Celebrating The Career Of John Saxon!
One of the things I love about social media is when like-minded people come together for a single reason: and in this case that single reason is John Saxon.
I’m so excited to take part in this John Saxon Blogathon, because he was one of cinema’s great character Actors. Here are the cinephiles hosting this terrific celebration!
“Jack Of All Trades” is right! In his 60+ year career, John Saxon appeared in more than two hundred movies and TV shows across every single genre there was! He had incredible range, and I wanted to present a great double bill that showcased his ability to bring something special to every role he took.
Let’s begin with one of his most enduring roles, in the classic 1973 Bruce Lee film “Enter The Dragon”.
Saxon gets second billing in what is simply the greatest marital arts film of all time – in 1973, Bruce Lee set the standard for physical prowess in a film that is beautifully directed by Robert Clouse: a tight action thriller with texture, depth and great characters as well.
Bruce Lee is a Shaolin martial artist who travels to an island fortress to take part in a martial arts tournament. But there is much to it than that – he wants revenge!
First, look at this trailer promoting a remastered edition of the film – it’s stunning!
It’s simply not possible to watch that trailer and not have an adrenalin rush! Lee is searching for the people who caused the death of his sister, and while at the tournament he meets Saxon. What’s great about the film is that we see the back story for each character.
Saxon plays Roper, a Gambler escaping his debts in the US – he hopes that participating in the tournament can help get him out of his financial jam.
But of course, being a gambler he can’t help but start making bets – and he teams up with the legendary Jim Kelly to scam of the other participants for money – like when Saxon is getting badly beaten by his opponent – that is until Kelly gets someone in the crowd to massively up the bet – then Saxon promptly stomps his opponent within seconds!
It’s a funny moment that showcases Saxon’s subtle acting touches, and when he and Kelly talk about the tournament, Saxon offers a succinct and prescient observation:
“I have a funny feeling we’re being fattened up for the kill.”
Of course, the man running the tournament is actually looking for some new “talent” to help him expand his business around the world. He meets Roper and places a cat in a guillotine.
- Han: “Very few people can be totally ruthless. It isn’t easy; it takes more strength than you might believe.”
- Roper: [lifting the cat from the guillotine and speaking directly to the feline] “Now you’ve got eight more.”
Han explains his business to Roper with the goal of recruiting him:
- Han: “Opium.”
- Roper: “Uh-oh!”
- Han: “We are investing in corruption, Mr Roper. The business of corruption is like any other.”
- Roper: “Oh yeah! Provide your customers with products they need and, uh, charge a little bit to stimulate your market and before you know it customers come to depend on you, I mean really need you. It’s the law of economics.”
Saxon is so effortless with his acting: we see his vulnerability, we see his suspicion, and of course, we see him team up with Bruce Lee to fight back; showcasing an impressive array of karate skills!
In an interview years later, Saxon reflected how he had gotten the role:
“After the film was finished, and Bruce was no longer with us, I learned that he had mentally pegged me for the role of ‘Roper’ after he had seen me in a Karate demonstration done with my class-mates at UCLA, the University of California in Los Angeles probably in the mid-or-late sixties. I broke a board with a ‘shuto’ and sparred with young Japanese guy ten years younger, who beat me on points. But I think it was enough for Bruce to determine that I was whom he wanted for the role of ‘Roper’.”
I assume most reading this will have seen this film, but I watched it again and it holds up beautifully, and Saxon is terrific!
The second film in my John Saxon double feature is one of my favorite horror films of all time:
Ready For A Classic Shocker?
This is one of my favorite scary movies of all time, and it showcases Saxon in a smaller role that also showcases his deftness with material.
The plot of this 1974 shocker is straightforward: it’s time for Christmas break, and a group of sorority sisters make plans for the holiday – but for a few, they will remain at the sorority house, when horrifying anonymous phone calls begin.
That’s Margot Kidder as the sassy sorority sister, and Olivia Hussey as the roommate who begs her not to antagonize the obscene caller. When we meet Saxon, playing Lt. Fuller, we immediately get a hilarious exchange with his “not so bright ” colleague:
- Lt. Fuller: [hands Nash a form] What’s this?
- Sergeant Nash: Oh, that’s the number of the sorority house.
- Lt. Fuller: Fellatio?
- Sergeant Nash: Yeah, it’s a new exchange: FE.
- Lt. Fuller: [suppressing a laugh] A new exchange?
- Sergeant Nash: Yeah, Fellatio. One of the girls that was in this afternoon gave it to me.
- Lt. Fuller: [sarcastically] She gave it to you?
- Sergeant Nash: Yeah.
- Lt. Fuller: Nash, I don’t think you could pick your nose without written instructions.
- [takes the form and walks back to his desk]
- Sergeant Nash: [thinks for a moment] I know. It’s something dirty, ain’t it?
Of course, it get very serious real fast, as they listen in to the obscene calls before making a shocking discovery:
- Sergeant Nash: [Jess has managed to keep the caller on the line for almost a full two minutes, allowing the phone company to trace the call] Uh, Lt. Fuller?
- Lt. Fuller: Yeah, Nash, what is it?
- Sergeant Nash: The phone company’s on the other line, sir. They say they got a trace on this one.
- Lt. Fuller: Yeah, let’s have it!
- Sergeant Nash: He says the calls are coming from #6 Belmont Street.
- Lt. Fuller: For Christ’s sakes, Nash, you got it wrong. That’s where the calls are going into.
- Sergeant Nash: That’s where they’re coming from too, sir.
- Lt. Fuller: [pause] Oh, shit…
That’s right: THIS is the film that started the “the call is coming from inside the house” craze!
This film’s stature has continued to grow over the years…really one of the best horror films of the 70’s – and Saxon’s grizzled, “seen it all before” Cop is just one of the terrific characters that make this film realistic and therefore more shocking.
Oh and did you know the film’s Director Bob Clark also made another Christmas movie?
That’s right – and guess what? He made this too!
What a career!
Here’s my homage to this terrific Director!
John Saxon died in 2020 at the age of 83…he worked in all genres with just about everyone in the business of entertainment, and he gave roles big and small a personality and gravitas…a legend in every way…I can’t wait to see all of the other posts that pay tribute to his great talent!
Check out the blogathon here:
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Thanks so much for reading!
Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Grindhouse, Hollywood, Horror films, Movies, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
How cool is it that John Saxon got to work with Bruce Lee? I think my husband has “Enter the Dragon” somewhere, so I’ll have to look for it.
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LOVE Enter the Dragon! I saw it in theaters, and I remember being mesmerized by Bruce Lee’s presence. He was one of a kind. Saxon was quite charismatic too, and this is one of his best movie roles.
Black Christmas is another favorite of mine. The cast is incredible. I miss the days when even a low-budget slasher like this one had so many good actors. My favorite was Margot Kidder, who is hilarious as the foul-mouthed sorority sister. Interestingly, Kirk Douglas’s TV movie Mousey (1974) also features the “the phone call comes from inside the house” thing, so I don’t know which movie came first.
And, yes, Bob Clark was a versatile director. I particularly like Clark’s Murder by Decree (1979), which is still my favorite Sherlock Holmes movie. Anyhow, great post!
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Hi there, be lovely if you can join, https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2024/12/12/news-announcing-the-journey-into-italy-blogathon-with-kristina-from-speakeasy/ Love Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviews
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Hey there! Sorry I missed this, I was traveling the past three days! Yes, count me in! I will figure out what to offer up and send you the idea soon!
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No worries, looking forward to seeing your choice.
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Great double-review, John! Both movies really showcase Saxon’s range as an actor. It was no small feat to share the spotlight with Bruce Lee. He was terrific in Black Christmas as well. Thanks so much for joining the blogathon!
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Great double feature review!
I confess I’ve never seen Enter the Dragon, but I love Black Christmas! Watching it on Christmas Day is an annual holiday tradition in my house!
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If you wonder what the big deal was about Bruce Lee, “Enter The Dragon” will show you…one of the great action films of all time
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With such an amazing and lengthy career, it figures Saxon was in some very trend-setting and influential movies, and these two are among the best. He was the real deal as a martial artist, but I’d forgotten what great lines he had in Enter the Dragon.
Black Christmas is a foundational “slasher,” but head and heels above all that was to follow in terms of writing and style (and yes, I include the original Halloween). The “it’s coming from inside the house” scene is pure gold!
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When I started blogging, there was a film blog called ‘John Saxon’s Wigs’. I thought it was a funny name, so followed it. Sadly, it disappeared after a few months, and the blog was deleted.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Never understood why he wasn’t the lead actor in major pictures.
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That’s a great question…he had leads but only in cult films – for mainstream movies he was always the sidekick, the cop, etc.
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ENTER THE DRAGON is such a classic, and I watched BLACK CHRISTMAS for the first time just last year. I loved it. I’ve just started really diving deeper into horror films over the last few years. Saxon is one of those actors I always enjoy seeing pop up in movies. He was in RAID ON ENTEBBE with Charles Bronson and I liked him & Stuart Whitman, another favorite, working together on SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM. Very nice article, John!
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I was surprised just how many films and TV shows he appeared in – a greatly under-rated Actor so it was a blast to pay tribute…both of these films are in my top 50 of all time!
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Thanks for a great double bill that. I really want to see. I was tempted to check out the first of these myself and I will now thanks to your fab endorsement. Loved the latter, but now time for a rewatch.. thanks for joining us.
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I love that Saxon is getting the love he deserves…looking at his credits I was surprised by just how much stuff he did – and love his cult zombie phase!
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He had a fantastic filmography and I think we may well revisit his career again one day… but not next year as the topics are….
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I always really liked John Saxon in whatever I saw him in, and that phone exchange is hilarious, they must have had a blast writing it
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He was in so many things and yes, that exchange was funny
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