You know when you mention martial arts stars in movies, the names Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li spring to mind.
But how about James Cagney?
Or Frank Sinatra?
Or Spencer Tracy?
Or even Peter Sellers?
Yes all of these legendary stars used martial arts in movies, some of them WAY before they became popular in the United States.

1. Blood on the Sun (1945)
The oldest account I can find of martial arts really being worked into an American movie was a film called "Blood on the Sun".
It came out in 1945 and starred Jimmy Cagney and Sylvia Sidney.
Cagney actually learned Judo for this movie, his instructor being John Halloran (actor and former LAPD officer Jack Sergel) who plays the guy Cagney has a huge fight with at the end of the movie.

2.Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Bad Day at Black Rock starred Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin.
While Judo was featured in Blood on the Sun,Spencer Tracy's character, John J. Macreedy, was trained in karate.

3. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Regarded by some as the first Karate fight in an American motion picture.
While it wasn't the first use of martial arts in an American picture, it may have had the first face off between two karate experts (played by Frank Sinatra and Henry Silva).
Watching it now it seems kinda stilted. (I am NOT gonna say goofy because we are talking about "The Chairman of the Board" here).

4. James Bond (basically all of them)
Dr. No came out in 1962, and Bond pretty much used some type of martial art in every single picture.
1963's From Russia with Love used martial arts extensively in the story line.

5. A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Of course Inspector Jacques Clouseau was a karate master.
His faithful Oriental man-servant Cato (Kato) kept The Inspector in top condition with his suprise attacks.
And if you think Cato is just a Chinese stereotype, check out Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978).

6. Our Man Flint (1966)
Notable because the character of Derek Flint used martial arts and the actor playing Flint, James Coburn, took his martial arts seriously.
He trained with Bruce Lee along with Lee Marvin and Steve McQueen.
And also because I loved the "Flint" movies.

7. The Wrecking Crew (1969)
Dean Martin's Matt Helm character's fourth and final movie. This one is notable because it was the (disputed) on screen debut of...CHUCK NORRIS!
Yes Chuck had a small, uncredited role.
I say this is disputed because some sources actually list The Green Berets (1968) as his first uncredited role.
I kinda hope The Green Berets was his first role, because what could be more fitting?
Chuck Norris' first appearance in a John Wayne movie.