by  Lance Thompson

The contributions of actors named Carradine to the motion picture art have been many and significant.  Thus I was sorry to learn of the death of David Carradine. 

I am a great fan of John Carradine, veteran of hundreds of films and a John Ford regular.  Two of my favorite films feature indelible performances by Carradine–the gambler Hatfield in Stagecoach and Casy the preacher in The Grapes of Wrath.  His list of credits on imdb.com scrolls on for miles, and he was just as active in the legitimate theater.  John Carradine was all pro.

David Carradine is best known for his television role in Kung Fu.  Reportedly, the idea for the series originated with Bruce Lee, but the network wouldn’t back it with an Asian lead, so David Carradine ended up in an iconic role.  He also garnered much attention more recently with Quentin Tarantino’s  Kill Bill.   But my favorite David Carradine role is that of Cole Younger in Walter Hill’s The Long Riders.  Besides the gimmick casting of brother actors playing brother outlaws (the Carradines, the Keaches, the Quaids and the Guests), it’s an immensely enjoyable Western, and David Carradine is terrific.  It also includes a sizzling performance by Pamela Reed, so if you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.

A few years ago, as a writer for the magazine Cowboys & Indians, I had the opportunity to interview the Carradine brothers about an upcoming project, the TNT Western Last Stand at Saber River.  Robert Carradine was an easy interview, Keith wasn’t quite as forthcoming, but both warned me that I’d have a hard time getting anything out of David.  He just didn’t like giving interviews.

So I was quite surprised when David returned my call late one night.  I knew I might have only a few minutes, so I quickly ran through the vital questions.  He spoke openly and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to end the conversation.  I mentioned my great appreciation for The Long Riders, and that opened up a general discussion of movies.

I felt fortunate to be able to talk about one of my favorite subjects with an actor for whom film performance was obviously part of his DNA.  And eventually, the conversation got around to his father, John Carradine.

David said John was in fifty movies before anybody started keeping count, but his greatest love was the stage.  David remembered the days when he lived in New York with his father.  John Carradine was acting in the legitimate theater–Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway–it didn’t matter, he loved to perform. 

As David warmed to the topic, he recalled with fondness those nights (actually early mornings) when his father would come home after the customary late-night celebrations with fellow thespians.  David would be waiting up, his father would come into his room, and, still not tired, would hold forth about acting, playwrights, history, philosophy, great literature and great men.  This discourse would sometimes go on for hours, and the son would sit entranced by the breadth of knowledge and interest of his father.  David said these were some of his most cherished memories, those hours he spent learning of the world from someone who had seen so much of it.

Such a personal memory had no place in my article, and I even felt that I might be betraying a confidence by repeating it.  But John and David Carradine are both gone now, and every time I see them in a movie, I think of that cherished memory.  Fortunately, the Carradines’ contributions to our film heritage are more available than ever before on all manner of media.  So I might just pull out a couple of favorite DVD’s and sit back and bask in the gifts of the Carradine family.  And remember.