Hal Needham
- Birthday
- Mar 6, 1931
Bio: Following Korean War service as a paratrooper, Hal Needham drifted into movies as a bit player. 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. A longtime chum of Burt Reynolds (himself an ex-stuntman), Needham was given his first chance to direct… More Bio: Following Korean War service as a paratrooper, Hal Needham drifted into movies as a bit player. 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. A longtime chum of Burt Reynolds (himself an ex-stuntman), Needham was given his first chance to direct a theatrical feature with Reynolds' Smokey and the Bandit (1977); the film was a huge hit, assuring Needham future assignments as both director and scriptwriter. The 1980 Reynolds vehicle Hooper was widely recognized as Reynolds and Needham's tribute to the entire fraternity of Hollywood stunters. For television, Needham directed several installments 1989 Burt Reynolds adventure series B. L. Stryker (1989) and the pilot for the syndicated adventure semi-weekly Bandit (1994); there was also a 1992 animated cartoon series titled Stunt Dawgs, wherein the central character was named Needham. Founder of the troubleshooting aggregation Stunts Unlimited (which also served as the title of a 1980 TV movie), Needham has also served as chairman for another movie-industry organization, Camera Platforms International. In addition, Hal Needham is owner of the "world's fastest car," the Budweiser Rocket, now on display at the Smithsonian Institute. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Most Popular
Filmography
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Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (1999)
- Director
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Hal Needham's Wild World of Stunts (1999)
- Actor, Director
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Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994)
- Director
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Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994)
- Director
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Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994)
- Director
- See all 28 films
Hal Needham Videos
The Cannonball Run
2 minutes 7 seconds
Smokey And The Bandit
26 seconds
Rad
1 minutes 24 seconds
Smokey And The Bandit 2
2 minutes 27 seconds
Cannonball Run 2
2 minutes 44 seconds
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