Action movies have been a staple of cinema since the first cameras rolled. They have surely evolved in leaps and bounds since the first moving pictures were screened to audiences, with bigger budgets and more daring stunts creating an ever-greater spectacle. But it's not necessarily the car chases, gun battles, or big explosions they rely on most — it's their stars, who lead these films with gusto, grit, and plenty of flying fists.

Early action heroes on the big screen weren't quite as bombastic as we're used to today, of course. Some would hardly even be recognized as action stars in the way we know them these days. Nevertheless, every era of film history has its big action stars, but whether they're toting a machine gun or just good in a fight, the biggest and the best all share one thi

See Full Page