Action cinema of the 1980s was a podium where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone fought over gold and silver position. Bronze belonged indisputably to Chuck Norris, who has died aged 86.
The premature death of Bruce Lee in 1973 had left a vacancy for a martial arts movie superstar that was eventually filled to some extent by Norris, Lee’s friend and colleague. He had made an early screen appearance battling Lee in high-kicking combat sequences, which the pair choreographed together, in The Way of the Dragon (1972). Both men were trained fighters, so there was no call for stunt doubles or the obfuscating frenzy of quick cuts; their face-offs were filmed in medium and wide shots to preserve the sense of integrity.
