The Big Brawl

The Big Brawl
Theatrical release poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	殺手壕
Simplified Chinese	杀手壕
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin shāshǒu háo Yue: Cantonese Jyutping saat3 sau2 hou4
Directed by	Robert Clouse
Written by	Robert Clouse
Produced by	Raymond Chow Fred Weintraub
Starring	Jackie Chan Kristine DeBell Mako Ron Max David Sheiner Rosalind Chao Lenny Montana Peter Marc José Ferrer
Cinematography	Robert C. Jessup
Edited by	George Grenville Peter Cheung
Music by	Lalo Schifrin
Distributed by	Golden Harvest (H.K.) Warner Bros. (U.S.)
Release dates	10 September 1980 (1980-09-10) (U.S.) 16 October 1980 (1980-10-16) (H.K.)
Running time	95 minutes
Countries	Hong Kong United States
Language	English
Budget	$6 million[1]
Box office	US$21.5 million (est.)

The Big Brawl (Chinese: 殺手壕; lit. 'Killer's Trench', also released as Battle Creek Brawl) is a 1980 martial arts action comedy film which marked Jackie Chan's first attempt to break into the American movie Hollywood market.^[2] A joint Hong Kong and American co-production, it was directed by American filmmaker Robert Clouse and featured much of the crew from Enter the Dragon (1973), which was also produced by Golden Harvest Studios.^[3] The film also co-stars Mako, Kristine DeBell and José Ferrer.

The film is set primarily in Chicago, Illinois in the 1930s (although it was shot in Texas) and follows Chan's character, a Chinese American martial artist, as he single-handedly takes on the Mafia, leading to a no-holds-barred street fighting tournament that culminates in a battle royale survival brawl.

While a moderate success in North America and Hong Kong, The Big Brawl was a box office disappointment as it performed below expectations in these markets, though it went on to have more success in other Asian and European markets. The film's disappointing performance in North America, however, led to Chan being advised to try supporting roles such as the Chinese racing car driver in The Cannonball Run. Chan later made another attempt to break into the American market with 1985's The Protector, which performed worse than this film. It was not until 1995 with Rumble in the Bronx that a Chan film showcasing his signature humor and stunt-work was a major hit in American theaters.