Zarael Shaitan, HP Tragedy

TRAGEDY: The Death of Brandon Lee

Published Online January 2007 M.L. Lee/ Zarael Shaitan, HP © 1998- 2000, 2007, 2014, 2023.
All Rights Reserved.

It was a cool, comfortable evening for a walk, like so many late April evenings in Vancouver,
BC. I walked up to the convenience store counter to make a purchase when I saw it. There was a
small picture of Bruce Lee on the lower left corner of the magazine. The much larger photo of a
handsome and smiling young man further caught my attention. Then, the shock overtook me.

Since I hadn't previously even known what Brandon Lee looked like the connection wasn't
immediate. Reading the headline is what got to me. I went next door to the ice cream parlour and
walked home, muttering between spoonfuls to the spirit of Bruce Lee something like,

"What the hell is going on now?"

In the days and weeks that followed, I purchased any tabloid or magazine that showed Brandon's
case as the cover story, trying to find out what happened and to perhaps learn a bit about this
man. Unfortunately, they painted a picture of someone who was everything from a romantic
rebel to a bizarre fellow fixated on "death".

Late spring of '96, I decided to take a harder look at what happened to the actor and found some
astonishing things. I found articles in newspapers and magazines and obituaries that wouldn't be
so astonishing had the writers agreed on what really happened. Certainly, the details were
gruesome and doing the research left me emotionally exhausted. However, it was the little details
that proved confusing. For example:

Was it a prop gun or a real gun that was used?

A few writers couldn't even get his age right, saying he was twenty-seven, when in fact he had
turned twenty-eight on the first day of filming The Crow (February 1, 1993).

Of course, there were questions surrounding the case itself, questions that propelled me to do the
research in the first place. The purpose of this chapter is to clear some of the cobwebs so that
perhaps we will be able to see... or at least get people thinking.

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May 26, 1997

Yesterday was certainly a long ---or seemingly long---day. For, the typing went on and on. I
figured the hard work would be worth the time and the effort. My task was to find similarities
and differences in several newspaper articles and obituaries concerning the tragic shooting death
of Brandon Lee. Today, I must work with magazine articles.

It has been more than one year since I poured over this research material, but it's still hard to
take, obituaries and headlines pummelling my emotions to a pulp. For, I have come to care for
this man who I had never met in the flesh ---in a tragically romantic sort of way. My respect for
him is also clear. Sadness permeates my soul sometimes, but my "tears won't fall forever" (to
borrow a phrase from The Crow soundtrack).

NOTE: The following article was modified August 30, 1998, in order to reflect more recent
findings gathered during my travels.

Sudden Darkness
One morning in March, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Brandon Lee went into the local health
club called Fitness Today, where he would normally do his almost daily one-hour work-out.
Approximately one-half hour would be spent on the Stair-master. Then, he would do some light
work with weights aiming toward keeping his definition rather than at bulking up. He walked in
and was quoted as having said, "Oh look, I've been shot." He held up his shirt and pointing to his
abs, continued, "I can't get this stuff off my stomach!"

Mr. Davis, the fitness club's owner reportedly remembered Brandon coming in one night for a
work-out still donning the latex scars from the days work on The Crow set.

On March 30, Brandon was tired, even though he actually had a good night's sleep for a change.
Being tired was not unusual with the odd schedule he had to keep while working on the set at
Carolco Studios. Usually, while on this job, he didn't sleep well at all. He would get out of bed at
four o’clock p.m., get ready for his day, go for his work-out, work all night, and not get back into
bed until about nine o’clock a.m., for six days out of the week.

He was quoted as humorously saying 'and on the seventh day, I drink.' He went in for his usual
work-out at eight o’clock p.m. anyway and his spirits were up. When he went into work that day,
he told a movie stand-in, "I feel like a real person again."

It was the fiftieth day of what was supposed to be a fifty-eight day shoot. Everyone should have
been ready by seven forty-five p.m., but things didn't get rolling until nine thirty at night.

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Because Brandon wasn't needed yet, he showed up at twelve o’clock in the morning to start
getting ready to film at twelve thirty. So, he got ready and after the first run-through, debated
with director Alex Proyas that for this scene, wherein his character Eric Draven walks into the
apartment to find his fiancé being raped, he would be able to hear her screams. The scene
wouldn't work if he could hear her. They decided he'd use a portable stereo.

When Brandon was to walk into the apartment, he would be carrying a grocery bag that was
implanted with a small explosive device called an "electric squib" or "bullet-hit". Both squibs
and blanks come in varying strengths. The strength depends upon what effect is desired of them.
Usually, squibs are used to break plastic packets of theatrical blood under the actor's garments in
order to create the simulated effect of a "bullet-hit". Most of the time, charges are so weak that
the material of the shirt has to be scraped down so it will tear easily when impacted.

The most detailed account of the events of the deadly shooting were recorded in an article by
Jeffrey Goodell for Premiere magazine (July '93 issue). During a telephone conversation,
Brandon’s friend Jeff Imada told me that certain information in that article is incorrect, especially
concerning his prying live bullets apart, jamming them back together and firing off the primers
for the sake of making dummy bullets.

Imada reported to me that there was no live ammunition on the set. When the “fact finders” came
and questioned him, he answered them honestly and they just wrote what they wanted to anyway.
All I can do is record what may be the best chronological list I found, but please keep in mind
that Jeff Imada had nothing to do with Brandon’s death.

Goodell reported that prop master Daniel Kuttner went to the actor, Michael Massee who played
Funboy. His character was to shoot Eric Draven in the loft apartment scene. He took the gun
from Massee who had been rehearsing with it earlier ---a silver .44 magnum revolver with a
white handle. Failing to check the barrel for obstructions, Kuttner loaded it with a single blank
shell and then closed the cylinder. Kuttner announced the "full load" of the magnum.

Everything was going as planned until Massee just pointed the gun in Brandon's direction and
fired, without using the standard procedure of "aiming away". When Eric was shot, Brandon was
supposed to fall to his knees and tumble forward, facing the camera. According to Goodell,
Brandon detonated the squib, the groceries went flying and everything was running smoothly as
rehearsed until he didn't fall forward.

He spun around and landed on the floor by the door he just came through. He ended up on his
left side with his feet facing the camera and his face wedged against the door. These actions
indicated being shot in a very realistic manner. The difference was obvious, but nobody thought
anything of it because they were all too involved in the action of the scene. The scene continued
to be played out as if nothing wrong had happened. No one thought anything was wrong until
after the fact.

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One crew member reportedly remembered thinking that his actions seemed rather odd, so
different than in rehearsal. Some people on the set thought it was incredibly good acting.
Brandon also had a great sense of humour and he loved to call up his friends and without saying
who was calling, blurt out a joke, have a great laugh over it, and promptly hang up! He was also
a bit macabre (he drove around in a hearse). His reactions this time were far from being a joke,
although, considering what he was like, they may have been mistaken as such .

One person later recalled hearing Brandon faintly calling out,

Proyas finally directed, "Cut!", but not until Lee had already been laying there for some time.
When he didn't get up, set medic Clyde Baisey rushed to his side for aid.

Emergency Measures

Baisey was giving him CPR. The ambulance arrival was prompt, inflatable blood pressure pants
were put on Brandon's legs and a tracheal tube was inserted. Brandon's heart stopped once on the
set and once while he was being rushed to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in North
Carolina. Some of the crew waited in the emergency room.

Brandon was brought into hospital shortly after one o’clock am. Someone in the press falsely
reported later that he was pronounced DOA. When doctors saw the silver-dollar-size wound,
they rushed him into surgery. Sixty pints of blood, enough blood for transfusing five men, were
pumped into Lee as doctors tried to stop the bleeding. The transfusion and attempted repair
process took approximately five hours as there was extensive vascular and intestinal damage.

Dr. Warren W. McMurray was reported to have said that the injuries were consistent with a bullet
wound. He had several damaged organs and the projectile severed his spine as it was lodged in it.

In the meantime Jeff Imada, stunt coordinator for The Crow, flew to Atlanta to meet Brandon's
fiancé Eliza Hutton who was on her way from Los Angeles. He told her that Brandon was in very
serious condition. The two arrived in Wilmington at approximately twelve o’clock noon and
went straight to the trauma-neuro intensive care unit where the young actor and superior martial
artist died at approximately four minutes past one o’clock p.m. of disseminated intravascular
coagulopathy (internal hemorrhaging as the blood would not clot). His mother Linda Lee
Cadwell, unfortunately, did not arrive until he had been dead five hours.

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Theories
A Pathologist in Jacksonville, North Carolina removed a .44-caliber bullet from Brandon's body
the next day (April 1, 1993). Rumours flew as did theories as to what had happened and why.

THEORY #1: ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING. By April 5, Wilmington police were sticking to

THEORY #2: ENTIRE DUMMY SLUG. According to one source, one detective on the case
said that a dummy slug was accidentally lodged in the chamber". If this was the case, how did it
get there?

THEORY #3: ALTERED DUMMY BULLET. This theory suggests that a crew member(s)
altered a dummy bullet that didn't fit the chamber. This alteration would involve cutting off the
tip of a dummy and placing it in the chamber and forgetting to remove it before putting it back
on the prop truck. The power of the blank behind it would have made it a projectile.

THEORY #4: SEPARATING DUMMY BULLET. The dummy bullet somehow came apart by
itself. This would be indicative of poor manufacturing. Since gun experts said that they had never
heard of professionally made dummies coming apart, the assumption would be that it was made
on set by crew members who were in a hurry and/or weren't knowledgeable enough to do the job
correctly.

Before continuing with the theories, let's get some understanding concerning the technical end of
firearms used in filming. Dummies and blanks are not one and the same thing. Dummies have no
gunpowder and no primer. Therefore, there are incapable of firing. They are used for close-ups
to make a scene look more realistic, especially for looking down a gun barrel. The dummy is then
replaced with a blank, which explodes, creating smoke and other effects which make it seem like
a real gun fired a real bullet. Alright, now that we have that straight, let's continue.

THEORY #5: DYSFUNCTIONAL TRIGGERING DEVICE. When one close-up was filmed,
the triggering device in one dummy bullet improperly fired, the cartridge popping, lodging the
bullet somewhere in the tip of the gun barrel. The bullet would then have dislodged during the
next scene when a blank was fired. (No one bothered to check the gun between scenes, nor to
clean it.) A gun's barrel is slightly smaller than a bullet.

THEORY #6: MISFIRING BLANK.

THEORY #7: MISPLACED SQUIB.

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THEORY #8: MURDER. Damned strange coincidences led people to believe that there was
foul play. Because many people believe that Brandon's father Bruce was murdered, it is easy for
these people to believe that if that were true, the murderer(s) would want his son dead also.

THEORY #9: FAMILY CURSE. Brandon's Uncle Robert reportedly said a Chinese fung shuei
expert (a type of diviner) informed him that the family would experience more deaths and
divorces if Robert's---and Bruce's--- father's body wasn't moved or if a wall wasn't built between
his and the twelve year old boy's he was buried next to. It is a bad omen to be buried next to
someone who died so young. Both Brandon and his father died young.

THEORY #10: NEGLIGENCE. Carolco Studios' free-lance firearms consultant was told he was
free to leave the set. The crew would take care of the scene. This crew was working 15-18 hour
days. Brandon had lodged a complaint with his representatives, one being his manager Jan
McCormack, about the conditions crew members were working in: atrociously long hours and
the resulting fatigue on the set.

Questions
Usually, actors are to wear bullet-proof vests if within twenty feet of a firearm aimed toward
them. Lee wasn’t. Massee did not aim away although film directors can make shots look precise.
Was there no weapons specialist on the set because the producers were trying to save money?
Was the special-effects tech acting as the set’s weapons supervisor that particular night? Was
some strange person from the outside hired to come in? For budgeting reasons, non-union
members were hired.

Were their long days and hours on the set partly to blame? There was a stunt coordinator on the
set, but firearms and explosive props are controlled by different departments. The prop master
takes care of firearms and a special-effects coordinator takes care of explosive props. Why aren’t
firearms and explosive props handled by the same person? Certainly a set would be safer if that
were the case as one would not have to inform the other as to what is going on with the props.

The guidelines for weapon use, established and distributed by the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers, are specific:

* The prop master or an assistant (or weapons specialist, if the prop master is not certified in
the exotic or automatic weapons to be used) must always be present to oversee the
weapons and the actors wielding them.

* All guns must be checked before, and emptied after, each take and must be cleaned daily;
guns must be securely stored under the aegis of the prop master when not in use.

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* Loaded guns must never be pointed directly at anyone (camera angles can make up for the
discrepancy) and protective shielding, like modified body armor, must be worn by anyone nearby
when blanks are fired. If a blank is to be fired directly at the camera, those behind it must be
protected by bulletproof Plexiglas.

* Nobody other than prop masters or someone under their direct supervision can load a gun or
hand it to an actor, who must get detailed instruction in handling before filming.

According to Associated Press on March 31 and April 1, Mr. Bob Rosen, executive
producer for the film said that when a blank is fired soft wadding comes out. There should be no
dangerous projectiles.

"I don't know how it got in there. ... It was not really in any way what one would
think of as a dangerous scene."

Negligence, Murder or Both?

What really happened to Brandon Lee? Again, it is Jeffrey Goodell of Premiere who gave the
most detailed account in the July '93 issue. I have done my best to trim the account of any
speculation and put it into point form for the reader's easy comprehension and included the
falsified information concerning Jeff Imada’s involvement.

1. Three weeks prior the incident, the second unit called for the gun and six rounds of
dummy bullets (no gunpowder in dummies).

2. The prop department didn't have any for that particular gun.

3. Instead of waiting until the next day, prop master Kuttner, special effects lead man Merlin
and a friend of Brandon's made their own. With pliers, live bullets were pulled apart. The
gunpowder was emptied out of each round. Each "dummy" was jammed back together manually.

4. Because they used to be live bullets, they contained gunpowder residue. So, the gun was
then fired repeatedly in order to discharge the primers that are also present in live ammunition.

5. There was no prop specialist to properly care for and transfer the gun. The gun was lent
out several times. Then, it was simply transported to second unit by visual effects consultant
Andrew Mason.

6. Andrew Mason gave the gun to the camera-man.

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7. Mason disappeared.

8. While setting up for the close-up, the stand-in squeezed the trigger a few times to get
comfortable with the piece.

9. The theory is that one of the primers did not discharge and had gone off in the dummy,
igniting the residue of gunpowder.

10. Because of the ignition of the gunpowder a small explosion propelled the bullet forward.
The bullet only moved part way down the barrel and was jammed in place.

11. The stand-in heard a popping sound and reported it to the 'camera-man'.

12. It was said that some time during setting up the close-up, the 'camera-man' noticed one of
the tips was missing from a dummy.

13. The camera operator asked the stand-in to rotate the cylinder. Otherwise the 'bullet'
wouldn't look right in the close-up.

14. The camera shot the close-up, looking straight down the gun barrel.

15. The gun was emptied, but not cleaned. No one mentioned that a tip was missing from one
of the dummies.

16. The pouch containing gun and bullets was returned to the prop truck.

17. Former set dresser and sound person, Hamer ---hired as assistant to and by boyfriend
Kuttner---on the night of March 30, 1993 retrieved the gun and opened the pouch. One dummy
bullet fell out.

18. Hamer checked the cylinder, but not the barrel.

19. Hamer gave the gun to Massee so he could rehearse with it.

20. Hamer placed the pouch on the prop cart. The pouch still contained the four other
dummies and the empty casing.

21. Kuttner showed up with the bag of blanks.

22. Kuttner saw the pouch on the cart. He noticed that one of the shell casings was missing a
tip.

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23. No one had alerted Kuttner to any problems with the prop previously.

24. Kuttner loaded the .44 with the blank.

The Conclusion?

Brandon Lee was shot from a distance of approximately fifteen feet by a real gun that was used
as a prop gun. One press source revealed that using a real gun for prop is not unusual although
some film people use what are called "D Wads" which are fitted with plugs. Only smoke and fire
escapes from the barrel. The gun was a silver .44 magnum with a white handle.

However, from a discussion that I had with Dixie (pyrotechnician for Titanic), I now have a
different understanding. He knows the armorer for The Crow. Dixie told me that the armorer told
him that there were no real guns on the set. There were sixteen D Wads, all incapable of firing
any real bullets. I really hate here-say and if the armorer just mentioned would like to back me
up, I would appreciate it as I do not have a police report on hand. My conclusion is that the .44
magnum was brought in from the outside.

Brandon wasn't the only person on the set who was tired. The crew were working long arduous
days. Mistakes ---even deadly ones--- happen when people are overworked and not rested well
enough. That weapon should have been checked and checked again.

The film was set at a $14-million budget originally. Keeping costs down would be a natural thing
to do. Shortcuts could have been made for this reason. Not having the necessary staff at the
appropriate times could be explained by the low budget.

If the Premiere account had been accurate, the bullet found in Brandon's body was a real .44-
calibre bullet --- originally. It was altered into a dummy bullet and done so in a slip-shod fashion
and thus "blew" apart from the rest of itself and became a lethal projectile. If it had been a real
bullet-come-dummy-bullet and that it killed Brandon as a real bullet, that would explain any
confusing media headlines. Since we now know this is not true, we can disregard the dummy
bullet theory.

Also, if this account were true, foul play could not have been possible. First of all, Brandon’s
friend did not help to make "dummy bullets" and there is absolutely no way ---beyond any
shadow of a doubt--- that this friend would want any harm to come to Brandon. Foul play, in my
opinion is very possible since the account was not true.

In 1997, I spoke on the phone with Mr Imada when he was in Chicago on a Mel Gibson set, even
giving him a personal message from Brandon from "beyond". The message made him laugh. He

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knew it was from Brandon. I added that Brandon considered him to be his best friend and that he
knew Imada had nothing to do with it. According to Mr. Imada there was no live ammunition on
the set. How could he have made dummy bullets out of real bullets that did not exist? I believe
Brandon’s friend over the press. I urge the press to make retractions.

The questions that come to my mind are: What happened to the gun in between the various
handlings of the gun, especially before it was handed to the camera operator? There was a period
of time wherein the gun was lent out several times. Isn't it possible that it could have been
tampered with? Could someone have purposely put a real bullet in the chamber, lodging it there?
Could someone have tampered with the gun and then replaced it onto the prop cart, when no one
was watching? Could someone have replaced the prop gun with a loaded duplicate?

I'm quite certain that investigators have thought of these questions also. The only problem with
this theory is that one would have to accuse the actor Michael Masse of purposely not "aiming
away". He reportedly hired a lawyer very quickly. The only other possibility would be sniper
fire, but where would this sniper have hung out and hid?

It is obvious to me from my researching this incident through press and other media sources that
the standard of safety on the set was very low. It is sorely ironic that the conscientious young
man who had something to say about the poor working conditions was the one to suffer for those
conditions and lose his life. It is outrageous that money holds a higher position of importance in
the minds of some people than other people do.

It is pathetic that this valuable life had to end so early and that no one has been penalized for
murder. It is my personal opinion that murder is the act of killing another human being for any
reason aside from self defence. Thus ---in my opinion--- negligence in this case was unwilful and
unwanton murder no matter what terms may be used to candy-coat it. Murder in any other
manner is something that needs to be further investigated. My personal opinion is that it was an
Illuminati or gang-related hit as Chinese Triad, reportedly, did have issues with Brandon's also
late father (Grandmaster Bruce Lee). There also certainly were people quite angry at
Grandmaster Lee for having taught Chinese Martial Arts to Caucasians and other non-Chinese
peoples.

The only question that remains in my mind is: Is it possible that poor safety conditions could
have been looked at by murderers as a perfect opportunity to do what they planned to do
regardless? I'm not saying that I suspect that the working conditions were purposefully arranged
in such a way that they would be a perfect backdrop for a real murder scene. I am merely
wondering if perhaps people with ill intent could have noticed what was going on the set and
decided that it would be a perfect opportunity.

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The Results of the Case According to Press Sources

On the first of April, Wilmington police were not suspecting foul play. On the twenty-eighth,
news in Wilmington revealed that the investigation indicated negligence on the part of crew
members and that foul play was ruled out.

The District Attorney, Jerry Spivey, reportedly said that the investigation was nearly complete
and that he had not yet decided whether or not to file criminal charges as he could find no
indication of anyone hurting Brandon intentionally.

'There's negligence. There's gross negligence. Then there's culpable negligence, that which
shows a total disregard for human safety. That would be involuntary manslaughter under our
law.'

Any criminal charges ---if filed--- would be filed against the production company, Crowvision,
for a disregard for safety. Mr. Spivey wanted to talk with at least two crew members he had been
unable to reach. Most of the crew had left for home after the shooting and most of the crew were
not from the area.

By September 5, 1993, Spivey had decided against charging the movie production company with
negligent homicide.

"There's a part of me that wants to file charges and have a trial,' Mr. Spivey was
quoted. 'But from a purely legal point of view, I would not feel comfortable, with the
circumstances as I know them to be, charging Crowvision with negligent homicide. There is no
evidence pointing to the kind of negligence the criminal law seeks to punish. The kind of
negligence the law seeks to punish is the kind described as willful and wanton. You just can't find
that."

Linda Lee Cadwell took a case of negligence to the North Carolina Superior Court in August of
'93. Her lawyer, Bob Johnson, represented her in a lawsuit against Crowvision as well as Michael
Massee, stunt coordinator Jeff Imada, Ed Pressman Film Corp. and Alex Proyas. She was
seeking "unspecified punitive and compensatory damages" (according to The Washington Post
Magazine: May 15, 1994).

Even though Spivey did not press charges, a $77,000 fine was 'slapped' on the hands of the film-
makers for safety violations in the work place. Brandon's mother received an undisclosed sum of
money by settling out of court in September of that year. Johnson reportedly said the family
understood the difficulty of proving criminal negligence.

On this day, August 30, 1998, I can testify that I can no longer find any record of this case from

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Facts on File. It is difficult to find any newspaper press on the subject within Toronto, Ontario,
Canada. According to someone who claims to be a CIA agent, there are cover-ups concerning
this case. Whether or not he is really a CIA agent is yet to be proven. His present whereabouts is
unknown to me and I will not reveal to anyone his name.

One of the best sources for Bruce and Brandon Lee material is John Little, so his articles
and documentary film work are well worth it- a real treasury.

Bibliography and Resource List:

“Enter the Son of the Dragon: Bruce Lee’s Only Boy Gets No Kick From Kung Fu”; People
Weekly; February 3, 1986.

“First Look/ Brandon Lee” by Johanna Schneller; Gentleman’s Quarterly; December 1991.

“Enter the Newcomer”; The Province (Vancouver, BC); August 2, 1992.

“Son of Bruce Breaks Loose” by: Michael A. Lipton and John Griffiths; People Weekly; July 9,
1992.

"Blank Pistol Kills Actor, The Son of Bruce Lee"; Associated Press; (other source unknown);
March 31, 1993.

"Bruce Lee's Son Dies After Movie Accident"; Associated Press, Globe & Mail; April 1, 1993.

Brandon Lee Killed in Freak Movie Accident"; The Province, Vancouver, BC; April 1, 1993.

"People"; Facts on File; April 1, 1993.

"Fake Bullets Suspected in Death" by: Clifton Daniel; Wilmington Morning Star; Vancouver Sun,
Vancouver, BC; April 2, 1993.

"Plot Thickens Around Actor's Death"; The Province, Vancouver, BC; April 2, 1993.

"Autopsy Finds .44-Caliber Bullet Killed Lee"; Reuters News Agency, Globe & Mail; April 2,
1993.

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"Is Lee Family Cursed?" by: Alex Block; Hollywood Reporter; The Province, Vancouver, BC;
April 2, 1993.

"Safety First- Again" by: Andy Marx and Kathleen O'Steen; Variety; April 5, 1993.

"Obituaries: Brandon Lee" by: Claudia Eller and Andy Marx; Variety; April 5, 1993.

"Brandon Lee Lies Beside Bruce"; The Province, Vancouver, BC; April 5, 1993.

"The Brief Life and Unnecessary Early Death of Brandon Lee" by: Mark Harris; Entertainment
Weekly; April 16, 1993.

"Lethal Weapon" and cover, by: multiple contributors; People weekly; April 19, 1993.

"Negligence is Seen in Actor's Death" by: New York Times Regional Newspapers, The New
York Times, Late Edition ---Final; April 29, 1993.

"Fate's Children: Bruce and Brandon" by: Betsy Sharkey; The New York Times, Late Edition ---
Final; May 2, 1993.

“Film/ Guns on a Set Can Often Spell Danger” by: Jeff Silverman ; The New York Times, Late
Edition - - Final; May 2, 1993. (article referred to for the gun safety issues in my article)

"People"; Facts on File; May 6, 1993.

“Tears of the Dragon” by: Tim Apello; Entertainment Weekly; May 14, 1993.

"People"; Facts on File; June 24, 1993.

"Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by: Jeffrey Goodell; Premiere; July 1993. (Please refer to my
article for my comments about this reference. Grazie.)

“Friends and Family Mourn Tragic Death of Brandon Lee: Bruce Lee’s Son is Shot Down on
Film Set” by: Douglas Jeffrey; Black Belt magazine; July 1993.

“Brandon Lee’s Final Martial Arts Interview: Actor/ Martial Artist Gave Us a Glimpse of His
Personal Life Before Passing” interviewed by: John Little; Black Belt magazine; August 1993.

“A Tribute to Brandon Lee” by: William Goodson Jr.; Martial Art Legends; August 1993.

"No Charges Filed in Actor's Death During Filming" by: New York Times Regional Newspapers,
The New York Times, Late Edition ---Final; September 6, 1993.

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"People"; Facts on File; September 9, 1993.

“Brandon Lee’s Mother Sues Film Company” by: Robert Young; Black Belt magazine;
December 1993.

"Dying Young"; People weekly; December 4, 1993.

“After the Tears: Shannon Lee Reminisces About Brother Brandon and Father Bruce” interview
by: John Little; Black Belt magazine; February 1994.

“Brandon Lee’s Last Interview” by: Ian Teller; Entertainment Weekly; May 13, 1994.

“Brandon Lee The Real Last Interview” interview by: Dan Yakir; Entertainment News Wire; The
Province (Vancouver, BC); May 13, 1994.

"The Shadow of The Crow" by: Richard Harrington; The Washington Post Magazine; May 15,
1994.

The Crow: The Movie a book by: Jeff Conner and Robert Zuckerman; Kitchen Sink Press;
August 1994.

"The Son Also Rose" by: Glenn Kenny; Entertainment Weekly; September 1994.

“Special Brandon Lee Section/ The Movies of Brandon Lee: Is ‘The Crow” His Masterpiece?”
by: Terrance Allen; Black Belt magazine; September 1994.

“Brandon Lee’s First Interview! A look back at the late actor’s exclusive 1986 session with Black
Belt magazine” interview by: Jim Coleman; Black Belt magazine; September 1994.

“The Dragon Spirit/ Life at the Lee Household” by: Linda Lee Cadwell; Black Belt magazine;
September 1995.

“Remembering Brandon: Thinking Back on Meeting the Master’s Son” by” John Little; Official
Karate; Fall 1995.

“Shannon: The Last of the Dragon’s Children Talks About her Role in New Martial Arts TV
Show” interview by: John P. Patton; Black Belt magazine; November 1995.

“Brandon Lee’s Rapid Fire Workout: Part I” by: John Little; Martial Arts Legends; February
1996.

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“The Lyceum/ A Lesson From Brandon Lee” by: John Little; Martial Arts Legends; February
1996.

“Love and Death: How The Crow Took Off” by: Phillip Nutman; The Official Movie Magazine/
The Crow: City of Angels; Starlog Press; 1996.

“Crow’s Next” by: Dana Kennedy; Entertainment Weekly; September 6, 1996.

“Movies/ Nothing to Crow About: Without Brandon Lee, City of Angels Falls From Grace” by:
OG; Entertainment Weekly; September 13, 1996.

“Crow Director Back After Five Years” by: Jamie Portman; Ottawa Citizen; February 13, 1998,
Final Edition; p F4.

Audio and Visual References:

“It Can’t Rain All the Time” by: Jane Siberry; Music From the Original Motion Picture/ Brandon
Lee: The Crow; Atlantic Recording Corporation; 1994.

“The Crow: Special Edition/ The Making of The Crow’; Miramax Films Corp; 1994.

“Bruce Lee: The Curse of the Dragon”; Warner Brothers Films (documentary which includes
short interview with Brandon Lee).

“Bruce Lee: Martial Arts Legend” (documentary which includes short interview with Brandon
Lee).

The Movies of Brandon Lee:

Kung Fu: The Movie – made for TV --- to pilot the series (1986---- David Carradine ---
Brandon has cameo)

Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991--- Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee)

Legacy of Rage (1986--- Brandon Lee, Bolo Yeung)

Rapid Fire (1992---- Brandon Lee, Powers Booth)

The Crow (1994--- Brandon Lee Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Ling Bai,
Sofia Shinas)

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The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

In Memorial
Brandon Bruce Lee (Feb.1, 1965- March 31, 1993) died in hospital, approximately twelve and
one-half hours after being fatally wounded by a .44-calibre bullet while filming The Crow. Mr.
Lee was in five motion pictures, two in which he was the main star, as well as appearing on the
television pilot that became Kung Fu: The Movie. His body was released to his family after the
autopsy and was buried in Seattle next to his father's grave in Lake View Cemetery.
Approximately one hundred people attended the private ceremony on Saturday, April 3, 1993.
Approximately two hundred people attended the non-denominational memorial service held at
Polly Bergen's home in Los Angeles. He was survived by his mother Linda Lee Cadwell, sister
Shannon Lee Keasler, and fiancé Eliza Hutton. There is no way of knowing how many thousands
of people love him and miss him.

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