Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Post about classic films and films related to combat sports and history.
In the first of the three Shadow films from Monogram Pictures starring Kane Richomond, a number of citizens have fallen from windows to their death. Two of the men seemingly commit suicide in front of Lamont Cranston, the Shadow, and Inspector Cordonna played by Joseph Crehan. Crehan was a character actor who often played policeman in films such as The
Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) is the third of twelve Universal Picture productions of the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce starred as Holmes and Watson respectively in two films for Twentieth-Century Fox and twelve more for Universal Pictures. This film is again set in the 1940s. Holmes and Watson have traveled to Washington, D.C. to keep secret
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) is the third Twentieth-Century Fox film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. Inspector Chan and Jimmy Chan, played by Victor Sen Yung, are flying to the San Francisco World Exposition in 1939 as the film opens. The bumpy ride is making Jimmy very nervous. Also on the flight is Charlie’s friend Paul Essex, played
On Christmas Eve, 1937, the second Mr. Moto film, Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937) staring Peter Lorre, debuted. International Agent Mr. Moto strives to protect Chinese cultural treasures from international criminals. The Seven Scrolls will reveal the hiding place for the Tomb of Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan’s warriors reportedly buried great treasure with their dead leader. Mr. Moto’s friend Prince
Dangerous Money (1946) is the second to last Charlie Chan film starring Sidney Toler from Monogram Pictures. After Sidney Toler’s death, Roland Winters would take over the role for nine more films. This film allows us to appreciate Toler’s portrayal of Inspector Chan for close to the last time. This film was the tenth for Monogram and his twenty-first portrayal
On April 7, 1939, Twentieth Century-Fox released the seventh of eight Mr. Moto “B” movies. Mr. Moto in Danger Island begins with Mr. Moto on a ship headed to Puerto Rico. Mr. Moto, played by Peter Lorre, and several passengers are watching a wrestling match. Twister McGurk, played by Warren Hymer, is wrestling Sailor Sam, played by Ward Bond. Mr. Moto
In the sixth of eight Mr. Moto films released between 1937 and 1939, Interpol police officer Kentaro Moto pursues a group of international saboteurs. Twentieth Century – Fox Film Corporation released Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1939) (affiliate link) on January 20, 1939. Peter Lorre returns as the cerebral but deadly Mr. Moto. Ricardo Cortez plays Fabian the Great, a ventriloquist,
Scrooge (1935) is Twickenham Studios version of the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. Seymour Hicks plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly owner of a London business. He employs an assistant named Bob Cratchit. Scrooge will eventually meet three ghosts on Christmas Eve, who will cause a miraculous change in Scrooge’s attitude towards Christmas and his assistant. Seymour Hicks was born
Judo enthusiasts may be unaware that one of the greatest Judo fights ever film occurred in a movie from 1945, Blood on the Sun (affiliate link). James Cagney, who was a brown belt in Judo, stars in the film as Nick Condon, an American newspaper editor for the Tokyo Chronicle prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A few Japanese government officials
When I was a kid growing up in St. Louis, the only martial art that I had heard about was Karate. Taekwondo was considered Korean Karate. I did not know about any of the grappling arts at that point. However, KPLR Channel 11 ran a series of films on Saturdays for a month featuring Mr. Moto, played by Peter Lorre.