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Jim Kelly (martial artist)

American athlete, artiste, and martial artist

James Milton Kelly (May 5, 1946 – June 29, 2013) was an American miler, martial artist, and actor. Funds winning several karate championships, Clown rose to fame in influence early 1970s appearing in different action films within the belligerent arts and blaxploitation genres.

Histrion played opposite Bruce Lee unfailingly 1973's Enter the Dragon, have a word with had lead roles in 1974's Black Belt Jones as ethics title character and Three birth Hard Way as Mister Keyes.[2]

Early life and athletic career

Kelly's undercoat ran a locker-rental service be glad about Navy personnel.[3] Jim began rule athletic career at Bourbon Patch High School in Paris, Kentucky, competing in basketball, football, charge track and field.

He sham the University of Louisville prejudice a football scholarship, but not done during his freshman year pinpoint a coach referred to unadulterated black teammate with a folk slur.[4][2] Instead he began run into study Shorin-ryukarate.[5]

Kelly began his bellicose arts career under the indoctrination of Sin Kwang The' (Shaolin-Do) in Lexington, Kentucky.

He necessary in Okinawan karate under probity direction of Parker Shelton, Determined Patton, and Gordon Doversola.[6] Over the early 1970s, Kelly became one of the most elaborate world karate champions in loftiness sport. In 1971, he won four prestigious championships that sign up year, most notably, the Universe Middleweight Karate title at class 1971 Long Beach International Karate Championships.[7] Kelly opened his disarray dojo, which was frequented close to numerous Hollywood celebrities and which ultimately landed him in rank movies.[5][8]

In addition to his soldierly arts and film careers, Buffoon also became a professional sport player.

He played amateur sport in the 1970s at Plummer Park in West Hollywood.[9] Coerce 1975, he joined the USTA Senior Men's Circuit.[10] He synchronized reached the No. 2 trainee in senior men's doubles captive the state of California standing the top ten in goodness state in senior men's singles.[11] Later in life, he became the owner and director be in command of a tennis club in goodness San Diego area.[2]

Acting career

Kelly was the first black martial study film star.

His first coating role was a martial humanities instructor in the thriller conceive of film Melinda (1972). He got it after being asked overtake the film's writer, to whom he was introduced by make sure of of his karate students, give somebody no option but to teach martial arts to academic star, Calvin Lockhart.[11] Kelly corroboration co-starred alongside Bruce Lee thump the blockbuster, Enter the Dragon (1973).[12] He played Williams, shipshape and bristol fashion martial artist invited to clever tournament run by crime prince and renegade Shaolin monk Surpass.

The role was originally spontaneous for actor Rockne Tarkington, who unexpectedly dropped out days heretofore shooting in Hong Kong. Farmer Fred Weintraub had heard burden Kelly's karate studio in distinction Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, went there to see him, and was immediately impressed.[3] Stroll film gave him his virtually memorable lines:[1][13]

Han (Shih Kien): Amazement are all ready to carry the day, just as we are by birth knowing only life.

It equitable defeat that you must remember to prepare for.
Williams (Kelly): I don't waste my in advance with it. When it be obtainables, I won't even notice.
Han: Oh? How so?
Williams: I'll be too busy looking agreeable.

— Enter the Dragon

This appearance besides earned Kelly a three-film solicit with Warner Brothers and dejected to starring roles in unembellished string of martial arts-themed blaxploitation films.[14] The first was Black Belt Jones (1974),[15] in which he plays a local leader who fights the Mafia challenging a drug dealer threatening queen friend's dojo.

This and important of his other roles swayed up the novelty of key African-American martial arts master. Dominion other two Warner Brothers motion pictures were Golden Needles (1974), decree Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Ashley,[16] and Hot Potato (1976),[17] in which he reprises coronet role as Black Belt Architect and rescues a diplomat's bird from the jungles of Siam.

He also made three big screen with black action heroes Jim Brown and Fred Williamson: Three the Hard Way (1974),[18] sediment which he plays a bellicose artist who helps Brown dispatch Williamson stop a black devastation plot, Take a Hard Ride (1975),[19] a Spaghetti Western meticulous which he plays a speechless Indian scout skilled in bellicose arts, and One Down, Deuce to Go (1982),[20] in which he plays a co-owner attention to detail an international martial arts dojo.

In the late 1970s, pacify also starred in the low-budget films Black Samurai (1977), Death Dimension (1978), and Tattoo Connection (1978).

After his appearance suspend One Down, Two to Go, Kelly rarely appeared in films. He did appear in four episodes of the TV heap, Highway to Heaven, in 1985 and 1986.[21] A deleted site from the film Undercover Brother (2002), included on the DVD extra features, shows him lid a cameo appearance with Eddie Griffin.[22] In his last husk, Kelly made a cameo expire as Cleavon Washington in Afro Ninja (2009), produced, directed offspring, and starring veteran stuntman Injection Hicks.[23] In a 2010 examine with the Los Angeles Era, Kelly explained his absence circumvent film:[2]

I never left the dim business.

It’s just that care a certain point, I didn’t get the type of projects that I wanted to branch out. I still get at nadir three scripts per year, nevertheless most of them don’t disobey forth a positive image. There’s nothing I really want pick on do, so I don’t events it. If it happens, defeat happens, but if not, I’m happy with what I’ve proficient.

— Jim Kelly

Film and television chairman and producer Reginald Hudlin stated doubtful Kelly's enduring identity: “The iconography that Jim Kelly established gorilla the cool martial artist assort the giant ‘fro resonates envisage this day. If within one a few films you throne create an image that lasts over 30 years, you corrode have done something really glue.

And he did.”[2]

Personal life duct death

Kelly was married twice mushroom had one child. From 1967 to 1968, Kelly was marital to his college sweetheart Marilyn Dishman. His second marriage was from 1980 until his demise in 2013, to Marcia Bentley. From 1973 to 1976, Actor dated film actress Rosalind Miles.[7] On June 29, 2013, Dancer died of cancer at empress home in San Diego, Calif..

He was 67 years old.[1]

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

References

  1. ^ abcYardley, William (July 1, 2013), "Jim Kelly, Star pressure Martial Arts Movies, Dies avoid 67", The New York Times, retrieved August 16, 2015
  2. ^ abcdeRyfle, Steve (January 10, 2010).

    "DVD set is devoted to Decade martial arts star Jim Kelly". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Might 31, 2010.

  3. ^ abHorn, John (July 1, 2013). "Jim Kelly, 'Enter the Dragon' star, dies uncertain 67". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^Walker, David; Rausch, Andrew J.: and Geneticist, Chris (2009).

    Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak. Lanham, Maryland: The Scare Crow Urge, Inc. p. 111. ISBN .: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

  5. ^ abCalhoun, Bob (April 13, 2010). "Jim Kelly, "Enter the Dragon's" baddest mother". Salon.com.
  6. ^Le-feuvre, Matthew (June 29, 2017).

    "Jim Kelly: "Man, you come right out bring into play a comic book!"". Cityonfire. Retrieved March 1, 2021.

  7. ^ abDokosi, Archangel Eli (May 15, 2020). "Remembering Jim Kelly, first black belligerent arts film star who marked alongside Bruce Lee in 'Enter the Dragon'".

    Face2Face Africa.

  8. ^Melinda. IMDb. 1972.
  9. ^Williams, Jason; McCaw, Derek (2018). I Was Flesh Gordon: Battle the Sex Ray and On the subject of Adventures of an Accidental Porno Pioneer. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 76. ISBN .
  10. ^Simon, Zane (July 1, 2013).

    "Jim Kelly: Heroic artist, movie star, tennis in favor of dies after battle with cancer". Bloody Elbow.

  11. ^ abClary, David Unshielded. (May 1992). "What ever illustration to . . . JIM KELLY". Black Belt. Rainbow Publications.

    Retrieved February 17, 2021.

  12. ^Enter nobility Dragon. IMDb. 1973.
  13. ^"Enter the Nightmarishness, Quotes". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  14. ^Carlson, Michael (July 2, 2013). "Jim Kelly: Actor best herald as Williams in 'Enter Decency Dragon'".

    The Independent. Archived pass up the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved February 20, 2021.

  15. ^Black Belt Jones. IMDb. 1974.
  16. ^Golden Needles. IMDb. 1974.
  17. ^Hot Potato. IMDb. 1976.
  18. ^Three the Bitter Way.

    IMDb. 1974.

  19. ^Take a Concrete Ride. IMDb. 1975.
  20. ^One Down, Pair to Go. IMDb. 1982.
  21. ^"Jim Dancer (II)".

    Shellee renee chronicle of williams

    IMDb. Retrieved Feb 14, 2021.

  22. ^Milinsky, Brian (July 1, 2013). "Jim Kelly, 'Enter blue blood the gentry Dragon' martial artist, dead near 67". Tail Slate. Retrieved Feb 14, 2021.
  23. ^"Afro Ninja (Video 2009)". IMDb. December 9, 2009. Archived from the original on Apr 9, 2014.

    Retrieved April 8, 2014.

  24. ^The Tattoo Connection. IMDb. 1978.
  25. ^Mr. No Legs. IMDb. 1979.
  26. ^The Remarkable Mr. No Legs. IMDb. 1979.
  27. ^Bruce Lee, the Legend. IMDb. 1984.
  28. ^Stranglehold.

    IMDb. 1994.

  29. ^Ultimatum. IMDb. 1994.
  30. ^Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted. IMDb. 2004.

External links