RIP Jim Kelly

Around the world Jim is best remembered for his appearance in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon. With Austin and me, it’s his starring role in Black Belt Jones which is one of the better Blaxpoitation movies. There are two great fight sequences. The first has him beating up a gang in a dojo while his friend turns the lights on/off. The second is the film’s climax with a melee in a carwash. Beyond the kung fu/karate, Jones has numerous corny lines that you can tell were written by people who didn’t really know American Blacks. I mean, c’mon, even in the Seventies, did anybody celebrate upsetting Mr. Big by going to McDonald’s?

He will be missed and I hope Alamo Drafthouse, the place where I first learned about Jones plans to recycle his “don’t talk during the movie or Jim Kelly will take your ass out.”

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