Viva Knievel! (1977)

User Rating:

1.9/10   

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

Norman Katkov (writer)
Antonio Santillán (screen story)

Release Date:

June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

The one and only real live Evel Knievel in his first dramatic movie role.

Plot:

As the legendary stuntman travels to Mexico to prepare for one of his greatest stunts yet, he takes time out of his schedule to meet his fans...

Plot Keywords:

Mechanic | Stunt | Mexico | Fan | Orphanage

Cast

Evel Knievel	...	Evel Knieval
Gene Kelly	...	Will Atkins
Lauren Hutton	...	Kate Morgan
Red Buttons	...	Ben Andrews
Leslie Nielsen	...	Stanley Millard
Cameron Mitchell	...	Barton
Frank Gifford	...	Himself
Eric Olson	...	Tommy Atkins
Sheila Allen	...	Sister Charity
Albert Salmi	...	Cortland
Dabney Coleman	...	Ralph Thompson
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Norman Clark (as Ernie Orsatti)
Sidney Clute	...	Andy
Robert Tafur	...	Governor Garcia
Marjoe Gortner	...	Jessie

Also Known As:

Seconds to Live

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Veterans Memorial Stadium - 508 E. Lew Davis Street, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Metropolitan (MTA)

Trivia:

The more difficult stunts in the film were performed by stunt man Gary Lee Davis, though that fact was kept under wraps during the original release of the film.

Quotes:

Jessie: End of the line Evel.
Evel Knieval: What did you say?
Jessie: End of the line, man.
Evel Knieval: What are you talking about, your suppose to be at the other end.
Jessie: No. I always have been before, but not anymore. Today is my turn, my shot at the glory, I'm making this jump.
Evel Knieval: What are you talking about. Those people paid their pesos to see me jump.
Jessie: No way, man. I'm jumping. I've always known I was better than you. Today I'm gonna prove it. Now you just get out of my way.
Evel Knieval: Hey! You been smoking something? You're high!
Jessie: Man, maybe you oughtta get high! Hey man, Millard wants to kill you and your buddy Will to. You know, he even thinks he's gonna kill me.
Evel Knieval: Why? Why would he do that?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Edited into "E! True Hollywood Story: Evel Knievel" (2004)

Muerte a esta pelicula!

Daredevil Evel Kneivel (just say his name out loud - ridiculous) stars as himself. The movie seems to portray Kneivel as some sort of wheelie-popping Christ figure.

You can't see it enough to fathom how truly bizarre it is. Kneivel says he's never taken a drug in his life, which is good so there was plenty enough to go around for the writer, the director and love interest Lauren Hutton.

And Kneivel's not even the weirdest guy in the movie! That honor goes to poor old Gene Kelly who plays Evel's sad excuse for a mechanic. His performance is quite possibly the worst captured on film; Kelly was playing this either as senile or retarded, though I suppose it doesn't matter which.

It's rough when the most convincing actor in the film is from Frank Gifford.