Synopsis
A grandfather takes his two young grandsons on a camping trip for their karate tournament, and the kids use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. 1979 American action-adventure film Long Summary: Brothers, Zack and Woody (portrayed by real-life brothers Chris and Pat Petersen) are young karate students who embark on a weekend camping trip with their grandfather J.J. (Charles Lane). Along the way they meet a new friend, Carol Forbinger (Sally Boyden) and her parents (Rick Lenz and Sharon Clark). When the Forbinger family encounters a tough-talking backwoods mother (Ann Sothern) and her two bumbling sons (Joe Spinell and John Davis Chandler) who decide to hold Carol captive believing they can collect a sizeable ransom, the "karate kids" must find a way to use their martial arts skills to rescue the Forbinger girl with a little help from their grandfather and some new friends they meet along the way. Director: Curtis Hanson Stars: Charles Lane, Ann Sothern, Chris Petersen and Pat Petersen. Cast: Charles Lane as J.J. Ann Sothern as Angel Chris Petersen as Zack Pat Petersen as Woody Sally Boyden as Carol Forbinger Rick Lenz as Dick Forbinger Sharon Clark as Ruth Forbinger Joe Spinell as Yancey John Davis Chandler as Carl Clifford A. Pellow as Sheriff Stephen Young as Lunsford Pat E. Johnson as Karate Instructor Bong Soo Han as Karate Master Trivia: Both the movies The Karate Kid (1984) and The Little Dragons (1979), the latter of which is also known as ''Karate Kids'' and ''Karate Kids U.S.A.'', featured in their casts a couple of ''Pats''. Pat Morita and Pat Petersen starred in each film respectively whilst actor-stuntman Pat E. Johnson appeared in both pictures in an acting role and was the only person to actually work on both pictures. The similarly titled cinema movies The Little Dragons (1979) and A Little Romance (1979) both debuted in the same 1979 year and both featured a cast member with the surname / last name of ''Lane'' - they being veteran actor Charles Lane and young actress Diane Lane respectively. Last cinema movie of veteran actress Ann Sothern for about eight years until The Whales of August (1987) which was her final theatrical feature film appearance. Debut theatrical feature film of actor Pat Petersen. First fully directed theatrical feature film directed by Oscar (Academy Award) winning filmmaker Curtis Hanson since Sweet Kill (1972) which was an interval of about seven years. Debut theatrical feature film of then young Australian television performer Sally Boyden who featured in this American cinema movie before she ever appeared in an Australian theatrical feature film which would end up being Dead Man's Float (1980). The picture on reissue was re-named ''Karate Kids'' and ''Karate Kids U.S.A.'' after the box-office success of The Karate Kid (1984). The 'Every 70s Movie' website states that ''...it was re-released a few years later as 'Karate Kids U.S.A.', following the success of the unrelated 1984 sports drama 'The Karate Kid'.'' After small films like The Bedroom Window and Sweet Kill, Curtis Hanson went on to direct major features including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The River Wild and the Academy Award-winning L.A. Confidential. Setting his sights on another city, Hanson was critically acclaimed for directing Eminem in Universal Pictures' 8 Mile, which co-starred Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer and many Detroit-based actors. Original title: The Little Dragons Brazil: Os Pequenos Dragoes Spain: Los pequenos dragones United Kingdom: Dragons United States: Karate Kids