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Who is/was the toughest man in Hollywood?


treeduck
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QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Jul 1 2012, 10:01 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 1 2012, 09:55 PM)
QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Jul 1 2012, 09:52 PM)
QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Jul 1 2012, 09:47 PM)
QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Jul 1 2012, 08:35 PM)
Steve McQueen, a bona-fide psycho nutjob. Honorable mention: Robert Mitchum.

With all due respect, I'd have to reverse your choice...

 

...I thought Robert Mitchum before even reading throught this thread.

 

Think about the original "Fear Cape", "Midway" and "Night of the Hunter"alone.

I understand. I was thinking in real life rather than the roles they played.

As Jack says the thread is about movie tough guys who were also tough in reality.

I'd fight Steve McQueen way before Robert Mitchum.

 

I'd end up in hospital, of course...

 

...but, I'm fairly convinced it would be off to the bone yard to go up against Robert Mitchum.

I didn't say I agreed with him about Mitchum just the thread. But if Jack thinks McQueen could have taken Mitchum then maybe I need to think it through again... ohmy.gif

 

I think I remember hearing about Mitchum backing some Hollywood tough guy down but it may have just been a rumour...

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QUOTE (vital signz @ Jul 1 2012, 10:52 PM)
Well we missed the obvious ones:

Chuck Norris
Steven Seagal
Bruce Lee

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/MSN_Emoticons/MSN-Emoticon-karate-102.gif

I heard a story about a 60 year old stunt-man who took on Seagal and made him piss and shit his pants...

 

The guy is called "Judo" Gene LeBell...

 

There's plenty of discussions about this, and it appears to be true:

 

Here's an account of the incident:

 

According to Gokor this took place on the set of "Out for Justice" where Segal was using a Brooklin accent and did a stick fight w/Dan Inasanto-who also tells this story. Well Seagal was being a dick to the stuntmen, but that is his normal behavior according to them. Well he is talking about how bad he is and the stuntment say "Yeah, well we got this old guy back here who could choke you out!" and Segal stated that nobody could get close to him to choke him out he also had never heard of Judo Gene LeBell before that encounter. Well Gene came over and said that he could choke him out and and Seagal said that he couldn't so Gene grabbed him real quick and started to choke him. Seagal tapped and said that that wasn't fair he was talking and wasn't ready for Gene. So Uncle Gene waited for Seagal to get "ready" and when he said that he was Gene grabbed him and started to choke him out and Segal couldn't do nothing w/the old guy. Well Gene was pissed off because Seagal was being very rough for no reason on the stunt guys when doing the fight scenes w/them and was upset because Seagal said he wasn't ready and woul;dn't admit that Gene hooked him so as Uncle Gene would oput it "there is 2 ways to choke a person out, one way they go out nice and wake up ok, the other is they go out quick and they piss and crap on themselves" Gene did the latter! Then he drug Segal over to a closet and put him in there unconscious. When he came to everybody was cracking up and he went and changed his clothes and fired Gene and his guys. Gene has not worked on another Seagal Movie since.

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QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 01:20 PM)
QUOTE (vital signz @ Jul 1 2012, 10:52 PM)
Well we missed the obvious ones: 

Chuck Norris
Steven Seagal
Bruce Lee

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/MSN_Emoticons/MSN-Emoticon-karate-102.gif

I heard a story about a 60 year old stunt-man who took on Seagal and made him piss and shit his pants...

 

The guy is called "Judo" Gene LeBell...

 

There's plenty of discussions about this, and it appears to be true:

 

Here's an account of the incident:

 

According to Gokor this took place on the set of "Out for Justice" where Segal was using a Brooklin accent and did a stick fight w/Dan Inasanto-who also tells this story. Well Seagal was being a dick to the stuntmen, but that is his normal behavior according to them. Well he is talking about how bad he is and the stuntment say "Yeah, well we got this old guy back here who could choke you out!" and Segal stated that nobody could get close to him to choke him out he also had never heard of Judo Gene LeBell before that encounter. Well Gene came over and said that he could choke him out and and Seagal said that he couldn't so Gene grabbed him real quick and started to choke him. Seagal tapped and said that that wasn't fair he was talking and wasn't ready for Gene. So Uncle Gene waited for Seagal to get "ready" and when he said that he was Gene grabbed him and started to choke him out and Segal couldn't do nothing w/the old guy. Well Gene was pissed off because Seagal was being very rough for no reason on the stunt guys when doing the fight scenes w/them and was upset because Seagal said he wasn't ready and woul;dn't admit that Gene hooked him so as Uncle Gene would oput it "there is 2 ways to choke a person out, one way they go out nice and wake up ok, the other is they go out quick and they piss and crap on themselves" Gene did the latter! Then he drug Segal over to a closet and put him in there unconscious. When he came to everybody was cracking up and he went and changed his clothes and fired Gene and his guys. Gene has not worked on another Seagal Movie since.

Actually, Segal had (maybe still has) a dojo here in Osaka. I went in there once out of curiosity and he scolded me saying that nobody was permitted unless invited or if they're actively enrolled as a student. I sincerely apologized but then I guess he wanted to show how tough he was in front of his pupils so he said, "Just get the hell out of here." I spit on the tattami floor and proceeded to choke him out. f**k Segal, his flab, and his stupid pony tail. trink38.gif

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If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

 

laugh.gif

 

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

 

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

 

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Well we missed the obvious ones:

 

Chuck Norris

Steven Seagal

Bruce Lee

 

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/MSN_Emoticons/MSN-Emoticon-karate-102.gif

 

Jason Statham is well trained in martial arts and kickboxing.

http://i.imgur.com/2JfUh.jpg

Edited by invisible airwave
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QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

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Lawrence Tierney

 

He played Joe Cabot in Reservoir Dogs..

 

From Wikepedia...

 

 

 

Tierney had numerous arrests for drunken fights over the years, and served jail terms. His run-ins with the law took a toll on his career.[1] He was an admitted alcoholic who gave up drinking in 1982 after having a stroke, and once said that he "threw away about seven careers through drink."[3]

 

Between 1944 and 1951, Tierney had been arrested a dozen times for brawling, frequently for drunkenness.[7] His legal troubles included a 90-day jail sentence for breaking a college student's jaw.[8]

 

At the time of his arrest for brawling with two policemen outside a Manhattan bar in 1958, the New York Times reported that he had been arrested six times in California and five times in New York on similar charges.[9] In 1973 he was stabbed in a bar fight on the west side of Manhattan.[10]

 

In June 1975, Tierney was questioned by New York City police in connection with the apparent suicide of a 24-year old woman, who jumped from the window of her apartment. Tierney told police that he had come to visit the woman, "had just gotten there, and she just went out the window".[3]

 

In December 1995, Tierney guest starred as security guard Don Brodka in The Simpsons season 7 episode "Marge Be Not Proud". A former show runner, Josh Weinstein, called Tierney's appearance "the craziest guest star experience we ever had". In addition to yelling at and intimidating employees of the show, Tierney made unreasonable requests such as abandoning his distinctive voice to do the part in a southern accent and refusing to perform lines if he did not "get the jokes".[11] Despite this, Bill Oakley, another former runner of the show and Weinstein thought Tierney did a good job. Weinstein said that "he certainly delivered and he's one of my favorite characters we have had [on the show]".[12] After Tierney's death, the episode "The Old Man and the Key" was dedicated to him.

 

When he guest-starred on Seinfeld (1990) in "The Jacket" episode as Elaine's father, Alton Benes, the show's fans were disappointed that he had not reprised the role in later episodes. Cast members later recounted that he scared them so badly that they never had him back on. He stole a butcher knife from the set and hid it under his jacket. When Jerry Seinfeld confronted him about it (much to the dismay of the entire cast), Tierney made a joking stabbing motion towards him as in reference to the movie Psycho.[13] Writer Larry David said that Tierney returned to the show's offices about a week after shooting on the episode had wrapped, late on a Saturday night; although uncertain of his motive, David speculated that he was "looking for a sandwich or something." From that moment forward, David later threatened cast members that if they caused problems on the set he would "bring back Lawrence Tierney."[14]

 

 

 

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QUOTE (micgtr71 @ Jul 1 2012, 02:47 PM)
QUOTE (An Enemy Without @ Jul 1 2012, 02:34 PM)
Seeing the title from the front page threw me off a bit...

Me too...I was afraid to click...

 

I put forward Oliver Reed.

 

Not only was his liver a legend...they renamed the bar he last got drunk at where he arm wrestled (victoriously) some marines and went home and had a heart attack. He was in his 60s at the time.

Great as Bill Sykes.

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QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

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QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 1 2012, 02:49 PM)
QUOTE (micgtr71 @ Jul 1 2012, 02:47 PM)
QUOTE (An Enemy Without @ Jul 1 2012, 02:34 PM)
Seeing the title from the front page threw me off a bit...

Me too...I was afraid to click...

laugh.gif

 

Fool!

 

cool10.gif

I should have looked to see who had started the post smile.gif

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QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 08:37 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

I saw an interview with Chuck Norris where he was asked who would have won in a fight between him and Bruce Lee. Norris just said something along the lines that he was was a professional fighter and Bruce Lee was not but that they never discussed that type of thing with one another.

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QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 08:37 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

Who would win in a no rules street-fight with a fair, no sneak attack, start?

 

 

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QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 3 2012, 12:51 AM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 08:37 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

Who would win in a no rules street-fight with a fair, no sneak attack, start?

Well, Chuck is really old at this point but Bruce is dead so I like Chuck's chances.

 

biggrin.gif

 

There is a tremendous mystique around Bruce and he accomplished some incredible things as a Martial Artist. However, Chuck wins pretty easily, I think. There is a significant difference in weight and Chuck had a broader background that included some grappling. He also was constantly sparring during that period of his life.

 

We were talking about Gene LeBell earlier. Lebell takes either of these guys inside of 2 mins in a shoot fight.

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QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 3 2012, 02:00 AM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 3 2012, 12:51 AM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 08:37 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

Who would win in a no rules street-fight with a fair, no sneak attack, start?

Well, Chuck is really old at this point but Bruce is dead so I like Chuck's chances.

 

biggrin.gif

 

There is a tremendous mystique around Bruce and he accomplished some incredible things as a Martial Artist. However, Chuck wins pretty easily, I think. There is a significant difference in weight and Chuck had a broader background that included some grappling. He also was constantly sparring during that period of his life.

 

We were talking about Gene LeBell earlier. Lebell takes either of these guys inside of 2 mins in a shoot fight.

All these guys are old now, even Randy C is getting long in the tooth... ohmy.gif

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Jack Palance

 

"Few people know that veteran movie actor Jack Palance was a professional heavyweight boxer in the early 1940s. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance a product of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, won his first 15 fights, 12 by knockout before losing a 4th round decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi on Dec. 17, 1940. With the outbreak of World War II, Jack Palance's boxing career ended and his military career began. Wounded in combat, he received the purple heart, good conduct medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war he began his long and famous motion picture career."

 

... he followed this with arguably his finest film role of the decade, that of creepy, sadistic gunslinger Jack Wilson who becomes Alan Ladd's biggest nightmare (not to mention others) in the classic western Shane (1953). Their climactic showdown alone is text book.'

 

...While an understudy to Marlon Brando in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," Brando, who was into athletics, rigged up a punching bag in the theater's boiler room and invited Jack to work out with him. One night, Jack threw a hard punch that missed the bag and landed square on Brando's nose. The star had to be hospitalized and understudy Palance created his own big break by going on for Brando. Jack's reviews as Stanley Kowalski helped get him a 20th Century-Fox contract

 

 

'

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QUOTE (briremo @ Jul 3 2012, 10:47 AM)
Jack Palance

"Few people know that veteran movie actor Jack Palance was a professional heavyweight boxer in the early 1940s. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance a product of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, won his first 15 fights, 12 by knockout before losing a 4th round decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi on Dec. 17, 1940. With the outbreak of World War II, Jack Palance's boxing career ended and his military career began. Wounded in combat, he received the purple heart, good conduct medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war he began his long and famous motion picture career."

... he followed this with arguably his finest film role of the decade, that of creepy, sadistic gunslinger Jack Wilson who becomes Alan Ladd's biggest nightmare (not to mention others) in the classic western Shane (1953). Their climactic showdown alone is text book.'

...While an understudy to Marlon Brando in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," Brando, who was into athletics, rigged up a punching bag in the theater's boiler room and invited Jack to work out with him. One night, Jack threw a hard punch that missed the bag and landed square on Brando's nose. The star had to be hospitalized and understudy Palance created his own big break by going on for Brando. Jack's reviews as Stanley Kowalski helped get him a 20th Century-Fox contract


'

I didn't know he was a boxer... ohmy.gif

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QUOTE (briremo @ Jul 3 2012, 04:47 AM)
Jack Palance

"Few people know that veteran movie actor Jack Palance was a professional heavyweight boxer in the early 1940s. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance a product of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, won his first 15 fights, 12 by knockout before losing a 4th round decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi on Dec. 17, 1940. With the outbreak of World War II, Jack Palance's boxing career ended and his military career began. Wounded in combat, he received the purple heart, good conduct medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war he began his long and famous motion picture career."

... he followed this with arguably his finest film role of the decade, that of creepy, sadistic gunslinger Jack Wilson who becomes Alan Ladd's biggest nightmare (not to mention others) in the classic western Shane (1953). Their climactic showdown alone is text book.'

...While an understudy to Marlon Brando in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," Brando, who was into athletics, rigged up a punching bag in the theater's boiler room and invited Jack to work out with him. One night, Jack threw a hard punch that missed the bag and landed square on Brando's nose. The star had to be hospitalized and understudy Palance created his own big break by going on for Brando. Jack's reviews as Stanley Kowalski helped get him a 20th Century-Fox contract


'

I'd pull Tex Cobb over Palance if we are talking about boxers turned actors.

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QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 3 2012, 02:07 AM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 3 2012, 02:00 AM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 3 2012, 12:51 AM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 08:37 PM)
QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 2 2012, 02:17 PM)
QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jul 2 2012, 10:32 AM)
If you include him, the toughest man in Hollywood is Randy Couture. I would imagine there can't be too much argument about that.

laugh.gif

Gene Lebell is a legend, both in Judo and open martial arts. I've met him a few times. He is a gentleman but still very intimidating as he approaches 70. At one event, he was giving out patches to anyone willing to get choked out by him. I passed.

I went to a seminar that Seagall gave at the Martial Arts Supershow in Vegas a few years back. He is a legitimate Aikido master but has obviously let himself go. He is very tall. I remember being surprised by that but his grip was weaker than I anticipated.

What's your opinion of Bruce Lee and I suppose Chuck Norris since he's been mentioned too...

 

trink38.gif

Bruce Lee was a much better martial artist than Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris would've taken him quite easily in kickboxing or MMA (something akin to the Vale Tudo).

Who would win in a no rules street-fight with a fair, no sneak attack, start?

Well, Chuck is really old at this point but Bruce is dead so I like Chuck's chances.

 

biggrin.gif

 

There is a tremendous mystique around Bruce and he accomplished some incredible things as a Martial Artist. However, Chuck wins pretty easily, I think. There is a significant difference in weight and Chuck had a broader background that included some grappling. He also was constantly sparring during that period of his life.

 

We were talking about Gene LeBell earlier. Lebell takes either of these guys inside of 2 mins in a shoot fight.

All these guys are old now, even Randy C is getting long in the tooth... ohmy.gif

True, but he fought Machida a little over a year ago. I'm not willing to dig his grave quite yet.

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