By Lee Pfeiffer

One-time hairdresser, now movie producer Jon Peters has responded to the leaks of his outline for an autobiography titled Studio Head by canceling his contract with Harper Collins. As reported last week, the leaked outline indicated that Peters intended to spill the beans on his sexual escapades with former lovers, including Barbra Streisand. It takes a lot to motivate people to sympathize with Babs, but the fact is that Peters would probably still be putting rollers in the hair of Beverly Hills women if it were not for his romance with her in the 1970s, which was instrumental in getting him into film production. After reading the outrage in about the proposed book, Peters is trying to put on the best possible face. While he has canceled the deal with Harper Collins, he makes it clear that he intends to write the book anyway - only he promises this will be a "celebration" of the people in his life. Uh-huh. With a "friend" like Peters, they'd better have their lawyer's numbers handy on their Rolodex For more click here

By Spencer Lloyd Peet

There have been many books written about the charismatic ‘King of Kung Fu’ Bruce Lee since his untimely death in 1973.  None, however, have captured his passion for filmmaking quite like Bruce Lee:  Legends of the Dragon by Steve Kerridge.  This three volume pictorial history of the making of his third Hong Kong action film, Way of the Dragon, follows ‘The little Dragon’ through true timeline from April to August 1972 in Italy and Hong Kong.  Each book is lavishly illustrated with several rare and unseen photos that have come from the Bruce Lee Estate archive and the personal collection of Bruce’s friends and colleagues.  Many of those who were involved in the film, such as Bruce’s business partner Raymond Chow, actor and American Karate Champion Chuck Norris, leading Lady Nora Miao and production manager Chaplin Chang, share their stories.  A foreword by Bruce’s daughter Shannon Lee, now the president of the Bruce Lee Foundation (www.bruceleefoundation.com) is also included.  

Presented here is an overview of the first two volumes that were published in 2008, and an exclusive sneak preview of volume three, which will be available in November 2009.

Volume One kicks off with photos of Bruce dining out with his son Brandon and his former Wing Chun instructor Yip Man (portrayed by Donnie Yen in the 2008 film Ip Man).  These are followed by various  hand-written script notes and fabulous shots of Bruce and Hollywood screenwriter Stirling Silliphant - responsible for writing the script for The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure and for featuring Bruce in four episodes of the TV series Longstreet starring James Franciscus – at Kai Tak airport.  However, a substantial part of the book is relegated to the many b/w and colour photographs of the cast and crew on location in Rome, Italy.  Bruce had yet to reach international stardom and was therefore able to visit many places without being recognised; candid shots of Bruce and the team bargain hunting at the Porta Potese flea market is proof of this.  Other highlights include Bruce and his co-stars, Chuck Norris and Bob Wall, appearing on the Hong Kong variety show ‘Enjoy Yourself’.  The guys also make a surprise visit to the set of Hapkido and meet with Angela Mao Ying, a top Chinese female action star and martial artist who would later be cast as Bruce’s sister in Enter the Dragon.

Volume Two focuses on the team returning to Hong Kong to film the interior scenes at the Golden Harvest studios and exterior shots at the New Territories.  Bruce is also photographed with his wife Linda and son Brandon backstage at the HK-TVB studios.  He was there to give his support for a live fund- raising event that was held in aid of the victims of a devastating landslide that happened the week before.  Ample attention is given to the infamous showdown at the Roman coliseum between Bruce and Chuck Norris, which resulted in one of the greatest fight scenes ever filmed.

Volume Three includes fantastic never-before-seen photos from a deleted scene involving Bruce and the beautiful Nora Miao.  Our hero can be seen demonstrating his nunchaku skills against the hoodlums down the back alley of the restaurant he’s been sent to protect.  Fans will undoubtedly be enthralled to see Bruce making frequent visits to the studio of Golden Harvest’s rival the Shaw brothers and  choreographing fights scenes for the kung fu flick Fist of Unicorn.  This was done as a favour for his childhood friend, and the leading actor, Unicorn Chan.  Bruce became enraged when he learned that his name and image were being exploited by the company Starsea to promote the film.  The friendship between Bruce and Unicorn was not affected by this incident as many believe; Bruce’s grievance was only with the producer’s.