David Carradine: 1936-2009

David Carradine has passed away. When I heard the news, and how it might have possibly happened, I was incredibly, almost weirdly sad. Carradine could be a handful (and his recent appearance at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica after a Bound for Glory screening proves as much). But he could also be a superior actor -- in Martin Scorsese’s Boxcar Bertha (co-starring one of his famous partners, Barbara Hershey whom he had a child with, named Free), and then that bloody, drunken cameo in Scorsese's Mean Streets (he's shot by brother Robert), Walter Hill’s The Long Riders (alongside brother's Keith and Robert), the legendary Kung Fu, Paul Bartel’s Death Race 2000 (I love that movie), Ingmar Bergman’s The Serpent’s Egg (a great, intense performance), Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill (his speech about Superman was especially memorable and more heartfelt and soulful -- moreso than probably written), and Hal Ashby’s wonderful, lyrical Bound for Glory, in which he played Woody Guthrie to many viewer’s surprise.

Through the passage of time, and especially with all the scandal, many forget the more sensitive side to Carradine. Yes he was Kwai Chang Caine and Bill and maybe even kind of a "weird-o" whatever that means (and god bless the real weird ones, not the pseudo eccentrics). He was a man who walked his own path (which makes him nothing strange, only more exceptional). He was also something of a hippie (for a time) and his own man, a one of a kind -- probably for good and for bad. After all, as Tammy Wynette sang “he’s just a man.”

Hailing from an acting family, he was born right here in Hollywood, California, the son of Ardanelle Abigail and famous American actor John Carradine, “the voice” (a favorite of John Ford). He was also the half-brother to Bruce, Keith (who is the most famous, acclaimed brother -- “I’m Easy” -- so great) , Christopher and Robert Carradine.  His dad was something of a hell-raiser, he witnessed quite a lot, I’m sure, and Hollywood families are often problematic units to grow up in. But then, a lot of families are.

With all of these salacious stories scuttling out like fiending cockroaches -- classless ex wives declaring Carradine kinky (yeah...so?). He rode his horse clad only in a Speedo (what’s wrong with that?). He used to tie himself to calm down (big deal…) etc. and so on; Carradine is getting more press than when he walked among us. And then there’s the lame jokes (please no more Bill has been killed jabs) and the alleged sexual nature of his death, which will be Hollywood Babylon material for years on end. People are always curious by sexual deaths because, I believe, they wonder these things in themselves, and then after that moment of self reflecting fright, some (not all) start throwing stones. As such, Carradine is not being treated most honorably and I think even Beatrix Kiddo would be pissed off by this. I only wish she could walk into that ex wife’s house with all that beautiful fury and start some serious hand-to-hand combat in the kitchen -- a heavy duty, pots and pans, Kaboom style tangle. But that’s the movies. 

And yet, Carradine, whose career spanned so many years and directors and genres and quality, was the movies. The actor who struggled as a B-lister (I hate saying that -- I hate using letter grades, but this is how Hollywood viewed him) -- a man who made some bad and great exploitation pictures, as well as some genuine masterpieces and some memorable television along the way, got his Hollywood ending. His big screen, mysterious, exploitation/art-house finale -- an ending Abel Ferrara or Joseph Sarno or Gaspar Noe might have directed. Which isn’t bad company, cinematically speaking.

And which leads me to…so what? So he might have been a little freaky. So he might have been playing a dangerous game (the death remains tragic -- for his family, his loved ones, anyone not expecting such a quick exit for a man who appeared pretty damn healthy at 72 -- no matter how many chemicals he's surely consumed).  But...who the hell are we to judge? David Carradine was a talent, a personality, an icon all his own (and in an almost inscrutable way), and a force of nature. Tell all the stories you want ladies, laugh at his alleged curious ways of getting off you hypocritical finger-wagging moralists, break him down and park him in the darkest corner, but nothing will take away what he could bring to the screen. To borrow from a Woody Guthrie song, he may have been going down a dusty old road but he “ain't gonna be treated this way” -- not by me. Rest in noble, crazy and enigmatic peace David Carradine.

Comments

[Campaspe]

I find the manner of his death--if it was a sex game gone wrong--very much in keeping with several of his peripatetic screen characters. As someone I know put it, "Dude was 72 and still in pursuit of the best O ever." I certainly don't see why an accident, sexual or otherwise, would be worse than suicide, which leaves such a horrible burden to survivors.

My guess is that this will play out like Rock Hudson's death from AIDs. An awful lot of tacky jokes, years where that's the only thing anyone brings up about the man, and then a reclaiming of the actor by the folks who take film seriously.

Anyway, excellent work. This was a clear-eyed and compassionate piece, and it takes nerve to tackle the way Carradine died without apology, smarminess or snickering. Reminds me of Ike Turner, when you were one of the only ones (perhaps THE only one) with the nerve to give due praise to the man's music without a long graf explaining why it's wrong to hit your wife.

[Paul]

I was lucky enough to meet Ike a couple of times (a man who was clearly still bone-crazy behind the eyes, no matter how hard he tried to look like a reformed character). I never met Carradine and I always, always wanted to. He looked like a man who walked his own path. The Hollywood Reporter printed a heartbreaking story about Americana, Carradine's long-in-gestation directorial debut, which hinted that the critical roasting it got might have sent him on a road where nothing much really mattered. Nonetheless, he couldn't hide what he was, and in Death Race 2000, Sonny Boy, Q - The Winged Serpent and many other films, probably many I haven't seen (he has 46 IMDB credits SINCE Kill Bill) he had a self-possessed dignity and presence that actors with multi-million-dollar-grossing features would kill to have for five minutes.

Thanks for the beautiful piece, Kim.

[sheila]

Man oh man I needed to read this, Kim.

Thanks.

[Bill Sand]

Yes! As usual, you're the only writer with the (pardon the expresion) balls to not only appreciate Carradine as an actor, but as an actual living human being. Even as a kinky guy. You're right. And you're female! I love that everything you write shows something of yourself. You understand the lost souls, the troubled, the sad and the powerful. And I love that you're so fair to men, you get them as much as you can. So many female writers don't even make an attempt -- clearly, you love men and yet, you remain a woman. And, pardon me again, but a beautiful one at that. I think Kris Kristofferson should write a song about you. Beautiful piece. I think Mr. Carradine needed more gals like you in his life.

[T.L.]

Thank you, Kim. Yet another soulful piece that comes from understanding human nature just as much as understanding the movies. I knew David Carradine, and he would have loved everything you just wrote. And yes, he was just a man. And a flawed but interesting man. But he was also an artist. And so are you.

[Andy]

Great and very thoughtful article. I haven’t really been following the reports surrounding his death and am not really interested in what he did in his private life. If people have a problem with the way he lived his life that is their problem not his. As long as he wasn’t harming other people what’s the big deal?

As an actor he showed moments of brilliance but he also appeared in films I have never heard of let alone seen. I am glad to have found someone else who likes Death Race 2000. I watched again last year for the first time since I was a kid and really enjoyed it. Yes it looks a bit cheep at times and some of the dialogue is a bit clunky but is that really a problem? Given the choice of seeing that or the remake/re-imagining again I would go for the original every time!

[Max Allan Collins]

Lovely. He was an intelligent, thoughtful, amusing actor and artist. The nature of his death -- which looks like murder to me, but then I'm a mystery writer -- will eventually enhance his legend. Right now it's just the stuff of tacky jokes, as you say in what is easily the best thing written about him since his death, and maybe during his lifetime.

[Marion]

I was fortunate enough to work with David Carradine 2 years ago on a movie called "Big Stan." He played a character called "The Master"to Rob Schneider's "Stan." You are so right in your assessment of him being a man walking his own path. And he was a handful but an amazement to watch. Both he and his wife Anne were lovely to work with. And loved each other very much.

[Jim Davis]

I'd add his role as Elliot Gould's cellmate in The Long Goodbye as a career highlight, as well. The man could bring something special to even the smallest parts.

[brian]

I was about 13 years old when Bruce Lee died. While I was disappointed Bruce Lee didn't get the lead in Kung Fu, I was always impressed with the way David Carradine played the role.

There was an inner-calm that came across in Kung Fu and in everything else he did. Clearly, he was his own man.

Great tribute, Kim.

[Woody Jones]

Bravo, Kim.

[YLB]

I'll never forget the first time I saw "Bound for Glory" at the Rialto in South Pasadena. A bunch of rowdy hispanic kids snuck into the house - which was really easy in those days. They sat behind me and one of them asked "What is this movie?" and another answered aping a lousy country accent, "Bound for Glory!". Then the scene comes on with Carradine in the boxcar and one of the other hobos says, "there's gonna be a fight!". Then the fight comes on and the mexican kids are going, "yeah, all right, kick his ass!". I think they were fairly quiet after that. I think the movie really took them in and they learned a little history and absorbed the message. Good movie. One of my favorites.