Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon is a
1985-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
martial artsMartial arts or fighting arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat...
film, produced by Rupert Hitzig for
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
and directed by
Michael Schultz-Biography:Schultz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After his undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Marquette University, he attended Princeton University, where in 1966 he directed his first play, a production of Waiting for Godot. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in...
. A critical disappointment but a financial success,
The Last Dragon is now considered a cult classic. The film stars
TaimakTaimak Guarriello is a martial arts actor and stuntman, best known as Leroy Green in the 1985 martial arts film The Last Dragon.-Career:...
,
VanityDenise Katrina Matthews , better known as Vanity but sometimes credited as Denise Matthews-Smith or D.D. Winters, is a Canadian-born singer, actress, and model...
,
Julius CarryJulius J. Carry III was an American actor. Carry appeared primarily in numerous television roles, including Dr. Abraham Butterfield on Doctor, Doctor and the bounty hunter Lord Bowler in the The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He also portrayed the main villain Sho'nuff in the cult classic film...
,
Christopher MurneyChristopher Murney is an American actor and vocal artist.Murney attended several universities before picking up several undergraduate degrees , and one graduate level degree .Murney has worked on the stage, in television series, and in movies...
, and
Faith PrinceFaith Prince is an American actress and singer known primarily for her work on Broadway.She was born in Augusta, Georgia and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she dabbled in theater at E.C. Glass High School. She made her Broadway debut in Jerome Robbins' Broadway and followed this with a role...
. Choreography was by
Lester WilsonLester Wilson was an American dancer and choreographer. Wilson attended the Juilliard School. Bob Fosse cast him in a 1963 revival of Pal Joey at the New York City Center. Wilson toured London with Sammy Davis, Jr. in "Golden Boy". Lester's best known choreography was the 1977 movie "Saturday...
, and
Lawrence LeritzLawrence Leritz is an American dancer, singer, actor, producer, fitness expert and choreographer.-Career:Born in Alton, Illinois, Leritz made his stage debut in the children's chorus of the world stage premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical State Fair at The Muny, starring Ozzie and Harriet...
. The film was released in theatres by
TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
on March 22, 1985.
Set in New York City, the plot follows a black teenage martial arts student named Leroy Green (often referred to as "Bruce Leroy", although he never actually calls himself that).
Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon is a
1985-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
martial artsMartial arts or fighting arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat...
film, produced by Rupert Hitzig for
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
and directed by
Michael Schultz-Biography:Schultz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After his undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Marquette University, he attended Princeton University, where in 1966 he directed his first play, a production of Waiting for Godot. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in...
. A critical disappointment but a financial success,
The Last Dragon is now considered a cult classic. The film stars
TaimakTaimak Guarriello is a martial arts actor and stuntman, best known as Leroy Green in the 1985 martial arts film The Last Dragon.-Career:...
,
VanityDenise Katrina Matthews , better known as Vanity but sometimes credited as Denise Matthews-Smith or D.D. Winters, is a Canadian-born singer, actress, and model...
,
Julius CarryJulius J. Carry III was an American actor. Carry appeared primarily in numerous television roles, including Dr. Abraham Butterfield on Doctor, Doctor and the bounty hunter Lord Bowler in the The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He also portrayed the main villain Sho'nuff in the cult classic film...
,
Christopher MurneyChristopher Murney is an American actor and vocal artist.Murney attended several universities before picking up several undergraduate degrees , and one graduate level degree .Murney has worked on the stage, in television series, and in movies...
, and
Faith PrinceFaith Prince is an American actress and singer known primarily for her work on Broadway.She was born in Augusta, Georgia and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she dabbled in theater at E.C. Glass High School. She made her Broadway debut in Jerome Robbins' Broadway and followed this with a role...
. Choreography was by
Lester WilsonLester Wilson was an American dancer and choreographer. Wilson attended the Juilliard School. Bob Fosse cast him in a 1963 revival of Pal Joey at the New York City Center. Wilson toured London with Sammy Davis, Jr. in "Golden Boy". Lester's best known choreography was the 1977 movie "Saturday...
, and
Lawrence LeritzLawrence Leritz is an American dancer, singer, actor, producer, fitness expert and choreographer.-Career:Born in Alton, Illinois, Leritz made his stage debut in the children's chorus of the world stage premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical State Fair at The Muny, starring Ozzie and Harriet...
. The film was released in theatres by
TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
on March 22, 1985.
Plot
Set in New York City, the plot follows a black teenage martial arts student named Leroy Green (often referred to as "Bruce Leroy", although he never actually calls himself that). With dreams of becoming a great martial artist like his idol
Bruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American and Hong Kong actor, martial artist, philosopher, film director, screenwriter, practitioner of Wing Chun and founder of the Jeet Kune Do concept. He is considered by many as the most influential martial artist of the 20th century, and a cultural icon...
. Leroy goes on a quest to achieve the highest level of martial arts accomplishment, known as "The Final Level". Martial artists who reach the "Final Level" possess "The Glow". As its name suggests it is a mystical energy that can be tapped into by a martial arts master. When a fighter's hands glow, he is one of the best in the world and when his entire body glows, he is the greatest fighter alive. On his journey to becoming the "Last Dragon" and wielding the power of "The Glow," Leroy must confront villains such as a crooked arcade mogul Eddie Arkadian (Murney) and the evil Sho'nuff, the
Shogun is a military rank and historical title for Hereditary Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces of Japan. The modern rank is equivalent to a Generalissimo...
of
HarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...
, from whom he must also protect his younger brother Richie (Leo O'Brien) and his love interest, TV music video host Laura Charles (Vanity).
Cast
This was the first acting role for Taimak, a then-20-year-old
black beltThe term black belt has become widely known as a way to describe an expert in martial artswhere a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a high degree of competence, and often associated with a teaching grade...
who learned to act on the set of this picture. Leroy and Richie's younger sister Sophie was portrayed by
Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 and running for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992...
actress
Keshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable, the youngest child of Heathcliff and Clair Huxtable, on the popular NBC sitcom The Cosby Show...
.
Ernie Reyes, Jr.Ernest E. Reyes, Jr. is an American actor and martial artist.-Early life:Reyes was born in San Jose, California, the grandson of Filipino immigrants. He has three brothers and two sisters, one of whom, Lee Reyes, is an actor and another, Santino Ramos, is a filmmaker/animator.By 1983, Reyes had...
, martial artist and actor, made his film debut at the age of twelve in this film. Leo O'Brien, the actor portraying Bruce Leroy's younger brother Richie, is the younger brother of Guy O'Brien, better known as "Master Gee" from the hip-hop group
The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their biggest hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single recorded to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
, as well as, television host London Reyes a.k.a "B-Boy London" of the New York City Breakers. Veteran actor
William H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor. He was nominmated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though he has...
makes a brief appearance as "JJ", and
Chazz PalminteriCalogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, Mulholland Falls and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway, which he lost to Martin Landau for Ed Wood.- Early...
makes a brief appearance as "Hood #2".
Carl Anthony Payne IICarl Anthony Payne II is an American actor. He studied at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, New York and Howard University, Washington DC...
appeared in a small role as a kid in the family-owned pizza shop, would later co-star in
The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 and running for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992...
and
MartinMartin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on FOX...
.
Music
Featured in this film is a
DeBargeDeBarge was an African American sibling music group, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group between 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing...
song, "Rhythm of the Night", written by
Diane WarrenDiane Eve Warren is an American country and pop music singer-songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. The song reached #3 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #1 on the Billboard R&B charts. The film's
Richard PerryRichard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
-produced title theme was nominated for Worst "Original" Song at the
1985 Golden Raspberry AwardsThe 6th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 23, 1986 at the Morgan-Wixon Theatre in Santa Monica, California to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1985. Though Rambo: First Blood Part II won Worst Picture, Rocky IV received the greatest number of nominations and "wins"...
, as was Vanity's song "7th Heaven".
Remake
A remake of the movie is currently in the works, with
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor. After Jackson became involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then, films. He had several small roles, before meeting his mentor, Morgan Freeman, and the director Spike Lee...
assuming the role of Sho'nuff. John Davis of
Davis EntertainmentDavis Entertainment is an American independent film production company, founded by John Davis in 1985.-Selected filmography:* Predator * License to Drive * Little Monsters * Predator 2 * Shattered...
and Gordy's son Kerry Gordy, along with the
RZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy winning music producer, author, rapper, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in hip hop music, he is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan...
are set to produce. Penning the screenplay as well as producing is Dallas Jackson, who heads up the urban family label DJ Classicz with Davis.
In pop culture
- Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes , is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American rapper, songwriter, and actor...
included a nod to Sho'nuff with his music video for the single "Dangerous".
- The film is parodied in an episode of The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series which premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series chronicles the adventures of two dopey yet well-meaning teenage boys, Hank and Dean Venture; their emotionally insecure, ethically challenged super-scientist...
which shows Hank VentureHenry Alan "Hank" Venture is one of the two titular Venture Brothers and a main character on the Adult Swim program of the same name, parodying boy detectives and adventurers. He is voiced by Christopher McCulloch.-Personality and relationships:...
stabbing his brother DeanDean Venture is one of the two titular Venture Brothers and a main character on the Adult Swim program of the same name, serving as a parody of such boy adventurers as The Hardy Boys and Jonny Quest...
in the foot with a pencil during martial arts sparring, then rejoicing and screaming "Sho'Nuff!".
- The theme to The Last Dragon was featured in the second episode of The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series starring comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab. The show premiered on February 1, 2007 on Comedy Central...
, Humanitarian of the Year, when BrianBrian Posehn is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member of HBO's Mr...
finally displays the karate skills that had been talked about, but not shown, throughout the episode.
- Rapper Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American recording artist. Growing up in the Brooklyn area of New York City, he was among the first east coast rappers influenced by Southern hip hop sounds and secondly became popular through his hit single "Can't Deny It" in...
made references to this movie twice on his 2003 album "Street Dreams"Street Dreams" is a 1996 single by American rapper Nas. The song was It Was Written's second hit, following the success of "If I Ruled the World ". "Street Dreams" contains samples from the Eurythmics recording "Sweet Dreams " and Linda Clifford's "Never Gonna Stop". A remix, including an...
" saying that he has the "Bruce Leroy Glow" and that he "glows like the kid from the Last Dragon".
- Rapper Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
makes reference to this movie in his song 'The Message' with the line "can it be Vanity from Last Dragon".
- Rapper WC
William Loshawn Calhoun, Jr. , better known by his stage name WC , is an American rapper. He was born in Texas, but moved to Los Angeles at an early age.-Career:...
quotes Sho'nuff's line from the film, "Kiss my Converse," in the song "Bow DownBow Down was a 1996 song released by West Coast hip hop supergroup, Westside Connection. It reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was produced by Bud'da. The song features rappers Ice Cube, Mack 10 and WC continuing the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry that dominated the mid-1990s. They do...
" by Westside ConnectionWestside Connection was a gangsta rap group consisting of Ice Cube, WC, and Mack 10 who used to be the third member. The group's debut album, Bow Down, reached the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 in 1996 going platinum that year...
, saying, "All y'all can kiss my Converse, like Sho'nuff."
- Rapper Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American recording artist, producer and CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor...
references Leroy in the 2008 single Hip Hop Saved My Life"Hip Hop Saved My Life" is a viral video single from Lupe Fiasco's second album, The Cool. The track features the lead singer of the Indie/Hip hop group, Nouveau Riche, Nikki Jean. Although the song had a music video, it achieved most of its popularity on the internet and through word of mouth-...
, saying "Glow like Leroy, you should see boy go."
- Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook , also known by the stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, big beat musician, record producer and pioneer of the electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
had a song named Sho Nuff. It was a B-Side to Praise You"Praise You" is a song by dance/electronic musician Norman Cook, also known as Fatboy Slim, from his second studio album You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The track was released as the third single from the album in 1999...
.
- Rapper Kanye West
Kanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
made popular the glasses originally worn by Sho'Nuff.
- Band Murder by Death
Murder by Death is an American four-piece rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.-Style:The band plays a range of music including instrumentals, punk rock and alt-country...
's first album Like the Exorcist, but More BreakdancingLike The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing is the first full-length album by Indiana rock band Murder by Death.It was published in June 2002, on the Eyeball label.# "Those Who Stayed" - 3:58# "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" - 3:43...
includes the song "You Are the Last Dragon (You Possess the Power of the Glow)."
- In the "Winners" episode of The Totally Rad Show
The Totally Rad Show is a weekly video podcast produced by Team Awesome, LLC and distributed by Revision3. It consists primarily of reviews and reminiscences of pop-culture phenomena such as movies, video games, television programs, and comic books. The show debuted on March 27 2007, and is hosted...
, the final battle between Leroy and Sho'nuff is spoofed during the intro.
- In the webgame "Billy Vs. Snakeman" there is a rare potion called the Sho Nuff Elixir, which when drank gives you a rare item referred to as The Glow. Mimicing the film.
- In the song "The Two" from the album A Tribute to Christina Ricci
Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci is the first album by Felt, a side project made up of Slug and MURS. It is entirely produced by Living Legends member The Grouch and it contains scratches provided by Mr. Dibbs. The album is dedicated to actress Christina Ricci as part of a wager between the two...
by hip hop duo Felt, Slug says the line "Catch bullets with our teeth."
- The song "Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous" by Cobra Starship
Cobra Starship is an American pop punk band created by former Midtown bassist and lead vocalist Gabe Saporta, who continues his role as a vocalist for the band....
contains the line "When the light's off, I’m gonna show you how Bruce LeRoy glows".
- There is a reference in the song "How You Feel" by Mac Dre
Andre Hicks , better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was one of the originators of hyphy and is generally considered the creator of Thizz music...
featuring Keak Da SneakCharles Toby Bowens , commonly known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is a rapper from Oakland, California . At the age of 16 he was known as Z-Kush but became known as "Keak da Sneak" at 17, best known for his scratchy, gruff rapping voice and coining the term "hyphy" back in 1994...
and Dola Ike.
- Rapper Yukmouth
Jerold Dwight Ellis, III, better known by his stage name Yukmouth, is a rapper from Oakland, California.He is a member of the platinum-selling rap duo Luniz along with Numskull. Luniz recorded the successful weed anthem, "I Got 5 on It". He went on to sign a solo record deal at J-Prince's Rap-a-Lot...
references Leroy in 1995 song So Much Drama, with the line, "I can't stand punks on a manhunt, that destroy, lay low, cause my four-four will make your a__ glow like Bruce Leroy."
Filming
The film began production on exclusive New York City locations on April 16th, 1984.
The Dojo and workout scenes were filmed at the Harlem Karate Institute of Grandmaster Ernest Hyman, Japanese Goju-Ryu, in Harlem, New York City.
The Victory Theater on 42nd Street which was used for the scene where Sho-Nuff interrupts the viewing of Enter The Dragon.
Bernstein's-on-Essex,a kosher Chinese restaurant used in the film with its decor intact.
A pizza restaurant in lower Manhattan (Daddy Green's);
A Chinese warehouse on Walker Street in Manhattan (the Sum Dum Goy fortune cookie factory);
Super Amusements in Flushing in the Queens Borough of New York City (Eddie's Video Emporium);
An abandoned wire factory and warehouse at East 118 Street and East Side Highway in Manhattan which was used for the climatic fight between Leroy and Sho'Nuff..
Peter Larkin's spectacular Seventh Heaven club video set was built on Camera Mart stages at 54th and 10th Avenue, a set so impressive that Diana Ross, visiting one day, promptly ask if she could buy it for her next tour.
External links