Greatest Judo Fight Ever Filmed
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 are trying to warn the Americans about the upcoming attack, while the military is trying to keep the attack secret. Director Frank Lloyd did a good job of showing the tension between the civilian and military authorities prior to World War II.
Condon gains possession of the secret plans, which the police and military are determined to retrieve. It results in one of the best judo fights on film between Condon and Capt. Oshima, portrayed by John Halloran. I don’t know if Halloran had Judo training or if Cagney taught him for the film but the end result is one of the best depictions of Judo in a film.
Still from the Judo Fight in Blood on the Sun (1945)
The film runs approximately 90 minutes. After you watch this film, The Judo Saga (1942) by Akira Kurosawa is another great judo film.
The Motion Picture Academy awarded an Oscar for Best Art Direction in a Black and White film to Blood on the Sun. The Cagney brothers collaborated on the film as it was a William Cagney Productions film.
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