Starring amputee-actor-black-belt-extraordinaire Ted Vollrath, The Amazing Mr. No Legs is the ultimate parapaloitation film. I know this because I just made up the genre. It was made in either 1979 or 1981 but technically and visually resembles grindhouse from the ’60s. The director, Ricou Browning, directed a bunch of Flipper episodes but is more well-known for being the Gill Man from the classic Creature From the Black Lagoon. How he ended up directing a now-forgotten film about an amputee/mob enforcer is anyone’s guess, but thank god he did because I had nothing to watch last night. It was filmed on little to no budget, which actually adds to the film’s gritty realism. I swear they hired real hookers to act in some scenes.

Andy, “Mr. No Legs,” is a cold-blooded mob enforcer with sights on the crown. His asshole boss is never satisfied with Andy’s work and is constantly giving him shit for having no legs. Like he can help that! So Andy decides to double-cross the bossman and kills everyone in his path. Vollrath was a black belt in real life (as well as the founder of Martial Arts for the Handicapped Inc.) but unfortunately there’s only one scene displaying his physical prowess (video above). In the other action scenes he’s using the shotguns or ninja stars he keeps on his chair. One scene features an amazing barfight in one of the dirtiest dives I’ve ever scene on film. Even this little guy was there:

Vollrath only made this one film, which is a damn shame. He led an intense and inspiring life though. After he lost his legs in the Korean War, homeboy went on to become the first person EVER to earn a black belt while training out of a wheelchair. Later he became a Grand Master and earned black belts in several different martial arts styles. I dropped out of Judo after two months because it made me feel guilty about drinking.

The film unfortunately follows around two detectives (one played by pro-westler and raging alcoholic Ron Slinker) just as much as it does No Legs. That’s my only issue with the film: it has this great gimmick but No Legs doesn’t get nearly enough screen time for it to pay off. But any fan of ’70s cheese and exploitation should definitely hunt this gem down.

- Oh Mars