Bruce Lee Achieved His Life’s ‘Definite Chief Aim’ Right After His Funeral in 1973

Published 03/13/2023, 9:15 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Getty

Posthumous honors always carry a lot of weight due to their tragic context. For a legend like Bruce Lee, one of his biggest dreams came true only after he passed away. The star’s demise in 1973 was a huge blow to Hollywood, considering his contributions to the industry. But the real tragedy emerged when his aspirations for his movie Enter the Dragon came in after he passed away.

In the book Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly, the success of the Enter the Dragon was recorded in detail. From the money spent to the many dollars brought back, the movie became iconic. Lee had a specific dream – here’s what it was.

Bruce Lee’s aim to make it big

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The martial arts legend was always proactive in participating in the movie-making process. He would not only act and choreograph his fight scenes but would also take interest in the script and pitch ideas. Enter the Dragon, therefore, was special. It featured Lee in powerful form, and he made sure to shoot for the moon.

via Getty

The movie featuring Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris was such a huge blockbuster hit that it grossed over $90 million worldwide. Over forty-five years since its release, it has collected over $350 million. The legend, unfortunately, never lived to see this. He had a dream he once confessed to the writer of the movie Michael Allin – he wanted the movie to cross superstar Steve McQueen’s The Getaway. Who knew that Lee would end up beating Steve McQueen – the top-rating star of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s – to become a huge sensation!

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

“Went With Lighter Weights”: Bruce Lee Received Bodybuilding Tips From His Martial Arts Students, Revealed in His Biography

His dream came true. Crossing The Getaway to become one of the most popular movies, Lee’s Enter the Dragon succeeded in bringing the legend his “‘Definite Chief Aim’ in life – the first and highest-paid Oriental superstar in the United States”, thus beating McQueen. Producer Fred Weintraub even commented that if he could send a telegram up to heaven to the legend, he would write, “Dragon outgrossed Getaway everywhere”. For his family, Lee’s demise brought a lot of sadness with equal amounts of mystery.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Robert Lee couldn’t figure out why his brother died

In a rare interview, both Bruce Lee’s mother and brother sat down to reflect upon the legend’s demise. While many reasons were floating around across the media, Robert maintained his stance. His brother’s death remained a mystery.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Conspiracy theories ranged from drinking too much water to a family curse. But Robert confessed, “it’s just like a mystery to me too in a way”. While he did cite “weird” friends and Bruce’s general company across the film industry, he was still in the dark for the most part. Bruce Lee left behind a legacy for action films in Hollywood to prosper. And fans always honor that.

Watch This Story: The Real Reason Why Bruce Lee Had His Armpit Sweat Glands Removed

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Radha Iyer

543Articles

One take at a time

Radha Iyer is working as a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a Master's degree in Media and Communications from Pandit Deendayal Energy University. Radha has worked as a content writer for over a year.
Show More>

Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa