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Damn, Dave, did you let Wells ghostwrite this obituary? As no suicide note has been released yet, that second paragraph is pure hypothesizin' on your part.

Word is Haskell Wexler put out a hit...

Too bad it wasnt some studio excecutives found hanging by their own hands

I didn't say or even suggest that he committed suicide because he was despondent about his career. I have no idea what happened... and a note wouldn't necessarily tell us the truth either.

Actually, I can't agree entirely with the "dark figure" take. I got the feeling that Carradine was a good sport about kidding his own iconic image, most recently in Big Stan, a surprisingly funny Rob Schneider movie (RS directed it as well as played the lead)that really deserved better than going straight to video. Carradine gets some of the biggest laughs in the movie. No kidding. And he also seemed to enjoy playing the Kung Fu character for laughs in TV commercials.

On the other hand: Who really knows why someone kills himself? As David says: A note may not tell the truth. Sometimes, I think, you see the true color of darkness, and it's enough to make you want to get off the bus a few stops early. Or you come around to thinking that there's little chance that things will get better, and many ways for them to get worse, and you can't come up with a good reason to keep playing against the odds. Or you can get all George Sanders about it, and decide you're just too bored to live. Again: Who knows?

I met David Carradine years ago and found him to be very pleasant if a little burnt out. From the sounds of it, he went out like Hutchence, jerking off into oblivion. From those who know him autoerotic asphyxiation makes more sense. He wasn't suicidal. It's hard to explain to the 80s generation just how big an influence the show Kung Fu was in the 70s and how iconic he was to millions.

Carradine was in one of my favorite movies of this year so far...CRANK 2. Under so much makeup it took forever to recognize him. I'd be proud to have that be my last movie.

My introduction to Carradine was in that early 90's syndicated show, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. I don't remember much about it except that I enjoyed it and made a point to watch it.

Last movie I saw him in was Kill Bill 2, and while I'm not a big fan of it, Carradine had several good moments.

wow, what sad news. i grew up with 'kung fu', never missed an episode (caine was a great role model for kids), and carradine's turn in 'the long riders' is one of my faves. peace be with you, grasshopper.

It turns out the scenario is much more closer to what happened to Michael Hutchence and no suicide.

Either way though it's a sad loss.

It was probably 10 years ago. I was at the CNN center visiting my brother. I went out to the food court to grab some food, and i saw this stringy, leathery looking guy walk past and sit down a few tables over. A bright red sportscoat, snakeskin pants and cowboy boots.

@anghus - So you saw Poland and then what happened?

I'm here all night folks.

Sad loss? The guy lived life to the fullest and went out jerking off in Thailand. Sad loss? Not a bad way to go if you ask me and he left us a great legacy of films and shows. It's not like he was going to make another comeback at 70 odd. A great life well lived and he went out with a bang.

as i mentioned elsewhere...i understand that, after consulting with terry gilliam, producers have decided that, in order for the now incomplete 'stretch' to be finished, carradine's role will be taken over by steven segal, ralph macchio, mark descascos and pat morita....

Uhhh...Pat Morita's dead.

Gives new meaning to 'choke the chicken'...

Seems that there's a lot of talk about foul play being involved today.

Word is his hands were also tied behind his back... so now it looks like an evening with a Thai hooker that went horribly wrong. (As often happens with Thai hookers.)

So, uh, maybe he didn't die "at his own hand" after all?

He came and went at the same time.

While some of the lines are funny, just put yourself in the place of his family. Alone or with hooker, there's no way the guy wanted to die like this simply because of what it would do to his family.

And Dave, consider changing the headline.

While I agree the jump to conclusion, the "is anyone surprised he killed himself," all of that was way premature and, indeed, weird, I think the headline is still the truth of the matter, accidental or not.

Either way, if the intention is to celebrate the career then maybe emphasizing 'how he went' in the headline may not be the most sensitive choice.

DAVID CARRADINE DIED BY HIS OWN HAND AND PLANNED THE WHOLE SEX HANGING RUSE SO READ ON AND LISTEN TO DAVID CARRADINE SINGING IN MY LIVING ROOM AND THE VIDEO IS OF ONE OF HIS HOUSES IN HOLLYWOOD, I KNOW THE TRUTH! READ AND BELIEVE!
DAVID CARRADINE DIED BY HIS OWN HAND!!! His Will is not worth much except in ebay terms. He's borrowed through the years and was always known as a big money spender to himself family and friends, so he decided to make it look like he was in some sex thing, put that rope around his neck, not his genitals (please that was investigators paid off to put it there) and hung himself, knowing full well that they would claim "accidental death" so his family gets the MOVIE CO. INSURANCE, which is sometimes 3 times the size of some crappy Will David had years ago thru a lawyer of an ex wife, please! And, remember this, where there is a Will, there is a family, and Carradine knew this! So he staged his own death as accidental, got manager to agree, and did the dirty deed for cash and he was was old and was ailing! So try and bust that theory! Don't forget the pay off to the Bangkok police, they are easiest to pay off...

Uh, OK.

You can "Uh, Ok" my theory, but it is true. I knew him. David Carradine took his own life, but wanted his family to have more money, because all the wives and family he produced would come out of woodwork and try to get monies from his will, so he staged this to look like an accidental death... Payoffs can happen anywhere! He was ailing and not feeling good, but his 5th wife Annie and her children were his ultimate loves, and he wanted them to have insurance, so carradine who is like a chess player, planned this. I know I should not say it, but it's true. TRUTH HURTS.... Carradine died by his own hand!

I don't think a movie company is obliged to pay out insurance money when the death doesn't occur on a set, or during shooting. That's like suing McDonald's because the coffee I made at home was too hot.

Even if your true theory (oxymoron?) is correct, why would want to trumpet it on a blog? Trying to sabotage Carradine's plan for some reason? I'm guessing you weren't close friends.

Nancy: Now tell us: What meds are you not taking that your doctor told you to take?

Conspiracy theories do not always mean the person is crazy. It just means the person has a very vivid imagination. Indeed.

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