"Cannonball Run 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director-stuntman Hal Needham, who was best known for the Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run films, has died of cancer at the age of 82.
The Tennessee native served the country as paratrooper during the Korean war. Shortly after, he landed a model gig for Viceroy Cigarettes. He later began a successful career as a Hollywood stuntman, where he formed a company called Stunts Unlimited. Needham often doubled for famous names, most notably, Burt Reynolds.
Needham’s real big break came when he took Burt Reynolds’ advice to direct his own movie. The film was called Smokey and the Bandit, and it ended up becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 1977. The success of Smokey and the Bandit led to a diverse filmography, where he made films like 1978’s Hooper, 1983’s Stroker Ace and the 1986 BMX cult-classic, Rad.
Hardcore fans of Hong Kong cinema recognize Needham as one of the first directors to expose Jackie Chan to Hollywood in 1981’s Cannonball Run, a film that he made with the help of Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest studios. Needham would make two more Golden Harvest-backed films: The 1982 action-oddity Megaforce and 1984’s Cannonball Run II, which once again featured Jackie Chan.
In 1986, Needham earned the Academy’s Scientific and Engineering Award for the design and development of the Shotmaker Elite camera car and crane, a device that allows filmmakers to shoot action sequences with more ease and versatility. In 2012, Needham was awarded a Governors Award by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, where he was introduced by Quentin Tarantino.
Our condolences go out to Needham’s family and friends. Just like the title of his 1986 BMX movie, Needham did some rad stuff in his lifetime.
