How Stirling Silliphant, One Of The 20th Century’s Greatest Writers, Became My Mentor
By John Corcoran
©2016 John Corcoran. All rights reserved by the Author. Except for brief passages embodied in published reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and appropriate credit to the author and publisher. May be referenced in scholarly papers not meant for public consumption as long as full citation is given.
Permission has been granted by the Author to Fariborz Azhakh for exclusive publication on his martial arts website, martialinfo.com. This work also appears in the Stirling Silliphant Collection in the archives of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars®.
John Corcoran is a veteran black belt in karate who started his training in 1967. He launched his literary career in 1973 and has written millions of words about the martial arts in an acclaimed body of work encompassing 12 books, one screenplay and the editorship of 24 magazines. In 2004, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame, receiving its elite Funakoshi Award, named after the iconic “Father of Modern Karate.” His other main mentors are renowned Hollywood columnist and best-selling mainstream author Joe Hyams, who was also a substitute father figure, and World Heavyweight Karate and Kickboxing Champion Joe Lewis.
Contact: John Corcoran 1905 Sierra Hills Way Las Vegas, NV 89128 [email protected] (702) 413-7277 How Stirling Silliphant, One Of The 20th Century’s Greatest Writers, Became My Mentor
Chapter 1 of 8 Stirling’s Fantastic Bruce Lee Anecdote Everyone Else Missed
By John Corcoran “The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” —Frank Lloyd Wright, iconic architect
As I wrap up the writing of this personal memoir, I to our industry’s major events, trends and famous stars have spent some 43 years as a professional martial of the eras in which it plays out. Whether by my own arts journalist, editor and author. Collectively, I have ambitious design or opportunistic circumstances, I written millions of words about the martial arts and became a part of many significant martial arts devel- its practitioners, launched or elevated the careers of opments during my early writing career in the 1970s thousands of black belts and changed countless other and ‘80s. My literary skills and position as an editor of martial artists’ lives for the better. multiple, influential, internationally-distributed maga- zines placed me square in the middle of all the trend- Conversely, as my friends and colleagues know, I have setters and movers and shakers in our field. Thus, rarely written about myself, except for periodic public- readers will see some key events in our history unfold- ity releases as part of promotional campaigns to pump ing as I tell this story. the sales of a new book. So, this memoir is, by far, the most I’ve ever written about me in my entire life. And Stirling’s Lifelong Love Affair with the to be perfectly honest, folks, this kind of personal writ- Martial Arts ing was at times very difficult for me. For one, I have a long history in my field for being bluntly honest — Stirling Silliphant, the late, great Academy Award®- sometimes too bluntly. Thus, to live up to my own rep, winning screenwriter (Best Adapted Screenplay 1967: now I have to openly admit some personal mistakes/ “In the Heat of the Night”), had a passion for the blunders I made with Stirling during our relationship. Asian martial arts that extended practically through- Ouch! out his entire adult life. Starting with “5 Against the House” in 1955, Stirling passionately infused the I was compelled to write this memoir because of the martial arts into countless projects, more than anybody 2014 publication of my colleague, Nat Segaloff’s, else in Hollywood during his prolific career. Further, extraordinary biographical book, “Stirling Silliphant: he was also an active practitioner for decades. He The Fingers of God.” Nat generously included my trained privately with the late, great Bruce Lee for martial arts-related input in his meticulously-crafted three years and also studied taekwondo and karate life story of the iconic screenwriter and film producer. with prominent masters of those arts. However, I had so much more information to impart about what transpired between Stirling and me. Just as Martial arts veterans are aware that Stirling was Bruce importantly, telling this story also fulfills my personal Lee’s main Hollywood mentor, a close friend and his need to, in my own small way, preserve Stirling’s martial arts student. This was before Bruce moved to legacy in honor of his mentorship. Hopefully, you will Hong Kong and launched his Asian-influenced mov- find it entertaining and educational. ies that catapulted him to superstardom and cinematic immortality. What I believe martial arts readers and researchers may find fascinating in this memoir is its connection Years later, when I was a young and upcoming writer/ producer/executive producer in both television and movies, number an astonishing 200! Those are “pro- duced” credits, meaning they actually made it onto the big or small screen. That’s a very rare status in Hol- lywood circles. By contrast, some modern professional screenwriters can spend decades at their craft and end up with a mere handful of produced film credits!
Among Stirling’s credits are the 1967 Oscar®-winning screenplay (Best Adaptation) for “In the Heat of the Night,” “The Towering Inferno,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Salem’s Lot” (the TV miniseries adapta- tion of Stephen King’s book), “Shaft,” “Village of the Damned” and “The Enforcer” (one of the Clint East- wood/Dirty Harry sequels). In 1968, he won a Golden Globe Award for his screenplay for “Charly,” for 1969: Bruce Lee demolishes James Garner’s office in which star Cliff Robertson won a Best Actor Oscar®. the Silliphant-scripted “Marlowe.” According to Nat Segaloff’s superlative biography, author, Stirling took me under his wing, too, as you’ll from 1958-63 Stirling wrote 37 episodes of the 128 read in this memoir. Stirling’s influence had a pro- “Naked City” TV shows! Each episode of “Naked found impact on me and extends past his death in 1996 City,” shot in New York, used the classic opening line: right up to the day in 2014 as I read Nat’s superlative “There are 8-million stories in the naked city. This is biography of him and his massive contributions to the one of them.” Some entertainment wit once quipped, movies and TV shows my generation grew up with. “There are 8-million stories in the naked city. . .and Stirling Silliphant wrote all of them!” Getting the attention of one of the world’s greatest and most successful writers was no easy matter for me. It Incredibly, he also managed to write a bunch of other took years! How my relationship with him eventually shows simultaneously. From 1961-64, for example, started and developed is, I believe, a very inspirational Stirling wrote an astonishing 70 of the 116 episodes of story of goal-oriented persistence, overcoming ob- the hit “Route 66” TV series! In it, two young drifters stacles and ultimate triumph. Readers might find my (Martin Milner, George Maharis) drive across the U.S. challenging journey fascinating, no matter what field in a cool Corvette. Interacting with folks in all the or walk of life you’re in. For a young writer, having towns they briefly visit and work in, they explore early someone of Stirling’s lofty status in my orbit was akin 1960s social problems and changing American values, to, say, a young actor being mentored by Robert De while seeking their own answers to life and the right Niro, a young artist by Picasso, or a budding business- place to settle down. This show apparently had a pro- person by Donald Trump or Warren Buffet. found impact on lots of viewers among my generation of day-dreaming baby-boomers. Everyone I’ve asked This introductory chapter is climaxed with Stirling’s remembers that show. captivating description of how he first heard about Bruce Lee via an amazing demonstration of skill, After his death in 1996, it was estimated by the Hol- which motivated him to find Bruce for private-training lywood press that Stirling’s film and TV projects had lessons. I’ll commence my personal anecdotes in a collectively earned over $1-billion! Along the way, series of subsequent chapters. he got rich and famous. According to “Time” maga- zine, back in 1963 Stirling’s annual income topped $1 More Credits Than. . . a Credit Union! million. This was at a time when, according to author Segaloff, the average TV writer was pulling down Over his long and distinguished career (1953-94), $20,000 a year. In the 1970s, Stirling earned more Stirling Silliphant’s screen credits, as a writer and money than any other writer in Hollywood. At the best of times, he lived like a movie star, driving Rolls times I experienced with him. Stirling was “one of us” Royces, living in fine homes and owning a $1-million — a practitioner who loved the martial arts, and did a yacht. lot to help popularize it early on through his canon of work. My Definitive Martial Arts Interview with Stirling Bruce Lee’s Rumored Wow Factor
In 1980, I conducted the definitive martial arts inter- Cutting to the chase for this chapter, here, in his own view with Stirling, a blockbuster, five-part account of words, is the wild, amazing story Stirling told me dur- his extensive physical and professional involvement ing my interview in 1980 about how he first heard of in, and personal fascination with, the martial arts. Bruce Lee through the Hollywood rumor mill. By that Since then, various authors over the years have ap- time, perhaps a million words had already been writ- proached me for reprint rights for certain parts of it, ten about Bruce, who had died seven years earlier in which I’ve granted. 1973. But this was the first time I had ever heard this extraordinary tale. Everyone else had missed it! But none of them used as much material, or quoted me at such length, as Nat graciously did in his defini- I was at one of those instantly-forget-the-the-name-of- tive biography. One chapter is completely devoted to the-host Hollywood parties, and I heard someone talk- Stirling’s relationship with Bruce Lee and charts the ing about the fabulous Chinese martial artist named entire history of their pursuit, along with actor James Bruce Lee. The story I heard was that Bruce had been Coburn, to get a pet project, “The Silent Flute” (a.k.a., invited to Las Vegas by Vic Damone, the singer. “Circle of Iron”), into production. After his performance, Damone invited Bruce up to Being once again placed in such prestigious company his suite. Vic had been very interested in Oriental through Nat’s quintessential biography ignited so martial arts, but was somewhat skeptical about its many wonderful memories for me. It inspired me to effectiveness as a form of combat. Vic expressed his relive some of the most memorable highlights of my opinion that a lot of the martial arts mystique was ambitious youth and once again feel the power of Stir- exaggerated. A good, tough streetfighter, he insisted, ling’s bright spirit and re-hear his words. Beyond my could always beat a karateman, especially an Asian, definitive martial arts interview with him, there was so because Asians are smaller, thinner, and just basi- much more that happened before, during and after it. cally couldn’t stand up to a big, tough American street It motivated me to finally share those, for me, magic brawler.
Now, Vic didn’t say this out of prejudice, it’s just that he really believed it.
At the time, Vic employed the services of two, huge armed bodyguards, one of whom held contempt for martial artists in general. Bruce studied the situation and arrived at a way of proving the effectiveness of martial arts without getting anyone hurt.
“I’ll tell you what we can do,” Bruce said. “Put one bodyguard in front of the door. When I come through 1969: Silliphant and Bruce Lee discuss “The Silent Flute,” the door,” he explained to the bodyguard, “stop me if their martial arts “dream” project in which Bruce would you can.” The other bodyguard Bruce placed about play five roles. five feet behind the first man, and told him to put a cigarette in his mouth.
“Let’s assume that the cigarette represents your hol- stered gun,” he continued. “Vic, when I come through the door I want you to begin counting to five. By the Update count of five, I will be past the first bodyguard and will have knocked the cigarette from the mouth of While writing this memoir in 2014, Nat Segaloff in- the second bodyguard. The cigarette is equivalent to troduced me to New York author Matt Polly, who was his gun. When he sees me come through the door, he writing a new, definitive biography of Bruce Lee for should try to take it out of his mouth before I knock it Penguin Books. He had contacted Vic Damone and, in out.” an email to me, wrote: “When I called Vic and asked him about this story, he was stunned into silence. Ap- “Now, I’m at a disadvantage because I’m telling you parently, the reality was much less dramatic.” all of this in advance. If I succeed, then would you buy it as an acceptable example of what martial arts can do?”
They all said, “Sure. Oh, boy! Yeah!”
Bruce then left the room. Meanwhile, Vic said to his bodyguards, “Look, I don’t want you to hurt him, ‘cause he’s small and he’s Chinese. But I don’t mind if one or both of you knock him on his ass. Give him a good shot and let’s settle this matter once and for all.”
So, everyone’s waiting, right? Suddenly, there’s a loud, wrenching explosion. Not only does the door fly open, but it’s torn completely from the wall. Bruce kicked the son-of-a-bitch right off its hinges! The door slams the first bodyguard so hard he’s knocked vio- lently out of the way with the door jammed in his face. 1970: Various shots of Bruce Lee and James Franciscus from the TV series “Longstreet.” Silliphant wrote the show’s opening Two seconds later — no more — the cigarette flies episode, entitled “The Way of the Intercepting Fist,” a literal past the second bodyguard’s nose. Bruce had kicked it translation of Jeet Kune Do, the eclectic martial art Lee person- from his mouth while he stood there frozen in place. ally created. The episode was a showcase for Lee’s personal philosophy and is considered his best work in television. Bruce turned and looked at Damone, who, eyes wide, was saying, “Holy shit!”
Whether that story is true or not, I will never know. But that was the story I heard at the Hollywood party; in fact, it was a story that was circulating all over Hol- lywood at the time. And it was good enough for me. I decided Bruce was going to be my Main Man — the one I wanted to train with.
It took him several months to track Lee down and, when he did, Lee set a high price on his private les- sons, $200 per hour. Stirling became a student first and later a disciple, close friend, and Bruce’s main Hollywood mentor. Later, Stirling would also train in taekwondo with Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee and in karate with Master Tak Kubota.