Hal Needham
Hal Needham was born on Mar 06, 1931 in USA. Hal Needham's big-screen debut came with The Spirit of St. Louis directed by Billy Wilder in 1957. Hal Needham is known for Chinatown directed by Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson stars as J.J. Gittes and Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray. Hal Needham has got 8 awards and 4 nominations so far. The most recent award Hal Needham achieved is Online Film & Television Association. The upcoming new movie Hal Needham plays is Hard Time: Hostage Hotel which will be released on Nov 14, 1999.
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. His career has included work on 4500 television episodes and 310 feature films as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, 2nd unit director and ultimately, director.He wrote and directed some of the most financially successful action comedy films, making his directorial debut with the box office smash, Cours après moi shérif (1977). The ten features he directed include La fureur du danger (1978) and L'Equipée du Cannonball (1981)... A real outlaw race from coast-to-coast, where he drove a fake ambulance that could peg the speedometer at 150 mph, on which the movie, "Cannonball Run", was based. He also set trends in movies - the first director to show outtakes during end credits.Needham wrecked hundreds of cars, fell from tall buildings, got blown up, was dragged by horses, rescued the cast and crew from a Russian invasion in Czechoslovakia, set a world record for a boat stunt on Gator (1976), jumped a rocket powered pick-up truck across a canal for a GM commercial and was the first human to test the car airbag.He invented and introduced to the film industry, the air ram, air bag, the car cannon turnover, the nitrogen ratchet, the jerk-off ratchet, rocket power and The Shotmaker Camera Car to make stunts safer and yet more spectacular at the same time.Needham revolutionized the art of the stuntman - from new devices and techniques, to conceptualizing the organization and execution of complicated action set pieces. To a large degree, he elevated the stuntman and his craft to become important and critical elements in contemporary American Film.He mentored a new generation of stuntmen and fought for the respect and recognition that stuntmen and stuntwomen deserve for their contribution to moviemaking.Life also got exciting outside of the movie business. Needham owned a NASCAR race team and was the first team owner to use telemetry technology. His Skoal-Bandit race team was one of the most popular NASCAR teams ever - second only to that of the King, Richard Petty. Needham set Guinness World Records and was the financier and owner of The Budweiser Rocket Car. The car is now on display in the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum.His many awards include an Emmy and an Academy Award.
Birthday
Mar 06, 1931Place of Birth
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Known For
Awards
8 wins & 4 nominations
Movies & TV Shows
- 1999
director
5.1 - 1996
stunts
6.1 - 1994
director
4.4 - 1986
director
5.2 - 1986
director
6.7 - 19845.0
- 19834.8
- 19823.6
- 19816.2
- 1980
director
5.2 - 19805.2
- 19795.4
- 1979
director
5.3 - 1978
director
6.4 - 1978
stunts
6.8 - 1978
stunts
6.1 - 1977
director, stunts
7.0 - 1976
stunts
6.2 - 1976
stunts
6.1 - 1976
stunts
5.8 - 1976
stunts
5.1 - 19766.1
- 1975
stunts
5.2 - 1975
stunts
5.6 - 19755.7
- 19756.7
- 19755.9
- 1974
stunts
7.1 - 1974
stunts
6.2 - 1974
stunts
8.2 - 1974
stunts
6.4 - 19747.7
- 19746.2
- 1973
stunts
6.4 - 19736.2
- 1973
stunts
6.1 - 19726.9
- 1972
stunts
5.9 - 1972
stunts
6.7 - 19726.9
- 1972
stunts
7.0 - 1972
stunts
7.4 - 19726.0
- 19716.9
- 1971
stunts
5.7 - 1971
stunts
6.0 - 1971
stunts
7.7 - 1971
stunts
5.0 - 1971
stunts
6.1 - 19715.7
- 1970
stunts
6.7 - 1970
stunts
7.6 - 1970
stunts
5.3 - 1970
stunts
4.8 - 1970
stunts
6.8 - 1970
stunts
4.3 - 19696.6
- 1969
stunts
6.7 - 1969
stunts
5.6 - 1969
stunts
4.8 - 1969
stunts
6.0 - 1968
stunts
6.5 - 1968
stunts
6.5 - 19686.7
- 1967
stunts
5.7 - 1967
stunts
6.5 - 19676.8
- 1967
stunts
6.2 - 1967
stunts
5.1 - 1967
stunts
6.4 - 1966
stunts
6.3 - 1966
stunts
6.0 - 1966
stunts
6.1 - 1966
stunts
6.3 - 1966
stunts
6.4 - 1965
stunts
6.6 - 19657.2
- 1965
stunts
7.3 - 19657.3
- 1965
stunts
6.7 - 19645.9
- 1964
stunts
6.1 - 1963
stunts
5.2 - 1963
stunts
6.1 - 19635.5
- 19637.1
- 1963
stunts
6.7 - 19638.6
- 1962
stunts
7.0 - 19628.1
- 19625.2
- 19628.4
- 1961
stunts
5.9 - 19618.4
- 19605.5
- 19608.4
- 1959
stunts
7.1 - 1959
stunts
5.5 - 19598.4
- 1958
stunts
7.9 - 19586.4
- 1957
stunts
7.1