Savage Guns” (1961), “Django”, “Navajo Joe” (1966), “A Long Ride from Hell” (1968), “Catlow” (1971), “Sonny and Jed” (1972), his last appearance was in 1978’s “China 9, Liberty 37”. Albaicin died in Madrid on September 3, 1981. We remember Rafael Albaicin today on what would have been his 90th birthday.
Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room closet and was believed to have committed suicide.
