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Black Belt Jones
''Black Belt Jones'' is a 1974 American blaxploitation martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and starring Jim Kelly and Gloria Hendry. The film is a spiritual successor to Clouse's prior film ''Enter the Dragon'', in which Kelly had a supporting role. Here, Kelly features in his first starring role as the eponymous character; is a local hero who fights the Mafia and a local drug dealer threatening his friend's dojo. Plot The Mafia have learned of the construction of a new civic center, and have bought up all the land at the intended building site except for a karate dojo owned by "Pop" Byrd (Scatman Crothers), who refuses to give up his property. The Don contacts an indebted drug dealer named "Pinky", who had laundered $250,000 from the Mafia that he'd subsequently loaned to Pop Byrd in-order to get the dojo built. The Don orders Pinky to either get his money back or repossess the property. "Black Belt" Jones (Jim Kelly), an expert martial artist and hand-for-hire, is cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse (March 6, 1928 – February 4, 1997) was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997, in Oregon of kidney failure. Clouse directed Bruce Lee in Lee's second English-speaking film starring role (the other being ''Marlowe''), 1973's ''Enter the Dragon''. After Lee's death, Clouse completed Lee's final film ''The Game of Death'' and released it as ''Game of Death'' in 1978 with a new storyline and cast. Other projects included ''Black Belt Jones'' (1974), ''Darker than Amber'' (1970), ''China O'Brien'' (1990), Jackie Chan's ''The Big Brawl'' (1980), ''Gymkata'' (1985), ''The Ultimate Warrior'' (1975), among others. Early life Before becoming a director, Clouse worked as a still photographer for CBS Television and served in the military. He was also completely deaf, relying on assistant directors later on in his career to verify that actors had delivered their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martial Arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage. Etymology According to Paul Bowman, the term ''martial arts'' was popularized by mainstream popular culture during the 1960s to 1970s, notably by Hong Kong martial arts films (most famously those of Bruce Lee) during the so-called "chopsocky" wave of the early 1970s. According to John Clements, the term '':wikt:martial art, martial arts'' itself is derived from an older Latin (language), Latin term meaning "arts of Mars (mythology), Mars", the Roman mythology, Roman god of war, and was used to refer to the combat systems of Europe (European martial arts) as early as the 1550s. The term martial science, or martial sciences, was commonly used to refer to the fighting arts of E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Belt Magazine
''Black Belt'' is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports. The magazine is based in Valencia, California, and is one of the oldest titles dedicated to martial arts in the United States. History and profile The magazine was founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. It was published by Uyehara under the company "Black Belt, Inc." based in Los Angeles until 1973. Although the publication went mainstream in 1961, the first magazine was produced and sold for ten cents and was put together on the kitchen floor of Uyehara's home in 1958. By the first year of producing a full publication in 1961, Uyehara was in debt for $30,000. This story has been one that he has shared with his children and grandchild to believe in oneself and fight against the odds. Bruce Lee contributed many articles to the publication during the 1960s. Uyehara, a martial artist in his own right, was a key personage in arranging Lee's material for publication. Uyehara is a 3rd Dan in Aikido but stud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Active Interest Media
Active Interest Media (AIM) is a publisher specializing in "niche enthusiast magazines" (i.e. magazines targeted at hobbyists). History The company was formed in 2003 by private-equity investment firm Wind Point Partners by the acquisition of ''Sabot Publishing'', a "special interest" publisher based in Richmond, VA which had been established in 1999 by James Causey and Colonnade Capital. In July 2017, the company announced that it had acquired the United States Team Roping Championships and the TRIAD Classification Agency. In 2020, AIM sold these properties in conjunction with the sale of many of its largest divisions to Pocket Outdoor Media. Overview Active Interest Media publications are organized in two "groups", the Home Buyer Group (home improvement, architecture, interior design etc.); and the Marine Group (sailing, yachts, etc.). On 7 November 2012, PixelMags Inc. announced that they had reached an agreement with Active Interest Media to distribute magazine content dig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleopatra Jones
''Cleopatra Jones'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film directed by Jack Starrett. Tamara Dobson stars as an undercover government agent who uses the day job of supermodel as her cover and an excuse to travel to exotic places. Bernie Casey, Shelley Winters and Antonio Fargas also feature. The film has been described as being primarily an action film, but also partially a comedy film, comedy with a parody film, spoof tone. Plot Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones is an undercover special agent for the United States government. Overseas modeling is only a cover for her real job: Cleo is a James Bond-like heroine with power and influence. She drives a silver and black Chevrolet Corvette (C3), '73 Corvette Stingray (equipped with automatic weapons), and has martial arts ability. She also remains loyal to her drug-ravaged community and her lover, Reuben Master, who runs B&S House (a community home for recovering drug addicts). Cleo is overseeing the destruction of a poppy field in Turkey belong ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Boxer
''King Boxer'' (, lit. "Number One Fist in the World"), also known as ''Five Fingers of Death'', is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Jeong Chang-hwa () and starring Lo Lieh. It was produced by Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. (Chinese: 邵氏兄弟（香港）公司), the largest Hong Kong movie production studio at the time. The script was written by Chiang Yang (江陽). Made in Hong Kong, it is one of many kung fu movies with Indonesian-born actor Lo Lieh (羅烈) in the lead. He appeared in many similar martial arts film efforts from the 1960s, pre-dating the more internationally successful Bruce Lee. Released in the United States by Warner Bros. in March 1973 as ''Five Fingers of Death'', the film capitalized on the success of Warner's TV series ''Kung Fu'' and was responsible for beginning the North American kung fu film craze of the 1970s with over 30 similar films being released in the U.S. in 1973 alone. Warner followed it with the first U.S.-Chinese Kung Fu co- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shanghai, and established a film distribution base in Singapore, where Runme and their youngest brother, Run Run Shaw, managed the precursor to the parent company, Shaw Organisation. Runme and Run Run took over the film production business of its Hong Kong-based sister company, Shaw & Sons Ltd, and in 1958 a new company, "Shaw Brothers," was set up. In the 1960s, Shaw Brothers established what was once the largest privately owned studio in the world, Movietown. The company's most famous works include ''The Love Eterne'', ''The One-Armed Swordsman'', ''Come Drink with Me'', ''King Boxer'', ''Executioners from Shaolin'', '' Five Deadly Venoms'', and ''The 36th Chamber of Shaolin''. Over the years the film company produced around 1,000 films, some ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Esther Sutherland
Esther Sutherland (August 29, 1932 – December 31, 1986) was an American film actress who made a name for herself in several features of the 1970s and 1980s often portraying nurses, maids, spinster aunts, Jamaican women, cleaning ladies, and matriarch types. Life and career She was born on August 29, 1932, in New York City, New York. Upon graduating from high school, she began her career as a jazz and gospel singer in various New York nightclubs and churches and later appeared in several well known theatre productions both on and off Broadway, some of which included ''The Piano Lesson'', ''A Raisin in the Sun'', ''Blues for Mister Charlie'', ''Black Nativity'', '' Dutchman'', and revivals of '' Cabin in the Sky'' and ''Porgy and Bess''. After two decades of professional singing and theatre work, she moved out to Los Angeles in 1968 and made her film debut in the dramatic feature ''Riverrun''. She found a great deal of success in film and television, and went on to appear in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ted Lange
Theodore William Lange III (; born January 5, 1948) is an American actor, director and screenwriter best known for his roles as bartender Isaac Washington in the TV series ''The Love Boat'' (1977-1986), and Junior in ''That's My Mama'' (1974-1975). Early life Lange was born in Oakland, California, in 1948, the son of Geraldine and Theodore William Jr., both working in theatre and television. Lange graduated from Oakland Technical High where he was class and student body president. He completed an associate of arts degree at Merritt Junior College in Oakland before majoring in Drama at San Francisco City College. At City College, Lange was particularly active on the theatre scene and named Best Actor by the Black Students Association as well as winning a scholarship to the University of Colorado Shakespearean Festival in the summer of 1968. Career beginnings After college, Lange started in theatre appearing in local Oakland productions and as guest artist in residence at th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer and television producer, whose career spans six decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, in the CBS sitcom, ''The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), for which she received five nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Gibbs also starred in the show's spin-off ''Checking In'' (1981) and the NBC sitcom, '' 227'' (1985–1990); Gibbs co-produced the latter series, played the lead role of Mary Jenkins, and sang the theme song. Gibbs has won seven NAACP Image Awards. In later years, Gibbs played supporting roles in films '' The Meteor Man'' (1993), '' Lost & Found'' (1999), '' The Visit'' (2000), '' The Brothers'' (2001), ''Madea's Witness Protection'' (2012), '' Grantham & Rose'' (2015), and ''Lemon'' (2017) and the Shondaland produced TV shows ''Station 19'' (2018) and ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earl Maynard
Earl Maynard (born November 28, 1935) is a bodybuilder and professional wrestler as well as a film actor, producer and director from Barbados. Career Bodybuilding Maynard won the 1964 Universe - Pro - NABBA bodybuilding competition - part of the Universe Championships, the 1965 Universe - IFBB - now the World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships and the 1978 Masters Mr. America - AAU contest. He was also the winner of Mr. Europe 1959 and Mr. England 1960 early in his career. Professional wrestling Maynard started wrestling while he was in the Royal Air Force stationed on Cyprus. The sports facilities were very limited, so the implements for his weightlifting and conditioning had to be improvised with what materials he could find. While He was on Cyprus, a British wrestling promoter, who was there on vacation, spotted him and liked what he saw. Maynard became a professional wrestler in 1960. It was wrestling promoter Gus Karras who eventually brought Earl to the United States to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earl Jolly Brown
Edwin Earl "Jolly" Brown (October 18, 1939 – August 26, 2006) was an American actor. Brown's best known role was as Whisper, a henchman in the 1973 James Bond film '' Live and Let Die''. Other film appearances include ''Black Belt Jones'' (1974), ''Truck Turner'' (1974) and ''Linda Lovelace for President'' (1975). He was also active on television, with credits including ''Perry Mason'', ''The Odd Couple'', and ''Laverne and Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' sta ...''. Filmography References External links * List of names - Edwin Earl Brown (deceased) from Clark County, Las Vegas 1939 births 2006 deaths Place of birth missing African-American male actors American male film actors Male actors from Houston American male television actors 20th-centur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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