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Bruce Lee could have been a TV star before The Green Hornet. The 1960s superhero series is remembered as a major stepping stone in the acting career of the martial arts legend. The actor’s role in The Green Hornet came at a time when he had yet to find a foothold in the entertainment industry.

Airing between 1966 and 1967, ABC’s Green Hornet show is Lee’s first TV credit. The show, which was spawned from the popularity of the network’s Batman series, starred Van Williams as the titular vigilante, Britt Reid. Lee’s character was Kato, the Green Hornet’s superhero sidekick and Reid’s chauffeur. The series ultimately didn’t turn Lee into a household name, but it did serve as American audiences’ introduction to the actor. In The Green Hornet, Lee regularly utilized his experience as a martial artist when performing his various fight scenes in the show.

The opening shot, viewed from inside the barrel of a gun. The silhouetted beauties of Maurice Binder's credit sequence. That Monty Norman instrumental theme, promising sex and danger in just four notes. The martinis. The game of chance that's really a game of nerves. The women, gorgeous and lethal. The patient Miss Moneypenny, who'd give as good as she gets if he ever gave her a chance. The supervillain, living in a luxurious, elaborate hidden lair. And the line of introduction: "Bond, James Bond." It's remarkable how many enduring elements of the James Bond film franchise were there from day one, built into the initial installment, "Dr. No," (released 50 years ago, on October 5, 1962). That's why, even if you've never seen "Dr. No," you feel like you know it. Even so, there's plenty you may not know about the landmark spy film, including the real-life spies who made it, how...

Back in April, we reported that Chinese superstar Andy Lau was in final negotiations to star in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3. Today we have word that the actor has pulled out of the project to spend more time with his newborn daughter.

He was set to play a close friend of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, who helps him defeat the Mandarin. The character is also said to represent, "the technology sector of China." Producer Dan Mintz revealed that they are currently seeking a Chinese male actor over 40, who has strong English skills.

The two front runners for the role are Daoming Chen (Hero) and Wu Xiubo. Chinese actresses such as Bingbing Fan and Yao Lin Chen are also in the mix for unspecified roles.

We reported in April that this superhero sequel will be a Chinese co-production, with part of the shooting to take place in China.

Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and his Rendezvous with American History

by Yunte Huang (Norton Books)

There seems to be a new trend in biography. An author takes a deep "core sample" of the entirety of the world around the biography's subject, often even injecting his or her personal experiences researching and writing the book. Weather, stock tables, the history of minstrel shows or solid state engineering or cooking can weave in and out amidst unexpected finds at flea markets and wars.

A bellwether of this kind of tome, for this reviewer at least, was David Hajdu's magisterial Ten Cent Plague, a history of the comic books that could be an x-ray of American art and politics of our time. Yunte Huang's new, essential tome about Charlie Chan is a thrilling addition to this trend.

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Article by Dana Jung

In 1970, the Vietnam War had already dragged on for nearly a decade. Filmmakers, like society in general, were making their opinions about the war known. The great anti-war films M*A*S*H and Catch 22 were released that year and, though not set in Vietnam, made bold satirical use of past wars to make their points. However, that same year brought us another anti-war film somewhat overshadowed by those two classics, Hornet’S Nest, starring none other than Rock Hudson. Like some surrealistic cross between John Wayne’s The Cowboys and the original Inglorious Bastards (both of which it predated), Hornet’S Nest is notable for several reasons: it was the final Hollywood film of European screen star Sylva Koscina, it was one of director Phil Karlson’s last movies, and it was the film debut of Hudson’s trademark mustache! However, it is Not notable for being on DVD.

It’s a WWII-fest, with five films starring the legendary Errol Flynn. These adventures from 1942-1945 are a solid showcase of not only the star, but era itself, and the DVD set adds to the effect with some great bonuses. With vintage newsreels, classic cartoons, and more, you can relive the experience of these films like never before.

From a unique period in film history, putting out war adventures with a unique derring-do perspective, and starring the unique screen charm of Flynn, this is a collection with a surprisingly varied appeal. Mostly directed by another legend, Raoul Walsh (White Heat, The Tall Men), the set also manages to deliver an effort of style, with Walsh generally aiming at some manner of art in his semi-pseudo-propaganda vehicles.

Taking a look at the Nazi menace from every angle imaginable, whether as an American pilot, Canadian mountie, or Norwegian villager, Flynn gets a...