The transcript below is from the video “BURT WARD Fought BRUCE LEE in Real Life!” by Dave Sundstrom.
Dave Sundstrom:
You’ve got to hand it to Burt Ward. He really was the perfect Boy Wonder. And did you know that there was a time early in his career that this guy would routinely go head to head, fist to fist with the legendary Bruce Lee? More on that in just a moment but first let me introduce myself. Hi folks, my name is Dave Sundstrom and I like to think of myself as something of a pop culture historian, especially when it comes to music, movies and television. Simply put, I love talking about this stuff. So with that said, let’s get rolling.
Dave Sundstrom:
So, when I was a kid, I was a pretty big fan of Bruce Lee but not for the reason you might think you see I loved Bruce as Kato on the short-lived television series The Green Hornet, which was primarily because The Green Hornet was a spin-off from one of my all-time favorite TV shows Batman. And yes the two crime fighting teams did clash during a couple of episodes which led to a face-off between Kato and the Boy Wonder.
Dave Sundstrom:
Now, most folks might think that Burt would be a bit intimidated by going mano a mono with Bruce Lee, even if it was pretend but he wasn’t. You know why? That’s because Burt was no slouch either when it came to the martial arts. He may not have been Bruce Lee but then again, Burt was a full black belt in Karate. And another little known fact is that when Burt and Bruce fought each other on screen, they’d already sparred against each other in real life. This information comes from a recent article by Showbiz CheatSheet where Burt acknowledges that both he and Bruce lived in the same Hollywood apartment complex for a time. And because of their common interest in martial arts, they became friends. In fact, not only was Burt a friend of Bruce’s but he got to know the entire Lee family, including Bruce’s son Brandon who was just an infant at the time.
Dave Sundstrom:
So maybe it’s just me but the thing that I found most interesting about these legendary sparring sessions between the Boy Wonder and Bruce Lee was what would happen afterward. According to Burt, he and Bruce would go pick up the rest of the Lee family and head to Chinatown for some amazing Asian cuisine. Nope, it wasn’t what happened on the map that was the most memorable for Burt, it was the time spent with Bruce, getting to know the man and his family. Of course, all this was before Bruce became a big time movie star. It was before Bruce’s first leading role in a motion picture The Big Boss had even hit U.S theater screens. And a year after that, Bruce would be on fire with the classic Kung Fu movie Fist of Fury.
Dave Sundstrom:
Sadly, on July 20, 1973, Bruce Lee was found unconscious in his Hong Kong hotel and rushed to a nearby hospital where he died later that day. Bruce had been experiencing painful headaches and had taken some medicine to help dull the pain. Whether it was an allergic reaction of those painkillers, or as many believe, a cerebral edema caused by over-exertion and heat stroke, the fact remains that the legendary Kung Fu master was gone.
Dave Sundstrom:
On a much lighter note, can I just say that I love this TV show so darn much. As I look back on the series that made Burt a star, I feel nothing but joy and a strong sense of appreciation for everyone involved. And I have really enjoyed following Burt’s career. Thankfully, most of his work aside from a few direct-to-video movies have been related to Batman. But that’s the way it should be. What once appeared to be typecasting has now become something that continues to provide a livelihood for Burt. Worth mentioning are the two recent animated Batman movies featuring the late Adam West and Burt’s voice work. If you haven’t seen these two films, well, you’ve got some homework to do. They are so much fun. Plus, you’ve got the always lovely Julie Newmar providing the voice of Catwoman as well. Meanwhile, brief, I’ve got to say that Burt’s fairly recent appearance on the CW mini series Crisis on Infinite Earths as an older Dick Grayson was terrific fun to see.
Dave Sundstrom:
However, the stuff that is truly most important to Burt has nothing to do with costumes, superheroes and supervillains. These days Burt spends much of his time off screen working with his wife Tracy in a non-profit group they started called Gentle Giants Rescue. In addition to caring for a multitude of shelter dogs, Burt and his amazing wife have been working on a specialized diet for dogs that has allowed many owners to actually double the lifespan of their beloved pets.
Dave Sundstrom:
Alright, one last picture. Gosh! Those two sure made a great team. Now it’s your turn. Please share your memories in the comments section and while you’re at it, I’d love a thumbs up if you enjoyed this video and I’d be honored if you would consider subscribing to my channel. I talk about music, movies and mostly TV from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. You know, the good stuff. But most importantly and as always, thank you so much for watching.
