Here’s a short list of movies featuring knives and knife fighting for the aficionado of knife culture. One notices that Hollywood is enamored of switchblade knives. No doubt because the dramatic way they open allows them to convey menace in a way other types of knives cannot. Switchblades were legal in America up until Congress enacted the Switchblade Act of 1958 prohibiting the manufacture or importation of switchblade knives for interstate sale. Many states outlawed simple possession of them at the same time as well. The frequent depiction of switchblades in Hollywood films as an instrument of crime and violence convinced American lawmakers that they were a dangerous nuisance, even absent any real empirical evidence. Still switchblades remain one of Hollywood’s favorite theatrical weapons.

Gung Ho (1943)- Story of the Marine Raiders and the Makin Island Raid. Plenty of hand to hand combat scenes. The screening interview where the Marine officer asks the Kentucky hillbilly if he thought he had what it took to sneak up on someone and kill him with a knife is hilarious. Movie Trailer:

The Iron Mistress (1952) – Alan Ladd is Jim Bowie. Lots of dramatic knife duels.

From Here to Eternity (1953) – A story about the lives of people assigned to the U.S. Army garrison in at Scofield Barracks in Hawaii on the eve of Pearl Harbor. Switchblades and a knife fight feature prominently in the storyline.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) – James Dean fights for nicks but not for sticks with switchblades knives.

Blackboard Jungle (1955) Juvenile delinquents and switchblade knives. Not to mention famous actors in their breakout roles. Trailer:

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) – Spencer Tracy, one armed vet and judo expert, investigates the murder of his friend and kicks ass on bar bully Ernest Borgnine.

The Delicate Delinquent (1957) Jerry Lewis. Everybody’s got to get into the youth gang act. Trailer:

High School Confidential (1958) More Juvenile delinquents, switchblade knives and 1950’s rock and roll culture. See the trailer:

War Hunt (1962) – John Saxon plays a thrill killing soldier in the Korean War hunting down communist soldiers and killing them with his knife. Also staring Robert Redford. Trailer:

Nevada Smith (1966) Steve McQueen is half-breed Max Sands. When his parents are tortured and murdered by outlaws in the Old West Max seeks revenge, and finds it with gun and knife. The story is based on a character in Harold Robbins book “The Carpetbaggers”. Filmed in the Inyo National Forest California. Beautiful scenery.

-

The Devil’s Brigade (1968) – William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Vince Edwards, Claude Atkins and Richard Jaekel. The story of the First Special Service Force during World War II. A combined American and Canadian commando unit. Lots of hand to hand combat and sentry removals with knives. In real life the Americans selected for the unit were all volunteers just as the Canadians were, rather than criminal misfits as was depicted in the movie. The idea was to recruit experienced, physically-fit outdoorsmen with the skills to operate in difficult terrain. Although making the Americans criminals made for a more theatrical training montage in the movie. In any event the First Special Service Force was a badass unit that executed many spectacular commando operations.

The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) – Pat Boone and Erik Estrada. The story of a Christian minster who preaches the Gospel to New York street gangs. It’s a Christian movie, but it is filled with depictions of violent gang rumbles and cool close-ups of switchblade knives to set the mood.

The Valachi Papers (1972) – Mafioso and really big switchblade knives.

The Deluge (1974) Polish Language movie. Best movie sabre duel:

The Big Boss – U.S. Title: Fists of Fury (1971)- Bruce Lee - The ice factory fight:

King Boxer – U.S. Title: The Five Fingers of Death (1972) – Kung Fu Classic. Fighting with fists, feet, knives, swords and the deadly Iron Palm technique.

A Grande Arte -US title: Exposure, (1991 Brazil) –Peter Mandrake (Peter Coyote), an American photographer in Brazil, is preparing an in loco essay for his new book, about the "Train Surfers" (groups of boys who court danger "surfing" on the roof of the trains) in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A local call girl with whom he is friends is murdered, and when the police can make no progress Mandrake decides to investigate himself. Subsequently, two hired thugs break into his apartment demanding a disk, and, when he doesn't produce it because he can't do so, they rape his girlfriend and stab him, leaving him to die. Vowing revenge, Mandrake enlists the help of Hermes (Tchéky Karyo), a professional knife fighter who owes Mandrake a debt, to teach him the art of knife fighting. Mandrake runs afoul of mysterious crime cartel behind the conspiracy. Spectacularly well choreographed knife fighting. Both training scenes and knife duels. Great cinematography. A Randall model 14 knife is the featured weapon in the movie

Under Siege (1992) - Stephen Segal

Under Siege 2 Dark Territory (1995) – Stephen Segal -Nobody Beats Me in the Kitchen

And finally…the Top Ten Hollywood Knife Fights- Watchmojo.com: