The Bruce Lee scene compared to the real Bruce Lee in "Marlowe"(1969)
Amidst all the controversy about the Bruce Lee scene in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," it might do you well to order up clips of the REAL Bruce Lee's two scenes in "Marlowe," a Philip Marlowe LA private eye movie starring James Garner made in the "OAITH" year of ...1969.
Critics weren't too kind to the laid-back Garner in a hippie-fied version of Raymond Chandler's famous forties private eye Phillip Marlowe(who would famously be played by Humphrey Bogart before Garner and by Elliott Gould after.)
The budget wasn't too good for "Marlowe" MGM was a studio that WAS dying in 1969, and the hippie aspects are dated. But its still a pretty good mystery tale and Garner is always watchable.
Anyway -- and kind of famously -- Bruce Lee appears in two scenes in "Marlowe." This was after his work on the TV show The Green Hornet but before he went back to China to make it big in martial arts and then return to US backing in "Enter the Dragon.
In short, Lee wasn't a very big star when he did "Marlowe." So his character -- a mobster's hitman/henchman -- isn't going to win against James Garner anymore than he'll win against Brad Pitt here.
In his first scene, Bruce Lee is very impressive -- destroying Marlowe's office and desk and ceiling lamp with an array of hand chops and one great high kick.
In his second scene (SPOILERS) Bruce Lee is kind of a dork -- he threatens Garner high atop a skyscraper rooftop and -- when Garner makes a 1969 snide comment("A little light on your feet -- are you gay?") Bruce flings himself at Garner with a flying drop kick and goes right over the side of the building to his death.
I say: Bruce Lee's acting in this 1969 American studio movie -- and his verbal acting, and his fate -- might just be what Tarantino watched to create his fictional version of Lee for the OAITH.
Maybe. Maybe not.
PS. Marlowe also has Carroll O'Connor as a cop and Oscar winner Rita Moreno doing a really sexy near-nude strip tease. With these elements and Bruce Lee's two ridiculous scenes...its worth a watch.