Marlowe (1969)

Marlowe (1969) gave Bruce Lee his Hollywood breakthrough in a small but electrifying role as a villain hired to intimidate Philip Marlowe (James Garner). In a 90-second whirlwind, Lee destroys an entire office, then attempts a roundhouse kick that sends him off a balcony to his death. Though the scene was designed to humiliate him, Lee turned it into the film’s most memorable moment, garnering calls from executives who saw it. A concrete example: Lee’s fight scene cost just $3,000 to film but became iconic.