Hal needham biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. Needham reckoned that bootlegging coors beer was a pretty good idea for a script, and smokey and the bandit was born. Remembering director hal needham high performance pontiac when youre in the presence of a hollywood celebrity, oftentimes the aura of greatness is immediately present. The film tells the actionpacked story of the making of smokey, while tracing the vivid personal journeys of reynolds and needham from obscurity to stardom and. That could change with his acclaimed role as stuntman.
Hal needham performed hundreds of deathdefying stunts during a career that spanned over 40 years. Hal brett needham march 6, 1931 october 25, 20 was an american stuntman, film director, actor and writer. The legendary stuntman who inspired brad pitts character in. He recently received an honorary academy award at the 2012 governors awards. Jul 26, 2019 as some have already noted, the friendship between the two men is modeled, in part, after burt reynolds and hal needham. His career has included work on 4500 television episodes and 310 feature films as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, 2nd unit director and ultimately, director. Born hal brett needham in memphis, tn on march 6, 1931, he was the son of howard needham and his wife, edith may robinson. Jan 01, 2011 this book is a fun ride through needhams career as a stuntman and director. I have to admit that prior to reading this book i had never heard of hal needham but i realized that i was very familiar with his work on the big screen.
His career has included work on 4500 television episodes and 310 feature films as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, 2nd unit. The cover could as easily have presented needham turning a car over on the. Burt reynolds talks hal needham, nude cosmopolitan spread. Needham was born on march 6, 1931 in memphis, tennessee.
Needham s career waned in the early 1980s, prompting a move to television, but his early movie efforts remained the epitome of crowdpleasing, popcorndriven entertainment for over three decades. The duo is inspired by stuntman hal needham and actor burt reynolds, who had a long, wild friendship throughout their careers. To fully appreciate some of the allusions and inspirations that propel quentin tarantinos once upon a time in hollywood, you should consider doing some homework or streaming some other movies. Oct 25, 20 hal needham, the stuntman who awed hollywood for years before directing his pal burt reynolds in such films as smokey and the bandit and the cannonball run, has died. In memory of hal needham i met hal needham at a book signing for stuntman. This book i like because i learned that its best to just stay positive and never look back and to always get the job done then and now and correct. If you watch once upon a time in hollywood at the theater, take note of how your audience reacts to quentin tarantinos version of martialarts legend, bruce lee. The true story of once upon a time in hollywood characters. He directed 10 features, including the classics smokey and the bandit, hooper, and the cannonball run. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Needham explained, i took the script home and gave it to burt. Jeffrey katzenberg, hal needham, and george stevens jr.
Hes running away from a car, which is also on fire. He trained to act as a stuntman, with renowned stuntman and choreographer, chuck roberson, who was john waynes long time stuntman. Burt reynolds and his stuntman pal hal needham had one of the most successful partnerships in hollywood history and now it has inspired the muchanticipated film once upon a time in. A movie for the people, smokey and the bandit is more. The making of an american legend in the lobby at 6. Hal brett needham march 6, 1931 october 25, 20 was an american. In addition to starring in book club and the recently canceled murphy brown. By clicking sign up, i acknowledge that i have read and agree to hachette book groups privacy. He set trends in movies the first director to show outtakes during end credits and nascar the first team owner to use telemetry technology. In friendship, he signed a picture to me you can count them on. Oct 27, 20 upset by the critical response to his work, the stuntman turned film director hal needham, who has died aged 82, took out advertisements in variety and other trade papers.
He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor. Hollywoods highestpaid stuntman of the 1960s and 70s and director of smokey and the bandit tells extraordinary stories from his highspeed. He first got notice working as richard boones stunt double on have gun, will travel. Kitty linn oneil march 24, 1946 november 2, 2018 was an american stuntwoman and racer, known as the fastest woman in the world.
Wed all be wiser to heed the advice of hal heedham, author of stuntman. Us army paratrooper, korean war former professional stuntman. In his nearly threehour archive interview, hal needham 193120 talks about his early years leading an outdoor lifestyle, dropping out of school after the 8th grade and joining the military as a teenager. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor burt reynolds, usually in films involving fast cars, such as smokey and the bandit, hooper, the cannonball run and stroker ace. Like booth, needham served in the army before pivoting to stunt work, and met his professional partner on a blackandwhite tv western reynoldss riverboat. Following korean war service as a paratrooper, hal needham drifted into movies as a bit player.
Hollywood stuntman hal needham one of the most famous practitioners of his dangerous craft died of cancer on oct. Hal needham, the stuntman who awed hollywood for years before directing his pal burt reynolds in such films as smokey and the bandit and the cannonball run, has died. Burt reynolds own bandit pontiac transams go under the. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing tx book fest. Hal needham, left, with the actors burt reynolds, center, and jerry reed on the set of smokey and the bandit in 1977. Needham was awarded an honorary oscar in 2012 for his innovations, just one year before he died at age 82.
How macho hellraisers burt reynolds and pal inspired. The jacksons also traded numbers with mach 1 owner hal needham and ran the no. Like dalton, reynolds got his start in television before movie stardom came. The narrative is simple in its outline and writing, mainly just an ongoing stream of memories.
Mar 15, 20 hal needham will sign copies of his book stuntman. As he writes in his leisurely bullsessionatabar of a book. His remarkable physical dexterity and willingness to take it enabled him to rise up the professional ladder from stuntman to stunt coordinator to 2nd unit director. The first trial of her suit against needham ended may 8 in a mistrial. Stuntman my carcrashing, planejumping, bonebreaking. Hal brett needham march 6, 1931 october 25, 20 was an american stuntman, movie director, actor, and writer. Mar 19, 2016 i was happy that it was the two of us together, the legendary actor told aol of the jesse mossdirected doc about the friendship between him and his infamous stuntman, hal needham. Theres a clearer reallife parallel to stuntman cliff booth. He details some of his most deathdefying feats and why he cant stand. Hurricane hal needham galveston hurricane tour is led by dr. Hal needham decades before cgi allowed filmmakers to create exciting action sequences from the safety of the editing bay, men and women who were exceptionally brave, tough and a little crazy had to perform the stunts themselvesand wear the bruises and broken bones as badges of honor. My carcrashing, planejumping, bonebreaking, deathdefying hollywood life in the lobby at 6.
A brief history of spahn ranch and george spahn film. That was the slogan for the hal needham stunt doll, probably the most macho doll ever made. New quentin tarantino film loosely based on hal needham. The obituary was featured in legacy on october 25, 20. Hurricane hal needham, an international expert on hurricanes and coastal hazards. As the highest paid stuntman in the world, hal needham broke 56 bones, his back twice, punctured a lung and knocked out a few teeth.
Jul 27, 2019 so rarely when movies are based on real people is the true story as compelling as the chain of events depicted on screen, but when it comes to the life of hal needham, there seems to be an exception. This book might not inspire you to take needhamsize risks, but it does demonstrate an. I was happy that it was the two of us together, the legendary actor told aol of the jesse mossdirected doc about the friendship between him and his infamous stuntman, hal needham. After memphis, needham grew up a sharecroppers son in arkansas the outhouse reference in the chapter title is a memory from his arkansas days. Heres everything you need to know about this tragic and deeply weird. The cover of hal needham s book features the author in flames. The 55yearold star has thrice been nominated for acting roles, but has yet to take home a statue. Quentin tarantinos once upon a time in hollywood opened in theaters across the world this week, inspired in large by the life of stuntman hal needham. He recalls taking his experience as a paratrooper and using it to break into stunt work on the feature film the spirit of st. Such experience in our companys leadership provides a unique perspective on flood risk analysis and coastal hazards. Hal needham simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I love the pictures and the stories of the folks he worked with. Hal needham celebrity profile check out the latest hal needham photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. Needham received the taurus world stunt awards lifetime achievement award.
It is the autobiography of hal needham, a hollywood stunt double for stars like john wayne, richard boone and reynolds, who would become hails great friend and install needham as a semipermanent housemate. What makes the book special is needhams nononsense telling of his stories. Furthering the films connection to the story of stuntman hal needham. Needham stumbled into the world of stunt work completely by accident in the late 1950s, shortly after leaving returning from military duty. Shop movies directed by hal needham on dvd, vhs, and rare video formats at alibris. Our marketplace offers a huge selection of movies from sellers worldwide. Hes one of those says it like he sees it kind of guys.
Hollywoods highestpaid stuntman of the 1960s and 70s and director of smokey and the bandit tells extraordinary stories from his highspeed life. Yep thats me, hal needham, on the cover doing a fire stunt. Hal needham was born in memphis, tennessee, and grew up in arkansas and missouri. In 1989 the team returned to a twocar operation, signing harry gant away from mach 1 racing with the skoal sponsorship coming with him. George spahn and his spahn ranch play a role in the next film from quentin tarantino, with burt reynolds set to play spahn. Author glenn frankel will sign copies of his book the searchers. Avildsen, with richard d hurst, art carney, sherman lloyd, at turner classic movies. If youre an action movie buff who remembers the burt reynolds chase films of the 1970s, youll get a kick out of this book.
It followed the life of a hollywood stuntman but not just any stuntman, one of the most famous stuntmen in the us, hal needham. An illness in early childhood left her deaf, and more illnesses in early adulthood cut short a career in diving. Needham s research has primarily focused on helping cities become more resilient by understanding and adapting to wind and flood hazards. Oct 25, 20 in addition, hal needham is owner of the worlds fastest car, the budweiser rocket, now on display at the smithsonian institute. Burt reynolds poses with jim nabors and hal needham during the 1982 filming of stroker ace at the lakewood park speedway in atlanta. He is known for directing the 1971 comedy movie smokey and the bandit and the cannonball run. Hal needham s career has included work on 4,500 television episodes and 310 feature films. Hal needham reveals tricks of trade hal needham worked as a hollywood stuntman for over 40 years. Join facebook to connect with hal needham and others you may know. Hal needham, burt reynoldss best buddy and stunt double. The action figure that really reacts hal needham is one of hollywoods most famous stuntmen.
Smokey and the bandit was stuntman hal needham s directorial debut, and, in a way, a gift from his best friend and thenroommate burt reynolds. This book i like because i learned that its best to just stay positive and never look back and to. Stuntmen, like the one pictured here, still use his innovative equipment, like the airbag and. Prior to reading this book, id never heard of hal needham. However, once in a while you find greatness so humble, he or she is more comfortable treating you like a peer than a peon.
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