RIP David Carrdine

[ForeverAutumn]

No official word yet on cause of death, but sounds like suicide if you can believe the Thai police (can you believe the Thai police? ).

I loved watching Kung Fu when I was a kid.

Actor David Carradine found dead in Bangkok
By The Canadian Press

BANGKOK - Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He says Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

The Web site of the newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room and is believed to have committed suicide.

Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.

(DOH! I spelled Carradine wrong and I can't edit a thread title. )

[kexodusc]

I hope suicide proves to be inaccurate. I really hate reading such stories. Bummer.

[3LockBox]

Man, that sucks. I guess he went out on his own terms...he always was different.

I loved that Kung Fu series as well as his movies.

Allmovie Guide lists a yet to be released movie slated to star David Carradine and I guess released later this year, 2009 - the name of the movie...My Suicide...who knows.

[GMichael]

I'm not buying this story. Something doesn't seem right.

BANGKOK – Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room 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.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room.

It said Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.

The newspaper said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The name of the movie was not immediately available.

It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room's curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

A police officer at Bangkok's Lumpini precinct station would not confirm the identity of the dead man to The Associated Press, but said the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel had reported that a male guest killed himself there.

Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.

In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby.

But he was 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."

[ForeverAutumn]

I'm not buying this story. Something doesn't seem right.

What about it doesn't seem right to you?

IMDB shows an 'in production' film called Portland.

If this turns out to be publicity stunt, it's in very, very poor taste.

[ForeverAutumn]

Allmovie Guide lists a yet to be released movie slated to star David Carradine and I guess released later this year, 2009 - the name of the movie...My Suicide...who knows.

I'm looking forward to the soundtrack...

David Carradine and Joe Montegna co-star in a dark, romantic teen comedy featuring music by Bright Eyes, MGMT, The Pixies, EELS, Wolfmother, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, and My Morning Jacket.

[GMichael]

What about it doesn't seem right to you?

IMDB shows an 'in production' film called Portland.

If this turns out to be publicity stunt, it's in very, very poor taste.

That he would fly around the world to not finish a movie and off himself. Did he have a history of depression?

[kexodusc]

That he would fly around the world to not finish a movie and off himself. Did he have a history of depression?

I'm scratching my head over this one too...hard to believe. You'd almost think at that age someone would just ride it out...

[ForeverAutumn]

I had a friend who committed suicide. Got up in the morning, got in his car, started it and never opened the garage door. His wife found him when she got home from work. He left a suicide note, so there was no doubt. But no one, I mean no one, saw it coming. It was totally unprovoked (from what we knew) and no history of mental illness. It baffles me to this day.

If Carradine really committed suicide, perhaps more details will come out in the next few days. Depression, drugs, too many hits to the head, who knows why people do the things that they do.

[kexodusc]

I had a friend who committed suicide. Got up in the morning, got in his car, started it and never opened the garage door. His wife found him when she got home from work. He left a suicide note, so there was no doubt. But no one, I mean no one, saw it coming. It was totally unprovoked (from what we knew) and no history of mental illness. It baffles me to this day.

If Carradine really committed suicide, perhaps more details will come out in the next few days. Depression, drugs, too many hits to the head, who knows why people do the things that they do.

I too had people close to me commit suicide. Seems the people left behind are always left with more questions than answers. I am for the most part rational to a fault and I struggle terribly with understanding these situations. They were very hard for me to get over. Hard for me to reconcile because suicide is probably seldom a rational thing, at least from our perspective.

I suspect if suicide proves to be the truth, we might never know all the details or understand why.

Seems every time someone famous commits suicide us common-folk are shocked.

[GMichael]

I had a friend who committed suicide. Got up in the morning, got in his car, started it and never opened the garage door. His wife found him when she got home from work. He left a suicide note, so there was no doubt. But no one, I mean no one, saw it coming. It was totally unprovoked (from what we knew) and no history of mental illness. It baffles me to this day.

If Carradine really committed suicide, perhaps more details will come out in the next few days. Depression, drugs, too many hits to the head, who knows why people do the things that they do.

I don't like it.

[GMichael]

I am for the most part rational to a fault.

Part of your charm.

[kexodusc]

Part of your charm.

Tell that to Mrs. Kexodusc...

[GMichael]

Tell that to Mrs. Kexodusc...

No thanks. I have enough issues trying to talk sense to Mrs. GM.

[dean_martin]

I was thinking about his career the other day when I happened to glance at Kill Bill in the video cabinet. He worked on many not-so-mainstream projects like Death Race 2000 with producer Roger Corman AFTER becoming a household name via "Kung Fu." Had to be an interesting career.

Thailand has a rep for weird goings-on. Even so, I'm not sure if I'm developing an irrational phobia or not, but since the world-wide recession hit, international travel doesn't appeal to me and this is from a guy who's been trying to get back to Europe since he turned 16 in Switzerland many moons ago.

[ForeverAutumn]

I don't like it.

I'd be worried if you did.

[3LB]

Well, we assume its a suicide...

Remember Michael Hutchins and Kevin Gilbert?

[Mr Peabody]

It's a sad day and this is a shock. I know his career wasn't as extensive as some but I really liked him. I just recently posted about his movie Circle of Iron coming out on Blu.

I too would like to know more details. I think from movies and news stories that most have sort of a stereotype of Bangkok in our mind.

[Woochifer]

Wow! This is an ugly and sad story. But, I read an article indicating that Carradine had an erratic outburst at a film screening a few months ago. Seems like he had some other stuff going on.

With Kung Fu, I'll admit that I've had mixed feelings over the years towards Carradine in the sense that his role rightfully belonged to Bruce Lee. The story goes that Lee had created the original concept for the show, but had it stolen from under him when the producers were adamant about not putting an Asian actor in the lead role. I understand that the story got Americanized. But, at the very least if they were going to use a non-Asian actor, go with someone who's somewhat close to Lee's prowess as a martial artist, which Carradine clearly was not.

In some ways though, getting screwed by Hollywood paved the way for Bruce Lee's ascension to superstardom, because he would never have gone back to Hong Kong to make his iconic feature films if he'd been stuck working on an American TV series.

Nonetheless, it's just sad to see more generational icons leaving us, particularly in this kind of bizarre circumstance.

[ForeverAutumn]

Well, we assume its a suicide...

Remember Michael Hutchins and Kevin Gilbert?

Hmmmm. Hadn't thought of that slant.

[kexodusc]

This story is getting weirder...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/...ath/index.html

I dunno about you guys, but if I was going to kill myself, I don't think I'd, uhh, y'know...do that...

[GMichael]

What a way to go. The maid must have freaked when she found him like that.

[ForeverAutumn]

Yep. It looks like 3LB nailed it (pardon the pun).

Why would he do this? I mean, he's in Thailand, right? Surely, there was an easier way readily available.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/09060...le_us_thailand

[3LB]

Why would he do this? I mean, he's in Thailand, right? Surely, there was an easier way readily available.

Hell, in Thailand, you just pick up the phone and order up a couple of teenagers

or go to one of those "massage parlors" with those spinning baskets or something


Its a helluva way to go, because when they say, "found hanged" your mind first goes to suicide and you say to yourself, "aw, that's too bad", but then they add, "naked" and then you go, "...oh..."

Can't say I've ever tried it, but it must be awesome, cuz people are tempting death to experience it, and then if they die in the act...everybody knows.

[Woochifer]

This story is getting weirder...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/...ath/index.html

I dunno about you guys, but if I was going to kill myself, I don't think I'd, uhh, y'know...do that...

Yuh, amazing how learning where the ropes were tied changes the whole story.