Tom Laughlin, the Milwaukee native who went on to direct and star in some of the worst movies ever made has died. Laughlin, best known for his portrayal of the smoldering, disillusioned Viet Nam vet, Billy Jack died Sunday in Thousand Oaks, CA., when his acting coach, Shirley Muldoon, accidentally kicked him in the groin when 'he wasn't looking'. He was 82. Among some of the absolutely awful 'Billy Jack' movies he made were, 'Billy Jack', ' The Return of Billy Jack', 'Where in the World is Billy Jack?', 'Billy Jack and the Beanstalk', 'Billy Jack goes Hawaiian' and later in his career, 'Billy Jack goes to the Dry Cleaners' which was a box office flop. Laughlin, who had no acting or directing experience, which was painfully obvious, made a total 51 'Billy Jack' movies, each of which was 'pretty much like the last one', according to Hollywood film critic, Marshal Fine.
Laughlin, the youngest of four girls, was born on the south side of Milwaukee to Irish immigrant parents Shamus and Maggie McLaughlin, later shortening his name. He played football at Milwaukee's Washington Heights High School where he graduated in 1974. Growing up, he had an interest in martial arts and tho he couldn't afford to take kickboxing lessons, he did manage to take box kicking lessons at a local A&P grocery store, earning himself a black belt in 1980. He married Delores Taylor in 1967, an equally bad actress who was as 'homely as a mud fence' according to Laughlin. She starred with him in all his movies which usually had the same basic theme, that of her playing the part of the teacher in an 'alternative school for underprivileged native Americans that is constantly being threatened with foreclosure because 'the man' keeps them down, whereupon Billy Jack comes to the rescue and kicks the crap out of 'the man''. The couple went on to have three children, one of each. He is survived by his wife, their three children, 14 grandchildren, 19 illegitimate children and two of his sisters. Funeral arrangements will be held at the Old Actors Home in Hollywood on Tuesday. Guests are asked to bring a hot dish to pass and plenty of lighter fluid where a bonfire will be built to destroy his movies on video cassette.
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