The Search For Count Dante Will Attempt To Sort Legend Of Infamous Karate Hairdresser

Filmmaker Floyd Webb is putting together a documentary about mysterious martial arts figure Count Dante, a.k.a. the guy who used to sell that World’s Deadliest Fighting Secrets pamphlet as a mailorder in the back of comic books. From Webb’s website:

“Count Dante’s real name was John Keehan and he grew up in a posh section of Chicago. In the early 1960s he was one of the most intriguing figures in America’s nascent martial arts scene. Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were his contemporaries, but Keehan’s appetite for self-promotion was greater than a movie star’s. When he wasn’t putting on karate tournaments, he was styling hair and courting Playboy Bunnies. He was one part ‘Black Belt Jones’ and one part Warren Beatty from Shampoo. He challenged Muhammad Ali, tested his hand speed against a quick draw artist, and kept an African lion as a house pet.

“But as the 1960s gave way to the 70s, Keehan could no longer separate himself from the macho marketing tool that he created. Rival dojos were stormed, the life of Keehan’s best friend was lost and Dante became involved in the Purolator Armored Car Robbery in 1974 that netted four million dollars. Soon after the robbery, Dante mysteriously died and was buried in an unmarked grave…”

Wowza. So, most anticipated documentary of the year, or most anticipated documentary of all-time? I’m going with the later. Check out the trailer below. I wish this thing was coming out tomorrow.