Kung Fu Film Chronology 1970’s
Bruce Lee explodes onto the scene and also leaves prematurely. His films have an impact on world cinema. Jimmy Yu films from Shaw Brothers are big hits.
Lau Kar-leung from Shaw Brothers also dominates. Only toward the end of the decade does
Jackie Chan emerge. Chuck Norris also starts to emerge. Sonny Chiba in Japan starts his fame.
| Hong Kong | Hollywood and Japan |
| 1970 One Armed Swordsman (Jimmy Yu) | Zatoichi, blind swordsman (Japan) Patton |
| 1971 Fist of Fury (Big Boss, Bruce Lee) One Armed Boxer (with Wang Yu) | Clockwork Orange Diamond Are Forever (James Bond) Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) |
| 1972 Chinese Connection (Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee) Return of the Dragon (Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee) A Man Called Tiger (with Wang Yu) | Godfather |
| 1973 Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee) Five Fingers of Death (Cheng Chang-ho) | American Graffiti |
| 1974 Tiger and Crane Fist (Wang Yu) | Godfather II, Chinatown Streetfighter (Sakae Ozawa with Sonny Chiba) JAPAN Trial of Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) |
| 1975 Spiritual Boxer (Lau Kar-leung) | Nashville, Killer Elite with Kung Fu Fight Scenes (Sam Peckinpah) Return of the Street Fighter (Sakae OzawaWith Sonny Chiba) JAPAN |
| 1976 Executioners from Shaolin (Lau Kar-leung) | Taxi Driver Sister Street Fighter (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi with Sonny Chiba) JAPAN |
| 1977 Last Hurrah for Chivalry (John Woo) Chinatown Kid (Chang Cheh with Alexander Fu Sheng) | Close Encounter of the Third Kind |
| 1978 Drunken Master (Jackie Chan) 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Master Killer, Lau Kar-leung) Shaolin Challenges Ninja (Lau Kar-leung) Five Venoms (Chang Cheh) | Deer Hunter Good Guys Wear Black (Ted Post) Chuck Norris |
| 1979 Dirty Ho (Lau Kar-leung) Shaw Brothers Kid with the Golden Arm (Chang Cheh) Ten Tigers From Kwang Tung | Apocalypse Now Streetfigher’s Last Revenge (Sakae Ozawawith Sonny Chiba) JAPAN |