James M. Crockett the Mad Doctor in Clash of the ninjas

Conoci a James en Hong Kong en el año 98, soliamos coincidir en el autobus que me llevaba o traia al Mt Davis Youth Hostel, desde el principio conectamos muy bien y poco a poco pasamos del "buenos dias" o "buenas noches" a conversaciones que tenian como tema el cine. Lo reconoci enseguida, el era el delegado americano que salia en UNDECLARED WAR ( Hong Kong War en España) que queria hacer un Sylicon Valley en Hong Kong, ademas ya lo habia visto en otros titulos de extra como en MIRACLES ( Gangster para un pequeño milagro) junto a Jackie Chan y Anita Mui. Por otra parte, Sir James era un rostro conocido ( o al menos visto) en peliculas occidentales rodadas en Hong Kong como la superproduccion TAIPAN, basada en el bestseller de James Clavell, autor de la magistral novela Shogun, o junto a Madonna en SHANGHAI SURPRISE. Y no solo cine es lo que lleva James Crockett en la sangre, ha sido protagonista de spots publicitarios de Ray Ban y actor de Television, y todo lo ha combinado de manera magistral con actividades como la pintura, la poesia y ser el campeon imbatido del concurso de ajedrez organizado por el diario South China Morning Post.

Oficial, caballero, autor, artista, poeta, bohemio, heroe...el es James Crockett

Dear Friends & visitors, I am happy, really happy to tell to the world that my heart is full of joy since I am lucky enough to have Sir James Crockett among my friends. He is a real gentleman, adventurer, poet, artist, actor...like the old heroes, he is a man of arts & arms. Therefore, in the following days, I do my very best to offer some light about this man's life & works. It really worths.

As a priest with Waise Lee Chi Hung. I have no idea which movie is this one!

I first met him in Hong Kong in October 1998, in the shuttle bus that took me from/ to Mt Davis jockey club youth hostel. Little by little, we connected to each other & our conversations about Hong Kong cinema became into friendship. I got the feeling I knew him from the very first begginning & so it was confirmed by himself. The man who wanted to promote a Sylicon valley in Ringo Lam's Undeclared war, was sitting next to me, then he began to tell me his interesting stories about movie shootings. He didn't know but I was having some of the best moments of my life knowing that the actor I always saw throught my tv screen was sitting to me. Before we met in the bus, I saw him with Madonna in Shanghai surprise, I recogniced him in Taipan as well as in Jackie Chan Miracles among other titles.

He was the French Embassor in Kirk Wong's Gunmen ( aka Gunmen from Shanghai)

Sir James Crockett has too many things to tell to all of us, we have too much to learn from him. As I said above, the next season of this blog will be dedicated to the life & work of one of the most popular faces among the "gweilo" actors who appeared in some of the most important Hong Kong movies in the 80's.
One last word: at the present Sir James is 73 but right now he has got a work contract as an actor for HKRTV. Must he appear in the Record Guinness? Absolutely, but I think hong kong Government must give his name to a main street!!!!!!!We sincerely support this option!

Ringo Lam's Undeclared War was James M. Crockett biggest role & his character was important in the movie but he was not credited

Of course, James Crockett also worked for Tomas Tang's Filmark International. He only played a small role at the begining of CLASH OF THE NINJAS playing a vicious mad doctor who enjoys doing his job.Mad doctor preparing himself for a butcher's exercise at the begining of Clash of the ninjas

After the work is finished, he is full of joy!

James Crockett played a similar role in Wilson Tong's The musical Vampire. He was a mad doctor ala Re-animator who injects a strange subtstances in corpses that will come back to life as vampires or zombies.

He is not a student from Miskatonic hospital but uses the same revival methods on corpses!!!!!

However there is something odd about him since he was a regular face in HK cinema during its golden age, he was never credited in the title credits of the movies he played, even when his roles were not just mere extras. Once, when I was talking to him about his experiences in HK cinema, he told me he became infamous for due to an incident during a casting session that almost ended in tragedy. From that time on he was erased from the HK movie scene.

James Crockett is still in Hong Kong. On Sunday mornings he is on the air broadcasting a children program in a TV station. We wish him all the best!