Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life

When you're on fire you don't dare breathe because if you do, you'll suck those flames right down your throat. I was Hollywood's highest paid stuntman so I should know. I wrecked hundreds of cars, fell from tall buildings, got blown up, was dragged by horses, and along the way broke 56 bones, my back twice, punctu Yep that's me, Hal Needham, on the cover doing a fire stunt. I wrecked hundreds of cars, fell from tall buildings, got blown up, was dragged by horses, and along the way broke 56 bones, my back twice, punctured a lung and knocked out a few teeth I hung upside down by my ankles under a bi-plane in The Spirit of St.

Louis , jumped between galloping horses in Little Big Man , set a world record for a boat stunt on Gator , jumped a rocket powered pick-up truck across a canal for a GM commercial, was the first human to test the car airbag-and taught John Wayne how to really throw a movie punch. Life also got exciting outside of the movie business. I had my Ferrari stolen right from under my nose, flew in a twin-engine Cessna with a passed out pilot, rescued the cast and crew from a Russian invasion in Czechoslovakia, and once took six flight attendants on a date.

I was a sharecropper's son from the hills of Arkansas who became a Hollywood stuntman. That journey was a tough row to hoe. I continually risked my life but that was the career I chose. I was never late to the set and did whatever I had to do to get the job done. Hollywood's not all sunglasses and autographs. Let me tell you a few stories Hardcover , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Stuntman! Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia.

Jul 09, Lena rated it really liked it Shelves: Prior to reading this book, I'd never heard of Hal Needham.

Having grown up in the '70's, though, I was already familiar with the work of the man who conceived and directed the films Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run. Needham didn't start out as a director. But his early careers jumping out of airplanes for the military and working as a tree surgeon nicely prepared him for a chance job hanging upside down on an airplane in an early Hollywood movie. Needham was hooked on stunt work after his Prior to reading this book, I'd never heard of Hal Needham.

Needham was hooked on stunt work after his first shoot, and this book chronicles his life in that world. It talks about the shows he worked on, the stunts he did, the folks he doubled from John Wayne to Burt Reynolds and the politics of the business that was tightly controlled by a few stunt bosses when he first started. Reading this book, it's easy to get the impression that there's nothing Hal Needham can't do.

And it is pretty fascinating to hear him describe his stunts in detail; the ingenious ways he solved the technical problems of giving the directors the excitement they wanted without killing himself in the process. He also talks about his contributions to the development of things like new falling pads and camera rigging, but the most fascinating section for me was the one in which he talked about orchestrating the real world stunt of getting an entire Hollywood film crew out of Czechoslovakia after the sudden invasion of the Soviets in Needham has a lifetime's worth of amazing stories to tell, and anyone with an interest in action film will find much to enjoy here.

There's not much of the kind of introspection you might find in other memoirs - his discussion of the breakup of his first marriage is limited to his wife's observation that they might get along better if he paid as much attention to her as he did to his stunt horses - but I was too busy being entertained by his action adventures to notice. Dec 06, Billjr13 rated it really liked it Shelves: I loved this book. It is a fun read, all these stories about the people, TV shows, and movies I grew up watching. I meet Hal in the 70's as a kid. He was the stunt director on "Gator" with Burt Reynolds.

I watched them film several scenes and on one late night he even brought my mom coffee during the filming of a scene outside the hospital on base. He was truely nice and very funny. He talked to us several times while they were setting up I loved this book. He talked to us several times while they were setting up to shoot.

Hal Needham brought a lot to the movie industry and was a lot more important than he lets on. His list of credits is massive and if you watched a movie or a television show in the 60's, 70's, 80's, or the 90's you have seen Hal's work even if you didn't know his name. He was at one time the highest paid stuntman in Hollywood, a movie director,a NASCAR team owner and a hard drinker who played hard and worked even harder.

And if he ever needs me to hold his watch I'll be glad to help. As Joe Bob says, "Check it out. Aug 23, Jennifer rated it it was ok Shelves: I really liked this book so I feel guilty giving it two stars. I feel especially guilty because it is a biography, and who am I to give someone's life story two stars? This was sort of like listening to your really exciting and talkative old uncle tell you all of their "best ever" stories in one go. They can be great stories, especially when coming from someone as exciting and boisterous as Hal Needham.

I just don't exactly have the patience to sit and listen to each one of these really I really liked this book so I feel guilty giving it two stars. I just don't exactly have the patience to sit and listen to each one of these really cool little stories as they get shot out at rapid fire rates and Hal Needham is like that friend who doesn't know when to stop talking and follows you out to the parking lot, yapping your ear off the whole way and preventing you from getting home by at least one more hour.

It was his life; it was great fun reading his book. I feel like it could have been about a hundred pages shorter and been just as entertaining, and possibly even left me wanting more. Dec 06, Sandi rated it liked it Shelves: While this book will not win any awards for its writing, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author's fascinating life.

Stuntman! My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life

Born into poverty and with only an eighth grade education Hal had a strong work ethic that helped him succeed with every new venture he tried. Lots of details about stunt work he seemingly came up with many new standards on ways to accomplish stunts , his directing successes with Smokey and Bandit and other action films, and his ownership of a NASCAR team. Apr 11, Alex rated it it was ok. Needham's interesting life would have been better chronicled by a good ghost writer. Feb 07, Steve Kohn rated it really liked it. I heard the author interviewed on Terry Gross's Fresh Air. Liked what I heard enough to get his book.

If the book is on your nightstand, it will keep you from getting to sleep. The pages just keep turning. Needham has lived an amazing rags-to-riches life, an honorable life. The book may skim the surface, but let's enjoy what we were given. I guess I'm not. I saw just a few of the westerns and none of the car flicks. I still liked the book. It's about a lot more than just Hollywood stunts. The few paragraphs about his biological father are Shakespearean tragedy. And when he talks about using a Sidewinder missile, arranged by Chuck Yeager no less, to break the land sound barrier Is there anyone who's packed more living into one lifetime than Mr Needham?

A man among men. Rest in Peace, sir. December 3, , I watch the remarkable film, "The Fall. The danger and difficulty take the breath away. So many must have died before safety began to be considered. Jun 30, Everett rated it liked it. I took my time reading this book, but I overall enjoyed it.

My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life

I picked it up to learn more about behind the scenes stunt work. I thought what better way than from the perspective of a lifelong stuntman. I do feel like a learned a lot and got the perspective I was after. And the history of movies is well racist and sexist at times. Still it was hard to read. Also he was a I took my time reading this book, but I overall enjoyed it. Also he was a womanizer so brace yourself for many stories of exploits. Now I'd be curious to read another stunt workers experience to compare and contrast, perhaps from a non-male point of view.

Jun 01, Kate Oyler rated it did not like it.

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I agree it was just too indulgent. I can just hear his peeps saying "wow, man you should write a book! A bit self-righteous if you ask me. Nov 05, Kathy rated it liked it. Enjoyed this biography of Hal Needhman, stuntman and director. Nov 10, Michael rated it it was amazing. Vic Armstrong's book, but still a great read. Mar 09, Barney rated it liked it. I looked at this book several times before I picked it up. I thought "Hal Needham is one of the best stuntmen in the history of film. But, he did direct Hooper. Under no circumstances did I anticipate a good book, well written and interesting.

I thought it would be filled with crashes and stories about Burt Reynolds. I was right except the stories were all about Mr. Needham and name dropping. Burt Reynolds, Kirk I looked at this book several times before I picked it up. This has got to be the single most boring book about a man who has broken 56 bones that has ever been written. Here is a sample: Burt was always ready to help a couple of buddies in need.

Arlene walked over and said if I treated her that well, maybe we'd have a better relationship. Needham's first marriage is summed up in about 3 pages, wherein he manages to say that "Hollywood types don't like cowboys". Probably because the fuckin' cowboy is chasing tail as Burt Reynold's wingman.

When this magic association began to wear off around the time Evening Shade became popular Needham was owning a stock car team, which he calls "the second most popular in to The King, Richard Petty. Even the description of the stunts in his films are devoid of any sort of emotion.

I suppose that is good, as a lesser man me would have been scared shitless to fall backwards off a 45 foot cliff. Believe it or not, even Smokey and the Bandit is based on a real event, namely "a maid stealing Coors beer out of my fridge in Miami. Needham would probably never have become a director without him, and Needham seems a little wary of this. Reynolds had to be talked into doing the Cannonball Run because he did not want to do another fast car picture. I mean, who the fuck is going to give you money to do a movie about a fucked up race across the U.

Even if Needham is the man who tried to bring Jackie Chan to an American audience, that film is not made without Reynolds. By that time, Farrah Fawcett had left Charlie's Angels and would not make a post-Run film for more than three years; Roger Moore had three unremarkable Bond films left in the tank. The Rat Pack leftovers were reduced to doing shtick.

Needham acts as if this was a "cavalcade of stars" when in fact it was a group of people whose careers were in decline. This book would have been much better if it stuck to the stunts and the technical details and dangers of making films. In some ways, Needham seems least comfortable in writing about these things. We actually hear more in Needham's autobiography about who Burt Reynolds was dating.

Needham is due a lot of respect for his tireless work on behalf of stuntmen and women in Hollywood; give him that but don't bother with this book. Apr 17, Eric Bauman rated it liked it Shelves: When I was growing up—back before I got fat—I wanted to be a stuntman. I used to do all kinds of prat falls with my friends and do other crazy things. I also had a strange talent: I have always felt a fondness for the stuntmen and stuntwomen.

They truly are some of the most ignored people in the movie busine When I was growing up—back before I got fat—I wanted to be a stuntman. He tells of his busy days in the fifties and sixties, when Westerns ruled television and how he would run from one show to another doing stunts.

My one complaint about the book is that he makes it sound like he just walked onto a set one day and started falling down. There is a lot that a stuntperson needs to know to do the job without breaking himself or herself in half and a lot of training that is needed. Jan 07, DW rated it really liked it Shelves: Wow, this guy had quite a life. Even though I hadn't seen any of the TV shows or movies he talked about and I'm totally not into NASCAR , I think he still deserves a lot of respect for being so good at what he did, having integrity, and being hard-working.

One thing that really surprised me near the end of the book was when he revealed that he was never late except for when he had been drugged by a female Rolex thief. I thought that was impressive, considering by that point in the book he was Wow, this guy had quite a life. I thought that was impressive, considering by that point in the book he was important and rich enough that he could easily have gotten away with being late.

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I wished there was more detail about how he trained for stunts and how stuntmen do what they do. At one point he mentions that a stuntman doing a high fall uses his arms to control his fall the way a cliff-diver does. Since I know nothing about cliff-diving, I didn't find that enlightening. He also mentions that he trained horses to fall on cue and that he and his buddies would practice doing high falls and other stunts.

Then he described rushing from one set to another to cram in as many stunts in one day as he could. So when did he practice? I noticed in Needham's interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air that Terry had a hard time getting him to talk about how stunts were actually done as well. After he described how a stuntman would be blasted into the air, she said, so how do you land? And Needham just said, well, that's the stuntman's problem. It hurt the book because when he described other stunts that he clearly thought were really hard, like jumping from the back of one horse to the next in a wagon team, I didn't understand why that was harder than any of the other "impossible" things he did on a regular basis.

I would have appreciated if he had mentioned the years that things happened in the film, just to keep track of things. On the whole, the book felt like a collection of stories that Hal would tell his friends over drinks in a bar. Considering that he got married three times and at one point was "seeing anyone who would sleep with me," I found it amusing that his financial manager was a woman.

Anyway, an interesting read. Mar 15, Lani rated it liked it Shelves: Was lucky enough to win this book as a First Read, so that was cool. I'm a big fan of Smoky and the Bandit, and John Wayne so this book had some neat stories about both. Poor or not, my mom would have no part of it. I often wonder where I might have ended up if Mom had said yes.

In , a few months before my mom died at the age of ninety-seven, she told me that when she was pregnant with me, she knew her first marriage was coming to an end. One more mouth to feed would only add to her problems; maybe an abortion would be best. This might be the child that will always be there for you.

I was happy to take care of her until the day she died. You might say my stunt career started early. One day when I was eight years old, my brother and I were sent to town to pick up some commercial fertilizer. A neighbor who lived five miles down the road asked us if we could take his wagon and bring back a load of fertilizer for him, too. He told us he sure would appreciate it. So off to town we went. After loading up, we headed home. I began wondering which team was the fastest, so my brother and I decided to find out with a little race.

The only problem was going to be the sharp turn up ahead. Who would slow down first? I was on the outside of the turn. Just as I was pulling ahead, my wheels caught a rut, sending the wagon sideways and causing it to flip over. I was thrown off and landed hard, though nothing was broken. I lay on the ground and watched my team of mules head for home as fast as they could run, dragging the wagon, which was disintegrating piece by piece. My brother stopped for me. I jumped in his wagon and chased after my team. A short distance later we found the mules grazing as if nothing had happened.

I unhooked them from the wrecked wagon, mounted one, and led the other home. I knew I was in for some kind of whipping from my mom, as my stepdad never laid a hand on us. My mom gave me the whipping, and then she cried, both because she gave me the whipping and because she knew how much it would cost to repair the wagon and buy more fertilizer. It hurt more to see Mom cry than the whipping did. My stepdad was a thief, a hustler, and a crook, but he had to be to feed seven people during the Depression as a sharecropper.

No one was lower than a sharecropper. A farmer had an extra house—if you could call it a house. It was usually a log cabin with two rooms and holes in the walls that had to be filled with mud to keep the cold out. The roof always leaked, which meant you had pots sitting all over the place to catch the drips. The house came with four or five acres of farmland. The sharecropper would move into the house and cultivate the land. He could keep everything from the garden, but he had to split all money from the sale of the cotton sixty—forty—with the sharecropper getting the sixty.

But my stepdad worked out a way to keep all of the money. Before the crop was harvested, he would go to another part of the county and make a deal with a different farmer to sharecrop the following year. As soon as darkness fell it was adios, farmer! And we were off to our next home… with all of the cash. That was the way we existed until I was ten years old when World War II broke out. My stepdad went to St. Louis, Missouri, to work in a defense factory and seek his fortune.

He promised to send for the family as soon as he had a place for us to live and a couple of extra bucks. In the first letter we received, Corbett enclosed two train tickets so my older brother, Armin, and my sister Edwonia could go to St. He told us he could get them jobs, and that would help pay for Mom, me, my little sister, Gwen, and my baby brother, Jim, to join them.

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In just two months we boarded the train to St. It was packed with servicemen, and there were no seats. As my mother stood in the aisle holding my baby brother, a young soldier saw her and gave up his seat. After a couple of hours I decided the floor would make a good seat, and a short time later the sandman threw sand in my eyes and out I went. Then someone shook me. I looked up to see a young soldier. He said he was tired of sitting and wanted to stretch his legs. Would I hold his seat? Willing to help the military in any way I could, I took his seat and fell back asleep.

It was one in the morning when we arrived in St. Louis and my mom woke me. We exited the train with our cardboard boxes and burlap bags, a sight that invited plenty of stares from people in the station. My brain would not accept the message my eyes were sending: Boarding a streetcar, we headed for our new home. I found an empty seat and sat by the window in utter amazement as the lights, houses, cars, and people went by in a blur. Twenty minutes later we got off at Grand and Olive Streets. More lights, department stores, even movie theaters. Wow, what a place to live! Then I was told we were transferring to a bus, which would require another twenty-minute ride to the house.

From the bus stop, it was only two doors down to our new home in a two-story brick building. The only problem was that the toilet was in the basement—but that was better than the two-holer back in Arkansas. We had four rooms: I suggested we might even be able to rent one out but was quickly voted down. In the basement, along with the toilet and shower, was a furnace.

Every day a truck came by selling coal by the bushel—no more woodcutting! Oh yeah, we also had running water in the kitchen and a four-burner gas cookstove. What more could a boy ask for? The next morning after breakfast Corbett gave me a nickel and told me to go to the store up the street and ask for an Eskimo Pie. I asked what that was, but got no answer and was told to run along. I walked out our door, turned left, went a hundred feet to the first street, turned right, and crossed at the intersection.

There was the store. I went in and made my purchase.

Stuntman! : NPR

Ice cream bar in hand, I left the store. I was completely turned around. Sitting down on the curb, I ate the Eskimo Pie, which beat the hell out of any homemade ice cream we ever tried to make. Then I waited for something good to happen. After a few minutes my mom stuck her head out the window and called my name. Getting to school could have been a real problem because it was five blocks away, but the good thing was I could stand at my front door and see the building. My school in Arkansas only had one room for all eight grades and no more than twenty kids total.

Most years there would be three or four grades without students. My pay was fifty cents a day. Another job I had was setting pins in a bowling alley. In those days, when the bowling ball hit the pins, they fell into a pit. After the ball and pins came to a rest, the pinsetter would jump into the pit, put the ball in the return ramp, and send it back to the bowler. He would then pick up the pins and place them in the rack to be set for the next player. We were paid ten cents for a complete game. On a good night I could make five bucks. There was a slight element of danger to the job.

All the bowlers knew that the signal to throw the next ball was when the pinsetter jumped up on the back of the pit wall and lifted his legs. But every once in a while, I would be in the pit working and look up to see a ball and pins flying at me. To let the bowlers know that was a no-no, I would spit in the finger holes of the ball and send it back to them. They always got the message. Louis Cardinals and Browns played their home games, I applied. They hired me to sell soda pop, and I earned twenty cents for every twelve sodas I sold, bringing my take to five or six dollars a day!

Nobody had to rock me to sleep when I got home; I was plumb tuckered out. The good part was that I got to keep everything I made. For the first time in my life I had money to invest. I was only thirteen years old, but it was big-time to me. My mom suggested I buy war bonds that the government was selling to fund our troops. One day that summer Mom told me to get dressed, I had to go meet somebody.

What was to be gained by this reunion? He was six feet one, a good-looking man with wavy hair and a lady-killer smile. We had lunch, and I went home. It was a long four hours. Dad had remarried and owned a neighborhood bar. His wife, Mae, was really nice to me the few times I spent the weekend with them.

Dad thought a big day for me was to go barhopping while he introduced me to all his drinking buddies. Back at his place, he would tend bar at night. When Dad got up late Sunday, he would drive me home. What about a ball game? He knew I worked at the ballpark selling soda pop. I was always reciting the batting averages of every player on the team—who was hot with the bat and who was in a slump—and it was obvious I was a fan.

But he just chose to buy drinks for all his friends as we barhopped around the neighborhood. Louis was difficult for me.