Woody Strode and James Cagney

[Greg Newton]

A very good friend tracked down a copy of Woody Strode's autobiography "Goal Dust" for me. As I read it, periodically I'll pass on some of the gems inside. Strode was a remarkable and truly tough man. It is interesting how he perceived some of his Hollywood peers.

Strode commented on how many Hollywood actors lacked the height and physical presence to do fight scenes. One actor he admired, even though he was short, was James Cagney, who Strode said had no hang ups about his height. Because he was such a good actor and genuinely tough, Cagney who was about 5-6, could do a fight scene with 6-4, 245 pound wrestler Mike Mazurki, and believably kick the crap out of him with Karate.

Another story about Cagney I read in Cagney's autobiography had to do with Leo Gorcey and the Bowry Boys. As teens they were making a movie with Bogart and Cagney. On the set they'd already ganged up on Bogart and pulled his pants down. Cagney related that when they tried that funny stuff on him, he hit Gorcey across the jaw with a stiff forearm and they left him alone after that.

[GB]

Greg,

Cagney is one of my favorite actors. I have a copy of Blood on the Sun. Cagney held a black belt in judo and showed off a little of his skill in that movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMJixq-LbgI

GB

[GB]

Greg,

Here’s another great clip and it shows the diversity that actors like Cagney had. He’s dancing with another great, Hope. These clips are great (for me at least) to watch. A time gone by when a comedian could get you laughing silly without the shock effect, foul language, obscene gestures, or embarrassing others, it took talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOoNOs8Ql28&feature=related


GB

[Greg Newton]

Thanks Gary. I have always heard about the scene from Blood on the Sun. Cagney was one tough Mick, but buddy could he dance! In fact he danced to stay in shape, even into his eighties. BUT, there was nothing remotely effete about Cagney. He was all man's man.

Another fight scene from the fifties I really enjoyed was Spencer Tracy as the aging, one armed war veteran who takes apart a young Ernest Borgnine in "Bad Day at Black Rock."

[kelbiz]

I have also heard that Cagney's judo was legit. He was definitely one of a kind.
:male-fighter1:
He made it to "Top of the world!"

Jack

[ben alexander]

I love James Cagney! Blood On The Sun is a fantastic movie. Recently, I showed that fight clip to a friend who does MMA. He loved it, and said that, considering it was meant to be entertaining rather than instructive, it looked realistic and much like the Ultimate Fighting stuff he likes.

He's seen Cagney do Judo in a few other movies, and he said that it looked great.

Yankee Doodle Dandy was great, too.

Ben

[Greg Newton]

Hey George,

I will be. There are glimmers of what Woody did in the book. Being a track star and football player, he obviously ran a lot. The quote in PYTP about Woody's training is about as close as you can get to what he actually did. The pushups are mentioned several times. He also stated that even at his size and height he could do an iron cross up until his forties, where he started to cut back on his training and trained only for maintenance. He attributed the ability to do the iron cross to the pushups.

Interestingly, although he was a plugger at sports, he was very skinny and nonathletic until about seventeen, which is when the speed and strength began to exhibit itself. Coincidently, this would have been about the time he was working on the pushups, situps, and deep knee bends. I also found it interesting that his hero was Johnny Weismuller! Woody wanted to be Tarzan like Johnny Wesimuller, running through jungles, swinging from trees, and killing lions with his bare hands! What a guy.

[THESUPERBEAST]

in addition to gregs post, woody strode began doing pushups because the school would not allow one to use weights cause it would slow them down. so he got to working out snd developing natrual using his own body weight, he got so he could do 1000 push ups but would have to rest after every 100 and 1000 squats and sit ups he could do without stopping. he got into the squats cause of gamma. he continued 1000 push ups till he was 40 then began to taper and cut down just to remain lean and wirey.also he cut the squats,out eventually. he also stated in the book he does push ups till this day, so basicaly his whole life. also he was all around track man shot put, hurdles, long jump,

Also I have a few old woody strode articles which states he keeps in shape by doing 500 pushups a day, ropeing and archery. written late 60's to early 70's also he bagan takeing kenpo with frank landry

I rented invaders of the lost gold off amazon which has woody strode in it, he was around 71 at the time it was made in 85 I think, any way it showed a shirtless strode with a flawless physique. but very cheesy b movie.

also in the book he stated that alot of wrestlers in his generation did not lift weights and it was usually just natrual muscle and fat, when he was asked how he could play against such big men.

[THESUPERBEAST]

your too kind george, but i dont think there could ever be another woody strode that would exhibit that type of prescence. i cant explain it, but im going to try and curbs press ups for awhile for dvrs but its not on paper yet. I got some old cheesy movies coming in with woody in them cant wait.

you know ever since I read pytp ive been on a 5 year hunt for woody strode movies and darnet ive got quite the collection of rarites, all because of a two page heros section, and ive had the most pleasure in my hunts. my collection includes:

sun down dvd
city beneath the sea
gambler from natchez
the professionals
spartacus
colpo in canna or loaded guns
cuba crossing
longest drive
break out
keoma
sgt rutledge
tarzan three cjhallenges
tarzens fight for life
ramar of the jungle
jaguar lives
jungle warriors
scream
angkor cambodia express
the last voyage
the deserter
black kingpin
two rode together
real soulja
black jesus
bronx executioner
some of these films took years to procure and are out of print, i type this list to illustrate the preservance and dedication also its kinda like a past time collecting old films. thanks to john i have knowledge of such life changeing materials, movies, books, products. I think were it not for john I would not lead a life of productive intrests every thing introduced here has consumed me greatly and would not have it any other way it really puts you on a new level of thinking and doing, But also not just John, many of other forum members have brought up and introduced things of great intrest also,,,,have you ever stop to think how different life would be without TRANSFORMETRICS?

[Greg Newton]

That is quite a collection! I tried to order Sgt. Rutlege a couple of years ago, but Amazon kept saying it was backordered until the order was dropped. However, this was during the big transition from video to DVD, so I will try again. Strode was definitely an unsung hero of Hollywood.

[kelbiz]

Woody Strode also has a part in "Once Upon a Time in The West". It's a non-speaking role wher he , Jack Elam and a third gunman arrive at a train station to kill Charles Bronson. How does it turn out? Well, NOBODY guns down Charles Bronson!

Longest Yard? That's not the Burt Reynolds film, is it? I don't remember seeing Woody in that one.

Jack

[b38]

GB,

Thanks for that great clip of Cagney doing Judo! Outstanding!


All the Best,

B38

[Greg Newton]

Hey Jack,

I don't remember him in that one either, but in some of his movies he had hair, and in a football uniform we may have missed him. Even at a bodyweight of only 210, Woody's physical presence dwarfed other actors. Even those who were actually bigger than him. I'm sure that may be part of the reason he was only in one of John Wayne's movies.

In the Last Voyage with Robert Stack, Strode definitely overwhelmed Stack, who was and is a very physically fit actor in his own right. In the scenes where Stack was racing up the ships stairways to rescue his wife, you could tell Woody kept having to pull back to keep from bowling Stack over.

I am also very fond of the scene in Spartacus where Strode and Kirk Douglas sat in the holding cell waiting to go into the arena. The intimidating, bemused look of contempt Woody gave Kirk Douglas was priceless. In that one look he told Spartacus, "White man I am your physical master and you are about to die." I have to wonder if Kirk's brief look of fear and discomfort was the real thing instead of acting.

[kelbiz]

Greg;

The John Wayne movie you refer to is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".:film: It also starred Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin as the title character.
In one scene Woody carries a drunken, unconscious Duke on his shoulders out of a burning house and after a good distance places him on the ground. The scene isn't faked and it was actually John Wayne that Woody carried....not a light weight dummy or even a skinny stunt double. It was all of the Dukes weight on his shoulders. No easy task!:shock:

Jack

[THESUPERBEAST]

oh Im sorry its the longest drive with kurt russell cira 1976 its a western about going on a cattle drive. and woodys physique was in top form, it has a scene where he takes on two dudes in the street and he shoulders one of them and shakes the money he is owed. then theres a scene where he stops a wagon from goin over a cliff and then throws his back out which leads o other shirtless scenes as he is worked on.
But now that you mention it he would have been a shoo in for a role in the longest yard.

also greg in goal dust he talks of the scene when he carries the duke out and how the duke wanted a stunt double and Fords belittles him cause woody doesnt need one and hes a old man 46 at the time. Ford also points out how strode had a better football carreer, also the moment when woody wanted to fight the duke.

its weird when you talk about dwarfing bigger men its not so much body weight but body composition and structure that makes the difference.

[ben alexander]

I heard about that argument with John Wayne. I've only seen that movie once, but I was impressed by Woody!

Ben