Kwai Chang Caine
Encyclopedia
Kwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu
. He has been portrayed by David Carradine
as an adult, Keith Carradine
as a younger Caine and Radames Pera
the child Caine and Stephen Manley
as the youngest Caine.
In the late 19th century China
, Kwai Chang Caine was the orphaned son of an American
man and a Chinese
woman. He was raised in a Shaolin Monastery, and was trained by the monks to be a Shaolin
master. Kung Fu follows his adventures as he travels to the American Old West
(armed only with his skill in martial arts
) as he seeks his half-brother, Danny Caine. Although it was his intention to find his brother Danny in a way which would escape notice, the demands of his training as a priest in addition to the sense of social responsibility
which was instilled within him during his childhood, forced Caine to repeatedly come into the open to fight for justice. He would then leave his new surroundings in a further search for anonymity
and security
.
In the Shaolin arts, monks live in temples and most stay their entire life, once they become masters and leave the temple, they are referred to as Priests. In real world Shaolin, both monks and priests shave their heads and remain celibate. Western audiences might have expected that such a character had taken a vow of chastity, but that was apparently not true in Caine's case as he frequently had intimate relations with women throughout the series.
Following his induction into the order, Caine then lived in the temple until adulthood, mastering many of the fighting forms and lessons taught by the Shaolin monks. At one point during his training he was shown the various forms and his instructor explained that it may take half a lifetime to master one of the forms. Later, while in America, when asked by a student which forms he teaches, Caine's response was, "All of them."
One of his first instructors was the blind master named Po. Po considered Caine his favorite pupil and behaved more like an elderly grandfather. Caine was given the nickname "Grasshopper" by Master Po. The reference was from an exchange where the still ignorant young Caine asked the old blind master how he could function without seeing. Po asked Caine to close his eyes and describe what he could hear. Caine explained that he could hear the water flowing in a nearby fountain and birds in a nearby cage. Po then asked if Caine could hear his own heartbeat or the grasshopper at his feet (Caine hadn't noticed the insect until that moment). Incredulous, Caine asked Po, "Old man – how is it that you hear these things?" Po's reply was, "Young man, how is it that you do not?" From that point on, Po affectionately called Caine "Grasshopper".
Years after his graduation, Caine traveled to the Forbidden City
to meet Po, whose lifelong ambition was to travel to the city on that date. While talking, the Emperor's nephew and his entourage came along and an altercation ensued. While defending himself from an unruly and belligerent guard, Master Po was shot by the Emperor's nephew. Caine killed the Imperial nephew before the nephew could reload his pistol. With his dying words, Po gave Caine his pouch, containing his few worldly possessions and instructed Caine to flee from China. At first, Caine tried to flee to Tibet
but was unsuccessful. He then escaped to the American Old West
and discovered that he had a half-brother named Danny. While he searched for Danny, he was on the run from a steady stream of bounty hunters and Chinese agents searching for him.
The conflict between a desire for anonymity
and a sense of social responsibility is conveyed through the frequent use of flashbacks. In these flashbacks, the adult Caine (Carradine) recalls a particular lesson during his training in the monastery, taught to him by the blind Master Po (Keye Luke
) and Master Kan (Philip Ahn).
During the concluding four episodes of the third and final season ("Barbary House", "Flight to Orion", "The Brothers Caine", and "Full Circle") Caine not only finds his brother Danny, but his nephew Zeke as well.
. He was also tutored in eastern philosophy
and herbal medicine. Upon graduation he attained the rank of Shaolin Master. Caine exited the school via a special corridor designed as a last test. Barring the exit was a hot iron cauldron with the figures of a dragon on one side and a tiger on the other. By lifting the cauldron with his forearms, the graduate branded himself with the figures. The newly initiated master thus bore an imprint on the inside of each of his forearms, signifying his new status. On several occasions these scars identified him as a Shaolin monk to those familiar with Chinese culture.
Caine is humble, intelligent, inquisitive, and usually very soft-spoken. His only known pastimes are the playing of a bamboo flute
and meditation. Caine is fluent in both Cantonese and English. He is also skilled in herbalism and healing.
In the first episode, "King of the Mountain", Lara Parker
plays a widowed ranch owner with whom Caine finds employment. She offers him money for his labors, but he refuses saying that all he needs is food and place to sleep. She presses him and insists there must be more he needs (i.e., sex). It is subtly implied that she eventually supplies what he needs. It is also implied that she is attracted by the "tattoos" on his forearms.
In the episode "The Tide", Caine falls in love with Su Yen, played by Tina Chen
, the daughter of a philosopher and author with whom Caine is familiar. It turns out that Su Yen, however, seeks to trade Caine to the Emperor in exchange for her father who is imprisoned in China.
It is hard to say if Mayli, played by Nancy Kwan
, really loved Caine, or if she was just using him to fight her battles, but it is clear that she took his virginity in the two-part second season episode, "Cenotaph". It would be many years before Caine discovered that the union resulted in the conception of his son, Chung Wang, who was played by Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son) in the 1986 spin-off movie, Kung Fu: The Movie.
In the waning days of her relationship with David Carradine, Barbara Hershey
appeared in a two part, season three episode called "Besieged". She played the role of Nan Chi, a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian
woman who wanted to become a disciple of the Shaolin. She and Kwai Chang clearly fall in love, but the relationship is never consummated as Kwai Chang, still a disciple in this flashback episode, did not lose his virginity until after he had left the monastery, as previously depicted in the second season. Nan Chi is mortally wounded while saving Kwai Chang's life. As she lies dying, she asks Caine to pretend with her that they are married and have a child. He says, "Only live, Nan Chi, and it will be true."
Reverting to a familiar pattern, Caine once again takes employment from a widowed ranch owner who doesn't feel that food and a place to sleep is enough compensation for all that Caine has done for her. Thus, Caine has no choice but to have a little roll in the hay with her. In this third season episode, "A Small Beheading", Ellie is played by Rosemary Forsyth
.
's character presents Caine with a scroll that is written in Chinese. As the camera pans down the scroll, the Chinese characters for Caine's name appear for the first time in the series:
The Zhangzhou
accented Amoy pronunciation of the characters most closely match the English spelling of Caine's name. However, in the series, Caine attended the Shaolin Temple in Henan
province, where the priests likely spoke Mandarin.
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
. He has been portrayed by David Carradine
David Carradine
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
as an adult, Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
as a younger Caine and Radames Pera
Radames Pera
Radames Perá is an American actor who is best known for his role as the young Kwai Chang Caine in the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu.-Biography:...
the child Caine and Stephen Manley
Stephen Manley
Stephen Michael Manley is an American film and television actor whose acting career began as a young boy.-Roles:* Kwai Chang Caine in the television series Kung Fu ....
as the youngest Caine.
In the late 19th century China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Kwai Chang Caine was the orphaned son of an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
man and a Chinese
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
woman. He was raised in a Shaolin Monastery, and was trained by the monks to be a Shaolin
Shaolin
The shào in "Shaolin" refers to "Mount Shaoshi", a mountain in the Songshan mountain range and lín means "forest". With sì , the name literally means "monastery/temple in the woods of Mount Shaoshi"....
master. Kung Fu follows his adventures as he travels to the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
(armed only with his skill in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
) as he seeks his half-brother, Danny Caine. Although it was his intention to find his brother Danny in a way which would escape notice, the demands of his training as a priest in addition to the sense of social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
which was instilled within him during his childhood, forced Caine to repeatedly come into the open to fight for justice. He would then leave his new surroundings in a further search for anonymity
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
and security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
.
In the Shaolin arts, monks live in temples and most stay their entire life, once they become masters and leave the temple, they are referred to as Priests. In real world Shaolin, both monks and priests shave their heads and remain celibate. Western audiences might have expected that such a character had taken a vow of chastity, but that was apparently not true in Caine's case as he frequently had intimate relations with women throughout the series.
Synopsis
Orphaned after his maternal grandfather's death, Caine eventually found himself outside the local Shaolin temple along with other hopeful candidates. After waiting patiently for several days, Caine and the few other remaining candidates were taken inside the temple where only Caine passed a subtle test in manners. Although taking a student of mixed parentage into the order was unprecedented, the head monk sagely noted, "There is a first for everything," and welcomed Caine.Following his induction into the order, Caine then lived in the temple until adulthood, mastering many of the fighting forms and lessons taught by the Shaolin monks. At one point during his training he was shown the various forms and his instructor explained that it may take half a lifetime to master one of the forms. Later, while in America, when asked by a student which forms he teaches, Caine's response was, "All of them."
One of his first instructors was the blind master named Po. Po considered Caine his favorite pupil and behaved more like an elderly grandfather. Caine was given the nickname "Grasshopper" by Master Po. The reference was from an exchange where the still ignorant young Caine asked the old blind master how he could function without seeing. Po asked Caine to close his eyes and describe what he could hear. Caine explained that he could hear the water flowing in a nearby fountain and birds in a nearby cage. Po then asked if Caine could hear his own heartbeat or the grasshopper at his feet (Caine hadn't noticed the insect until that moment). Incredulous, Caine asked Po, "Old man – how is it that you hear these things?" Po's reply was, "Young man, how is it that you do not?" From that point on, Po affectionately called Caine "Grasshopper".
Years after his graduation, Caine traveled to the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
to meet Po, whose lifelong ambition was to travel to the city on that date. While talking, the Emperor's nephew and his entourage came along and an altercation ensued. While defending himself from an unruly and belligerent guard, Master Po was shot by the Emperor's nephew. Caine killed the Imperial nephew before the nephew could reload his pistol. With his dying words, Po gave Caine his pouch, containing his few worldly possessions and instructed Caine to flee from China. At first, Caine tried to flee to Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
but was unsuccessful. He then escaped to the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
and discovered that he had a half-brother named Danny. While he searched for Danny, he was on the run from a steady stream of bounty hunters and Chinese agents searching for him.
The conflict between a desire for anonymity
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
and a sense of social responsibility is conveyed through the frequent use of flashbacks. In these flashbacks, the adult Caine (Carradine) recalls a particular lesson during his training in the monastery, taught to him by the blind Master Po (Keye Luke
Keye Luke
Keye Luke was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.-Background:...
) and Master Kan (Philip Ahn).
During the concluding four episodes of the third and final season ("Barbary House", "Flight to Orion", "The Brothers Caine", and "Full Circle") Caine not only finds his brother Danny, but his nephew Zeke as well.
Characteristics and skills
Caine's training involved both armed and unarmed combatCombat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
. He was also tutored in eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
and herbal medicine. Upon graduation he attained the rank of Shaolin Master. Caine exited the school via a special corridor designed as a last test. Barring the exit was a hot iron cauldron with the figures of a dragon on one side and a tiger on the other. By lifting the cauldron with his forearms, the graduate branded himself with the figures. The newly initiated master thus bore an imprint on the inside of each of his forearms, signifying his new status. On several occasions these scars identified him as a Shaolin monk to those familiar with Chinese culture.
Caine is humble, intelligent, inquisitive, and usually very soft-spoken. His only known pastimes are the playing of a bamboo flute
Bamboo flute
Flutes made of bamboo are found in many musical traditions.Some bamboo flutes include:Flute Country of Origin Atenteben Bashi Bansuri Chi Dizi Daegeum...
and meditation. Caine is fluent in both Cantonese and English. He is also skilled in herbalism and healing.
Love life
As Caine explained to his brother in the last episode of the Kung Fu series, "Full Circle", the Shaolin life "is not one of restriction". As a matter of fact, Caine frequently had love relationships with women and even contemplated marriage on at least two occasions.In the first episode, "King of the Mountain", Lara Parker
Lara Parker
Lara Parker is an American television, stage, and film actress best known for her role as Angelique on the cult ABC-TV serial Dark Shadows which aired from to...
plays a widowed ranch owner with whom Caine finds employment. She offers him money for his labors, but he refuses saying that all he needs is food and place to sleep. She presses him and insists there must be more he needs (i.e., sex). It is subtly implied that she eventually supplies what he needs. It is also implied that she is attracted by the "tattoos" on his forearms.
In the episode "The Tide", Caine falls in love with Su Yen, played by Tina Chen
Tina Chen
Tina Chen is a Chinese American actress best known for her appearances in the films Alice's Restaurant, Three Days of the Condor and The Hawaiians....
, the daughter of a philosopher and author with whom Caine is familiar. It turns out that Su Yen, however, seeks to trade Caine to the Emperor in exchange for her father who is imprisoned in China.
It is hard to say if Mayli, played by Nancy Kwan
Nancy Kwan
Nancy "Ka Shen" Kwan is a Eurasian-American actress, who played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in major Hollywood film roles...
, really loved Caine, or if she was just using him to fight her battles, but it is clear that she took his virginity in the two-part second season episode, "Cenotaph". It would be many years before Caine discovered that the union resulted in the conception of his son, Chung Wang, who was played by Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son) in the 1986 spin-off movie, Kung Fu: The Movie.
In the waning days of her relationship with David Carradine, Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
appeared in a two part, season three episode called "Besieged". She played the role of Nan Chi, a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
woman who wanted to become a disciple of the Shaolin. She and Kwai Chang clearly fall in love, but the relationship is never consummated as Kwai Chang, still a disciple in this flashback episode, did not lose his virginity until after he had left the monastery, as previously depicted in the second season. Nan Chi is mortally wounded while saving Kwai Chang's life. As she lies dying, she asks Caine to pretend with her that they are married and have a child. He says, "Only live, Nan Chi, and it will be true."
Reverting to a familiar pattern, Caine once again takes employment from a widowed ranch owner who doesn't feel that food and a place to sleep is enough compensation for all that Caine has done for her. Thus, Caine has no choice but to have a little roll in the hay with her. In this third season episode, "A Small Beheading", Ellie is played by Rosemary Forsyth
Rosemary Forsyth
Rosemary Forsyth is a Canadian-born American actress most notable for her role as Bronwyn opposite Charlton Heston in The War Lord in 1965....
.
Teachers
- Master Kan: (Philip Ahn)
- Master Po: (Keye LukeKeye LukeKeye Luke was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.-Background:...
) - Master Sun: (Richard LooRichard LooRichard Loo was a Chinese American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. A prolific actor, he appeared in over 120 films between 1931 and 1982....
)
Kung Fu
- Father: Thomas Henry Caine
- Mother: Kwai Lin
- Half brother: Daniel Caine
- Uncle: American farmer
- Grandfather: Henry Rafael Caine
- Grandmother: Elizabeth Hale Caine
- Nephew: Zeke (John Blyth BarrymoreJohn Blyth BarrymoreJohn Blyth Barrymore III is a former American film and television actor.Known for his role as Zeke in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, he is a member of the Barrymore family, notable for success in acting. His parents are John Drew Barrymore and Cara Williams. Actress Drew Barrymore is his...
) - Cousin: Margit Kingsley McLean (Season HubleySeason Hubley-Biography:Hubley was born Susan Hubley in New York City, the daughter of Julia Kaul and Grant Shelby Hubley, a writer and entrepreneur. Her brother is actor Whip Hubley....
) - Cousin: Johnny Kingsley McLean (Edward AlbertEdward AlbertEdward Albert was an American film and television actor. He was also known as Edward Laurence Albert, Laurence Edward Albert and occasionally Eddie Albert, Jr.-Early life:Albert was born Edward Laurence Heimberger in Los Angeles, California, to actor Eddie...
)
Kung Fu: The Next Generation
- Grandson: Kwai Chang Caine (David Darlow)
- Great-grandson: Johnny Caine (Brandon LeeBrandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
)
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
- Distant ancestor: Kwai Chang (the first of the line, 1500 years before the old west time in which the show is set, about 350 AD)
- Son: Matthew Caine
- Grandson: Kwai Chang Caine
- Grandson: Damon Caine
- Grandson: Martin Bradshaw (half-brother of Kwai Chang Caine and Damon Caine)
- Great-grandson: Peter Caine (the last of the line; played by Chris PotterChris Potter (actor)Christopher Jay "Chris" Potter is a Canadian actor, musician and pitchman. He is primarily known for his roles on soap operas and prime-time television. Potter is known for his roles as Peter Caine, on the popular 1990s crime drama, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dr...
)
Caine's name
In the fourth episode of season three ("A Small Beheading"), William ShatnerWilliam Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
's character presents Caine with a scroll that is written in Chinese. As the camera pans down the scroll, the Chinese characters for Caine's name appear for the first time in the series:
| Chinese | English | Zhangzhou Zhangzhou Zhangzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Located on the banks of the Jiulong River , Zhangzhou borders the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.Zhangzhou... accented Amoy (POJ) |
Mandarin (Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 虔 | Caine | Khiân kʰɪɛn | Qián tɕʰjɛ̌n |
| 官 | Kwai | Koaiⁿ kuaĩ | Guān kwán |
| 昌 | Chang | chhiang tɕʰiaŋ | chāng tʂʰɑ́ŋ |
- note: in Chinese, the surname is written first
The Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Located on the banks of the Jiulong River , Zhangzhou borders the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.Zhangzhou...
accented Amoy pronunciation of the characters most closely match the English spelling of Caine's name. However, in the series, Caine attended the Shaolin Temple in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
province, where the priests likely spoke Mandarin.
Spin-offs
- In 1986 Kung Fu: The Movie premiered as a made-for-TV movie. In reality, the movie was the pilot for a new series in which Caine finds himself hunted by the father of the royal nephew killed by Caine in the original pilot. The royal's primary weapon against Caine is a young man named Chung Wang - unknowingly Caine's adult son (played by Brandon LeeBrandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
). - In 1987 a second series called Kung Fu: The Next Generation was supposed to be launched. It was set in the present day telling the story of Kwai Chang Caine's grandson (played by David Darlow) and great-grandson, played by Brandon LeeBrandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
. Throughout this series, Caine would teach his rebellious son of the Shaolin ways. The series idea never took off beyond the pilot, however, and was not launched. - In 1993 a third series was begun, Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
, wherein Carradine played the grandson of the original Caine. Identical in appearance to and named after the first Kwai Chang Caine, this Caine was reunited with his son from whom he was separated fifteen years ago (when both thought the other had died in an explosion). Raised by a Los Angeles policeman, the son is now a police detective who has long since abandoned his boyhood Shaolin training. This series ran for four seasons and 88 episodes. - David Carradine made one final appearance as Caine in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, part of Kenny Rogers "The Gambler" telefilm seriesThe Gambler (TV movie series)The Gambler is a series of American TV movies starring Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, a fictional old-west gambler. The character was inspired by Rogers' hit song The Gambler. There are five movies in the series. The first four are directed by Dick Lowry while the last was directed by Jack Bender...
. It also featured the final appearance of Chuck ConnorsChuck ConnorsChuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
as Lucas McCainThe RiflemanThe Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
, Hugh O'BrianHugh O'BrianHugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...
as Wyatt EarpWyatt EarpWyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
and Jack KellyJack Kelly (actor)Jack Kelly was an American film and television actor most noted for the role of "Bart Maverick" in the TV series Maverick, which ran on ABC from 1957 to 1962...
as Bart MaverickMaverick (TV series)Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
.