Martial arts greats Jim Kelly and Gloria Hendry star in Enter the Dragon (1973) director, Robert Clouse’s Black Belt Jones (1974), one of the best Blaxploitation films. The story is written by Fred Weintraub and the screenplay by Oscar Williams. Also in the film are action actor, Mel Novak, and martial artists Robert Wall and Donnie Williams.
Robert Wall was the fight coordinator fir the film working with Pat E Johnson and Aaron Norris as some of the stunt performers.
In Black Belt Jones (1974) the Mafia tries to force Papa Byrd’s (Scatman Crothers) to give up his downtown karate school because they know it sits on the best parcel of land on which to build the future civic center. This non-deal ends in Papa Byrd’s death. Byrd’s daughter, Sydney, who really owns the school, continues to refuse to sell out, and she wants revenge for her fathers death. The mafia hires a thug who resorts to kidnapping on top of everything else, but he doesn’t realize what he’s in for when Byrd’s students call on Black Belt Jones and he agrees to help. When Jones reluctantly teams up with Sydney they come out with fists and feet flying. Not only do they battle the Mafia, but sometimes we see the “battle of the sexes” when Black Belt Jones tries to play hero to protect the “little woman”.
