Jim Kelly Dead At 67: "You Come Straight Outta A Comic Book"

law3001

law3001

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SAN DIEGO — Actor Jim Kelly, who played a glib American martial artist in "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee, has died. He was 67.

Marilyn Dishman, Kelly's ex-wife, said he died Saturday of cancer at his home in San Diego.

Sporting an Afro hairstyle and sideburns, Kelly made a splash with his one-liners and fight scenes in the 1973 martial arts classic. His later films included "Three the Hard Way," "Black Belt Jones" and "Black Samurai."

During a 2010 interview with salon.com, Kelly said he started studying martial arts in 1964 in Kentucky and later moved to California where he earned a black belt in karate. He said he set his sights on becoming an actor after winning karate tournaments. He also played college football.

The role in the Bruce Lee film was his second. He had about a dozen film roles in the 1970s before his acting work tapered off. In recent years, he drew lines of autograph seekers at comic book conventions.

"It was one of the best experiences in my life," he told salon.com of working on "Enter the Dragon." "Bruce was just incredible, absolutely fantastic. I learned so much from working with him. I probably enjoyed working with Bruce more than anyone else I'd ever worked with in movies because we were both martial artists. And he was a great, great martial artist. It was very good."
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I thought you were talking about the Football player at first.
But this is still sad tho. I loved Jim Kelly and all of his afro-centric kung fu films.
I loved how the regular street thugs in his movies, would always try to do some karate to defeat him.
Like, cmon son. You know you dont know no karate.

R.I.P
 
Aww man... One of the greats.
frown.gif

 

It would be cool if they paid homage w/ bushido Brown and Huey in Boondocks season 4. Not sure how far in production they are.
 
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^You never seen Enter the Dragon?
Classic Bruce. Not a kung fu or Bruce Lee fan?
 
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No, no, and no.

I did enjoy the Kill Bill movies tho. Don't know if that counts.
 
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DLee23 said:
Aww man... One of the greats.
frown.gif



 
It would be cool if they paid homage w/ bushido Brown and Huey in Boondocks season 4. Not sure how far in production they are.
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Bushido Brown got murked by the Hateocracy
 
Damn, R.I.P.


Ppl used to call me Jim Kelly back when I was younger doing Tae Kwon Do. I had the afro going at the time.
 
One of the best characters in 'Enter The Dragon' next to the man himself, Bruce Lee. Get familiar.
 
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:frown:

He was the reason I wanted an Afro. Dude made it look so cool. I still remember the first time watching enter the dragon when I was 4.
 
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Enter the Dragon was such a huge film for me growing up. I remember seeing it for the first time in the 80s while visiting my uncle. This was the first movie I saw on a big screen TV on a betamax VCR :lol:. Yes I'm an old head.

Sad to hear Kelly passed. I was always mad he want out the way he did with Han. I wish the director let Kelly put more of a hurtin' on Han before he went out. Don't sleep on the Lalo Schifrin soundtrack either...

RIP Jim Kelly...
 
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