The Stunt Man (1980)

Director:

Richard Rush

Writers:

Lawrence B. Marcus (screenplay)
Richard Rush (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

25 February 1981 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

"If God could do the tricks that we can do, he'd be a happy man . . ."

Plot:

A fugitive stumbles on a movie set just when they need a new stunt man, takes the job as a way to hide out, and falls for the leading lady.

Plot Keywords:

Practical Joke | Old Flame | Police Chase | Underwater | Jealousy

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Eli Cross
Steve Railsback	...	Cameron
Barbara Hershey	...	Nina Franklin
Allen Garfield	...	Sam (as Allen Goorwitz)
Alex Rocco	...	Police Chief Jake
Sharon Farrell	...	Denise
Adam Roarke	...	Raymond Bailey
Philip Bruns	...	Ace
Charles Bail	...	Chuck Barton
John Garwood	...	Gabe
Jim Hess	...	Henry
John Pearce	...	Garage Guard
Michael Railsback	...	Burt
George Wallace	...	Nina's Father
Dee Carroll	...	Nina's Mother
Leslie Winograde	...	Nina's Sister
Don Kennedy	...	Lineman
Whitey Hughes	...	Eli's Assistant Director
Walter Robles	...	Eli's Assistant Director
A.J. Bakunas	...	Eli's Script Clerk
Roberto Caruso	...	Cop #1
Frank Avila	...	Cop #2
Stafford Morgan	...	FBI Agent Thompson
John Alderman	...	Carlbinarri
Jack Palinkas	...	Technician
Cecil Brittain	...	Technician #2
Garrett McPherson	...	Tourist
Nelson Tyler	...	Elk's Crane Cameraman
Louis Gartner	...	Brothel Man #1
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Joseph Arno	...	(uncredited)
James Avery	...	(uncredited)
Frank Beetson	...	(uncredited)
Gregg Berger	...	(uncredited)
Deanna Dae Coleman	...	Stunt Crew (uncredited)
Larry Dunn	...	Stunt Crew (uncredited)
Patricia McPherson	...	Pretty Woman (uncredited)
Ross Reynolds	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Gordon Ross	...	(uncredited)
Marion Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Leigh Webb	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Rush

Writing credits
Lawrence B. Marcus		(screenplay)
Richard Rush		(adaptation)
Paul Brodeur		(novel)

Produced by
Paul Lewis	....	associate producer
Richard Rush	....	producer
Melvin Simon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dominic Frontiere

Cinematography by
Mario Tosi

Film Editing by
Caroline Biggerstaff
Jack Hofstra

Art Direction by
James L. Schoppe

Set Decoration by
Richard Spero

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
Richard Blair	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard H. Prince	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Gary Fettis	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lee Strosnider	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
David Domeyer	....	special effects
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects foreman

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts
A.J. Bakunas	....	stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts
Gary Baxley	....	stunts
Wayne Berg	....	stunt pilot
Norman Blankenship	....	stunts (as Norm Blankenship)
Hank Calia	....	stunts
Deanna Dae Coleman	....	stunts
Erik Cord	....	stunts
Ted Duncan	....	stunts
Larry Dunn	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts
Gray Johnson	....	stunt coordinator
Gray Johnson	....	stunts
Mike Johnson	....	stunts
Al Jones	....	stunts (as Alton Leo Jones)
John Kazian	....	wing walker
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Regis Parton	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts
Walter Robles	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
James Winburn	....	stunts
Charles Bail	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ross Reynolds	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Fillis	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Bob Fillis	....	best boy
Tim Griffith	....	chief lighting technician
Terry Kempf	....	electrician
Michael E. Matteson	....	grip

Editorial Department
Dolly Gordon	....	assistant editor
Robert Leader	....	editorial coordinator

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
James S. Appleby	....	head pilot: WWI-planes (as Jim Appleby)
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles
Ross Reynolds	....	helicopter pilot
Alicia Rivera Frankl	....	production executive (as Alicia Alon)
Dean Westgaard	....	parachutist

Production Companies

• Simon Productions
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:R (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Flynn Springs, California, USA

Company:

Simon Productions

Trivia:

The scene where the old car crashes off the bridge ("The Old Fair Oaks Bridge) into the river was filmed on the American River in Rancho Cordova and Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, California. When they first tried this the car actually jumped the track to lead it off the bridge and it continued down the bridge. The driver-less car was on a pulley system with a rail on the bridge road to guide it. The driver-less car chased down a few cameramen and crew and took out a camera before it came to rest.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before jumping into the water to rescue Nina, Cameron is already all wet.

Quotes:

Eli Cross: What an unexpected but delightful shock.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead End (1985)

Soundtrack:

Bits & Pieces

I'm gonna get caught gushing!

One of my favorite movies of all time. Must admit that I'm a bit biased since Peter O'Toole's one of my favorite actors of all time. This movie has NEVER gotten the attention that it deserves. Maybe that's, in part, due to the difficulties involved in categorizing it. I don't even know in which section of the video store I'd start looking.

Peter O'Toole is so swell in it. I love that enigmatic character, movie director Eli Cross! Like the movie (and O'Toole, for that matter), he's so hard to cubbyhole. You like him, but you don't trust him. Like Cameron/Lucky (Steve Railsback's escaped convict character) does, you NEED to know exactly where his motives lie ... all in good time. You know Cross'll do whatever's necessary to get "the shot", but he's still got a conscience ... right? Would Cameron have been better off (read safer) just staying in jail ... hmmm?

All the action in the film circles around this question and while the viewer (and Cameron) decide what to make of Eli, it's a fun trip through the world of filmmaking (how realistic a trip, I've no idea). Great performances by O'Toole and Railsback, along with Barbara Hershey, Allen Garfield, Alex Rocco and Sharon Ferrell add so much to the suspense.

See this movie. You can feel how much fun it was for the cast to make. Look at Eli's devilish grin as he tries to soothe Lucky's worries. Try to imagine how many other movies have you sympathizing for an escaped convict. And don't worry if you don't know what to make of mad genius filmmaker Eli Cross because nobody else does either, and if they do, they ain't talkin' ... that might spoil the movie!