David Carradine: The Legend is Gone

Eldest son of veteran actor John Carradine, David Carradine is probably best know for his role in the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu.” One of five sons, four of which including himself had became actors. The four sons that pursued acting were David, Robert, Keith and Bruce Carradine.

Christopher John Carradine is the fifth son that did not enter acting as a career. He holds the position of Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering.  The TV series “Kung Fu” ran from 1972-1975 and centered around the character Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest running from his past in the 1800s American west. David’s father, John, and David’s half-brother Robert also appeared in several episodes of the  series.” Sibling Keith Carradine portrayed the younger version of his half-brother David’s character  Kwai Chang Caine in those scenes where he recalls learning lessons from his past. Much of every episode centered upon the early years of Kwai Chang’s life as a young student of Shaolin, taught by Master Po and Master Kan whom were played by actors Keye Luke and Philip Ahn respectively. Kwai chang applied these lessons from his youth to situations in his adult expatriate life on the run.

More recently, the aged Mr. Carradine was a major supporting character in the movie “Kill Bill,” featuring Uma Thurman and the sequel “Kill Bill, Vol. 2.” Appearing in many television programs and in over 100 movies, he was no stranger to television, directing and acting.

David Carradine was married five times in his life, first to Donna Lee Becht (from 1960-‘68), Linda Gilbert (from 1977-‘83), Gail Jensen (from 1988-’97) , Marina Anderson (from 1998-’01) and most recently, Annie Bierman (from 2004-’09.) Mr. Carradine is survived by three children, his son Tom (mother Barbara Hershey, with whom David was domestic partner with from 1969-1975,) and two daughters; Calista and Kansas, from previous marriages.

Where David Carradine Died

Mr. Carradine was found in his Bangkok hotel room closet by a maid, allegedly whom reported finding him hanging by a cord wrapped around his neck. The death is being ruled a suicide but the possibility exists that this could have been an autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong. More news will be revealed in coming days.

The interest in asphyxiation is classified as a paraphilia (a powerful and persistent sexual interest other than in copulatory or pre-copulatory behavior) by the American Psychiatric Association. In cases where fatality occurs, often family members or other caregiver/assistants whom have found the deceased first may attempt to ‘sanitize’ the death site by removing evidence of the practitioner’s paraphilic play. This is done before forensic examiners can properly access the site of death for determination of cause, and ‘suicide’ would be listed as the cause of death, which is only partially correct. This sanitizing of the death scene allegedly prevents embarrassing media interest in the decedent’s unusual sexual fetishes, which are often unknown to the family and certainly would be embarrassing, if revealed to the public media. Among items typically removed from a ‘sanitized’ paraphilic death site are things like adult magazines, fetish and sex toys and the like, and well as any intimate bodily evident of sexual satisfaction (lubes, ejaculate, etc.) Time will tell one way or the other what happened to Mr. Carradine, but either way this unusual and untimely death is shocking. David shall be missed by everyone who loved him.

 I Met David Carradine in 1995

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I met Mr. Carradine once at a science fiction convention here in Toronto where I have often done volunteer work for the annual event. I was able to take a few photographs of him (with a rather sad excuse for a camera at the time folks, -sorry!) I may be able to clean-up these grainy, dark images in time. But for now, I wanted to get these cherished reminders of my having met him out into the light to share.

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Mr. Carradine showed up about an hour late for his scheduled autograph session, signed autographs for approximately one hour and abruptly decided that it was enough wished to leave.

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Definitely out of his element (below,) a confused-looking David Carradine and me

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A very out-of-focus and grainy image of David and me, at a Toronto Trek convention (August 1995) where he made a short guest appearance. Toronto Trek was the name given for this event at the time. These days, it is called “Polaris” because they convention committee apparently wished for their name to not be entirely suggestive of ‘Star Trek’ fandom, as many other genre guests regularly attend this event.

I was fortunate to get a photo of him and me standing together just after he stopped the autograph session. He seemed lethargic, tired and distracted. Maybe he was ill. Perhaps he was even inebriated, -I really do not know. He had to be more-or-less led around. He may have been not feeling well or perhaps he was on medications. Yet, I am fairly certain it was due to alcohol consumption. I have talked with other people who have also met him in person on other occasions in the 1990s and they tell tales of his drinking exploits.

David Carradine Meeting His Fans

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He lingered around the autograph tables for a short while after the signing-session ended and was allowing some bolder fans to approach him and pose for photographs. I noted early on that he ‘didn’t look right’ and acted rather, well, inebriated. I wanted to not upset him so I was very cautious when I asked for permission to be photographed with him. I had heard first-hand accounts several, and of at least one fan in particular worth mentioning that he had approached him and praised his acting roles, citing that it was he that encouraged him to enroll in a martial arts curriculum. Mr. Carradine then allegedly turned to one of his aids seated next to him and snarled something pithy to the effect of “…these f-ing fans are gonna f-ing bother me all f-ing day.”

 To be taken with a grain of salt, my friends. We cannot possibly know or appreciate whatever pain he was in that particular day, for on other occasions (presumably clean & sober) he was deemed to be quite charming, engaging and has been hailed to be a sparkling conversationalist.

David Carradine had allegedly met terms with the demon vices of alcohol and narcotics and had ‘come clean’ from his addictions, citing coffee and cigarettes as his only vices these days.

This is how I wish to remember David Carradine. I choose to remember him as the meek and wise Kwai Chang Caine, called by his Masters Po and Kan by the diminutive and loving name of “grasshopper,” which was a nickname bestowed upon him when the blind Master Po, ever alert, mindful and in tune with his Earthly surroundings, pointed out a grasshopper at the young student Kwai Chang Caine’s feet.

 I hope and pray that you have found peace and tranquility forever in whatever temple you reside,  grasshopper.