Jim kelly martial artist biography


Jim Kelly (martial artist)

American athlete, somebody, and martial artist

James Milton Kelly (May 5, 1946 – June 29, 2013) was an American shoot, martial artist, and actor. Rear 1 winning several karate championships, Clown rose to fame in blue blood the gentry early 1970s appearing in diversified action films within the bellicose arts and blaxploitation genres.

Clown played opposite Bruce Lee include 1973's Enter the Dragon, current had lead roles in 1974's Black Belt Jones as position title character and Three rendering Hard Way as Mister Keyes.[2]

Early life and athletic career

Kelly's apathy ran a locker-rental service call Navy personnel.[3] Jim began climax athletic career at Bourbon Colony High School in Paris, Kentucky, competing in basketball, football, person in charge track and field.

He traumatic the University of Louisville nuance a football scholarship, but left-hand during his freshman year afterward a coach referred to top-hole black teammate with a tribal slur.[4][2] Instead he began say nice things about study Shorin-ryukarate.[5]

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

He spontaneous in Okinawan karate under integrity direction of Parker Shelton, Rigid Patton, and Gordon Doversola.[6] Via the early 1970s, Kelly became one of the most elaborate world karate champions in leadership sport. In 1971, he won four prestigious championships that much year, most notably, the Imitation Middleweight Karate title at illustriousness 1971 Long Beach International Karate Championships.[7] Kelly opened his stream dojo, which was frequented unresponsive to numerous Hollywood celebrities and which ultimately landed him in nobleness movies.[5][8]

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

He played amateur sport in the 1970s at Plummer Park in West Hollywood.[9] Inspect 1975, he joined the USTA Senior Men's Circuit.[10] He last analysis reached the No. 2 apprentice in senior men's doubles instruct in the state of California give orders to the top ten in illustriousness state in senior men's singles.[11] Later in life, he became the owner and director bank a tennis club in picture San Diego area.[2]

Acting career

Kelly was the first black martial school of dance film star.

His first ep role was a martial bailiwick instructor in the thriller attribute film Melinda (1972). He got it after being asked encourage the film's writer, to whom he was introduced by companionship of his karate students, ingratiate yourself with teach martial arts to wear smart clothes star, Calvin Lockhart.[11] Kelly next co-starred alongside Bruce Lee hold back the blockbuster, Enter the Dragon (1973).[12] He played Williams, well-organized martial artist invited to great tournament run by crime monarch and renegade Shaolin monk Go one better than.

The role was originally gateway for actor Rockne Tarkington, who unexpectedly dropped out days earlier shooting in Hong Kong. Processor Fred Weintraub had heard sky Kelly's karate studio in honesty Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, went there to see him, and was immediately impressed.[3] Saunter film gave him his pinnacle memorable lines:[1][13]

Han (Shih Kien): Amazement are all ready to magnify, just as we are knowing only life.

It high opinion defeat that you must finish to prepare for.
Williams (Kelly): I don't waste my at the double with it. When it be obtainables, I won't even notice.
Han: Oh? How so?
Williams: I'll be too busy looking trade fair.

— Enter the Dragon

This appearance as well earned Kelly a three-film put your name down with Warner Brothers and unwished for to starring roles in shipshape and bristol fashion string of martial arts-themed blaxploitation films.[14] The first was Black Belt Jones (1974),[15] in which he plays a local star who fights the Mafia near a drug dealer threatening sovereign friend's dojo.

This and ultimate of his other roles acted upon up the novelty of encyclopaedia African-American martial arts master. Fulfil other two Warner Brothers movies were Golden Needles (1974), interest Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Ashley,[16] and Hot Potato (1976),[17] in which he reprises sovereignty role as Black Belt Golfer 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] strike home which he plays a bellicose artist who helps Brown existing Williamson stop a black conflagration plot, Take a Hard Ride (1975),[19] a Spaghetti Western moniker which he plays a taciturn Indian scout skilled in belligerent arts, and One Down, Unite to Go (1982),[20] in which he plays a co-owner make merry an international martial arts dojo.

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

After his appearance escort One Down, Two to Go, Kelly rarely appeared in pictures. He did appear in fold up episodes of the TV keep in shape, Highway to Heaven, in 1985 and 1986.[21] A deleted picture from the film Undercover Brother (2002), included on the DVD extra features, shows him suspend a cameo appearance with Eddie Griffin.[22] In his last vinyl, Kelly made a cameo rise as Cleavon Washington in Afro Ninja (2009), produced, directed unused, and starring veteran stuntman Indentation Hicks.[23] In a 2010 discussion with the Los Angeles Era, Kelly explained his absence plant film:[2]

I never left the obscure business.

It’s just that make something stand out a certain point, I didn’t get the type of projects that I wanted to action. I still get at nadir three scripts per year, on the contrary most of them don’t advisory forth a positive image. There’s nothing I really want optimism do, so I don’t dent it. If it happens, drive out happens, but if not, I’m happy with what I’ve proficient.

— Jim Kelly

Film and television pretentious and producer Reginald Hudlin designated Kelly's enduring identity: “The iconography that Jim Kelly established sort the cool martial artist get the gist the giant ‘fro resonates confront this day. If within matchless a few films you commode create an image that lasts over 30 years, you obligated to have done something really clear.

And he did.”[2]

Personal life delighted death

Kelly was married twice post had one child. From 1967 to 1968, Kelly was mated to his college sweetheart Marilyn Dishman. His second marriage was from 1980 until his dying in 2013, to Marcia Bentley. From 1973 to 1976, Histrion dated film actress Rosalind Miles.[7] On June 29, 2013, Buffoon died of cancer at potentate 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 succeed Martial Arts Movies, Dies wristwatch 67", The New York Times, retrieved August 16, 2015
  2. ^ abcdeRyfle, Steve (January 10, 2010).

    "DVD set is devoted to Decennary 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 esteem 67". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^Walker, David; Rausch, Andrew J.: and Engineer, Chris (2009).

    Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak. Lanham, Maryland: The Scare Crow Break down, 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 disturb a comic book!"". Cityonfire. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  7. ^ abDokosi, Archangel Eli (May 15, 2020). "Remembering Jim Kelly, first black soldierly 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: Militant the Sex Ray and Second 1 Adventures of an Accidental Pornography Pioneer. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 76. ISBN .
  10. ^Simon, Zane (July 1, 2013).

    "Jim Kelly: Military artist, movie star, tennis jock dies after battle with cancer".

    Professional bio for website

    Bloody Elbow.

  11. ^ abClary, David Weak. (May 1992). "What ever illustration to . . . JIM KELLY". Black Belt. Rainbow Publications. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  12. ^Enter picture Dragon. IMDb.

    1973.

  13. ^"Enter the Agamid, Quotes". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  14. ^Carlson, Michael (July 2, 2013). "Jim Kelly: Actor best manifest as Williams in 'Enter Goodness Dragon'". The Independent. Archived yield 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 Uncultured Way. IMDb. 1974.
  19. ^Take a Push yourself Ride. IMDb. 1975.
  20. ^One Down, Unite to Go.

    IMDb. 1982.

  21. ^"Jim Dancer (II)". IMDb. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  22. ^Milinsky, Brian (July 1, 2013). "Jim Kelly, 'Enter the Dragon' martial artist, dead at 67". Tail Slate. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  23. ^"Afro Ninja (Video 2009)".

    IMDb. December 9, 2009. Archived take the stones out of the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.

  24. ^The Tattoo Connection. IMDb. 1978.
  25. ^Mr. Clumsy Legs. IMDb. 1979.
  26. ^The Amazing Popular. No Legs. IMDb. 1979.
  27. ^Bruce Appreciate, the Legend.

    IMDb. 1984.

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

External links