Betty Ting once more broke her silence regarding the death--among other things--of famed martial artist Bruce Lee in her book entitled, “The Old Days of Bruce Lee and Me: Half a Lifetime of Practice, a Lifelong Memory.”
Want China Times reported that Ting almost starred in a film detailing the life of Lee; instead, she opted to write a book after heeding a suggestion to do the latter first. Ting had already worked in a biographical movie about Lee in Lo Mar’s “Bruce Lee and I.”
Shown in 1976, Ting appeared as herself with Hong Kong actor Danny Lee as Bruce Lee. The movie tells her real-life love affair with Lee.
The book’s release coincided with Bruce Lee’s 42nd death anniversary. Lee passed away on July 20, 1973. Cerebral oedema or brain swelling is the cause of his death as stated in the official autopsy report released to the media.
After appearing in 49 movies, Tang put a halt on her career at the age of 38, which may still be considered a young age for an actor to retire, primarily due to persistent rumors where she gets the blame behind Lee’s death.
Prior to his demise, Lee was filming “Game of Death.” Hours before he died, he was scheduled for an appointment with Raymond Chow, Hong Kong film producer and founder of production company Golden Harvest, to meet Australian actor George Lazenby (the James Bond in Peter R. Hunt’s 1969 “On Her Majesty's Secret Service”) to offer him a role in the said film.
Before the three met, Lee went to Ting’s Hong Kong apartment in Kowloon Tong. He took a nap after taking Equagesic given by Ting because of a headache. When Ting could not wake him up, she called for an ambulance.
Lee was pronounced dead on arrival when the ambulance reached Queen Elizabeth Hospital. When his death hit the headlines, controversies ensued, and Ting’s name constantly got dragged into them.
Aside from setting the records straight once and for all by disclosing things she never told the media before, one interesting bit of information shared by Ting in the book concerns the time Hong Kong actor-director-producer Stephen Chow asked her for a favor.
Chow wanted to borrow a pair of Lee’s “lucky pants” when he was directing the 2001 comedy “Shaolin Soccer.” Ting obliged.
Amazingly, the $10-million movie raked in some $42 million in the box office. The Hong Kong Film Awards declared Chow Best Actor, Best New Director and Best Director and gave him the Best Film award.
Ting, Tang Mei Li in real life, adopted her first screen name "Ting Pei" when she accepted the role of a hostess offered by director Pan Lei in his 1967 drama “The Purple Shell.”
She also starred in Chang Wa’s 1978 martial arts film “Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu,” which is the first and only movie she produced.
The 68-year-old Taiwanese had her film debut in Lee Hang’s 1965 drama “The Silent Wife,” and was last seen in Angela Chan’s 1985 drama “My Name Ain't Suzie.”
If ever the planned biographical film about Lee pushes through, it will be Ting’s comeback of sorts.