Roots Archives Forum

Just been to see it as a play at the hippodrome in Brum

Alton Ellis WAS Jimmy Cliff's stunt double in the Harder They Come. Filmed in Jamaica. During the scene Alton was hit over the head with a bottle a the bar, however during editing the scene was cut along with other clips, therefore he won't be seen in the edited version of the film. Hope this puts an end to speculation.

Chino wrote:"Leslie Kong died in 1971"

So I thought, but the recording could have been earlier

if i remember right from an old article with Perry Henzell, the filming started in late 1969 and was finished sometime in 1971 - Leslie Kong died in August 1971, so the filming may well have wrapped before his death.

it sure looks like an older, chubbier late 30's Kong in the movie.

the movie came out in early June of 1972 in Jamaica - thousands mobbed the Carib Theater when it was premiered June 5th (pretty good crowd for a Monday!). the movie was delayed for hours until some semblance of order could be restored and most of the crowd of movie crashers had left. even PM Michael Manley and other VIP's who were supposed to attend were forced to scrap their appearances.

Maytals > 0:30.47
Joe Gibbs > 0:46.08
Duke Reid > 0:49.30
Prince Buster > 0:52.43
Alton Ellis credit > 1:42.13

http://youtu.be/86PzufTxcH0

I don't think the guy sitting next to Hilton at the Maytals recording session is Leslie Kong. They don't really look alike.

now that i'm looking around, i think you are more than likely right - the usual pictures that are of Leslie Kong are too close to the end of his life for him to mutate into a heavier set man all of a sudden. i assumed that the pictures were older, but there's one of him with long hair that was supposedly taken in 1971 - he died August 10th so it's unlikely he packed on the pounds that quickly.

so, who is the guy in the movie? the guy looks to be in his late 30's, too. one of Leslie Kong's brothers, maybe? a relative of Byron Lee?

I think that people just assumed it was Kong because of his Chinese ancestry, and because they were performing "Sweet And Dandy" at the recording session in the movie. "Sweet And Dandy" was actually relesed a few years before the movie shoot (it won the 1969 Festival song contest), so it was staged to look like it was being recorded, and not the actual session.

I have always wondered if it was Warwick Lyn, who was managing, and co-producing the Maytals at the time. You can be certain that any artist's manager would be present at a film-shoot, and the age looks right (Lyn would have been late-20's at the time...he looks a bit older because he is heavy-set, and therefore he has a bit of a saggy face).

davek wrote:I think that people just assumed it was Kong because of his Chinese ancestry, and because they were performing "Sweet And Dandy" at the recording session in the movie. "Sweet And Dandy" was actually relesed a few years before the movie shoot (it won the 1969 Festival song contest), so it was staged to look like it was being recorded, and not the actual session.

I have always wondered if it was Warwick Lyn, who was managing, and co-producing the Maytals at the time. You can be certain that any artist's manager would be present at a film-shoot, and the age looks right (Lyn would have been late-20's at the time...he looks a bit older because he is heavy-set, and therefore he has a bit of a saggy face).

forgot about him - makes perfect sense, although he was mid 20's at that time - but still, he was there at Dynamic with Tommy Cowan during that time and Lyn is full Chinese so he would seem to be the most likely candidate.
is

So Kong was or was not?

What is the name of the group that sings for Mr Hilton at the entrance?

Don Nacho wrote:So Kong was or was not?

What is the name of the group that sings for Mr Hilton at the entrance?

it's not Leslie Kong, but Warrick Lyn who went on to great success in his own right, along with Tommy Cowan as The Talent Corp. production team they were responsible for a lot of hits coming out of Dynamic in the 70's. Lyn initially worked for Kong as an engineer and an A&R man, and after Kong's death in August of '71 took over management and production for Toots & The Maytals, The Melodians, and other bands.


don't know who the group is that auditions by Hilton's car...