Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
When Twentieth Century-Fox decided to drop the Charlie Chan series after Castle in the Desert (1942), Sidney Toler purchased the rights to the series and took it to Monogram Pictures. After making 11 films with Twentieth Century-Fox, Toler would make 11 Charlie Chan films with Monogram Pictures. Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) was the ninth film that Toler made for Monogram
On December 8, 1903, Sam Langford fought the reigning lightweight boxing champion in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to fighting Langford, most boxing experts felt Joe Gans could not be beaten in a legitimate bout. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gans was able to break the color barrier by winning the World Lightweight Boxing Championship. Sam Langford is often considered
After watching the recent mixed martial arts match between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping, I was reminded of how powerful a set of techniques kicks can be. The leg is much stronger than the arms, so kicks are one of the most powerful techniques in the striking arts. The question is should you use kicks in a self-defense situation. I
Juve vs. Fantomas (1913) is Louis Feuillade’s second film adaptation (affiliate link) of the popular crime series by Marcell Allain and Pierre Souvestre. Rene Navarre plays the role of Fantomas and his many aliases. Edmund Breon portrays Inspector Juve. George Melchior plays the role of Jerome Fandor, a young journalist, who assists Juve in his investigations of Fantomas. Juve and
St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond created a bit of a mystery in January 1903, when he attempted to sneak off and get married. It was to be the 45-year-old Desmond’s first marriage. Chief Desmond was to marry Hannah McLaughlin, the daughter of a local builder. The couple was to honeymoon in Southern California before returning to St. Louis