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IMDb > Viva Knievel! (1977)

Viva Knievel! (1977) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
1.9/10   488 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 26% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Norman Katkov (writer)
Antonio Santillán (screen story)
Contact:
View company contact information for Viva Knievel! on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
June 1977 (USA) more
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... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
Stunt Legend Evel Knievel Dead at 69
 (From WENN. 3 December 2007)

User Reviews:
The Curse of Irwin Allen is evident here! more (18 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brent Dunsford ... Reporter (uncredited)
Johnny Timko ... (uncredited)
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Directed by
Gordon Douglas 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Norman Katkov  writer
Antonio Santillán  screen story

Produced by
Sherrill C. Corwin .... executive producer
Stanley Hough .... producer (as Stan Hough)
Irwin Allen .... supervising producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Charles Bernstein 
 
Cinematography by
Fred Jackman Jr.  (as Fred Jackman)
 
Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress 
 
Production Design by
Ward Preston 
 
Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss  (as Stuart Reiss)
 
Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich 
 
Makeup Department
Fred B. Phillips .... makeup artist (as Fred Phillips)
 
Production Management
Norman A. Cook .... unit production manager (as Norman Cook)
George E. Swink .... post-production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cheryl Downey .... second assistant director
Malcolm R. Harding .... assistant director (as Malcolm Harding)
Carey Loftin .... second unit director
Louis S. Muscate .... second assistant director (as Louis Muscat)
 
Art Department
Norm Baron .... assistant art director (as Norman Baron)
Irwin 'Eppy' Epstein .... drapery
Joseph Musso .... production illustrator (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Herman Lewis .... production sound mixer
Arthur Piantadosi .... sound re-recording mixer
 
Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott .... special photographic effects
 
Stunts
Gary Lee Davis .... utility stunts
Jesse Wayne .... stunts
Jerry Brutsche .... stunts (uncredited)
Gary Davis .... stunts (uncredited)
Peter Horak .... stunts (uncredited)
Kevin N. Johnston .... stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin .... stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Mulder .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Randall Robinson .... first assistant camera: special effects unit
 
Editorial Department
Carroll Timothy O'Meara .... assistant editor (as Tim O'Meara)
 
Music Department
Dan Wallin .... score mixer
 
Other crew
Art Volpert .... production coordinator
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial Effects
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Seconds to Live
more
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

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. more
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?
[...]
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FAQ

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful.
The Curse of Irwin Allen is evident here!, 29 October 2006
2/10
Author: ddc300 from United States

No one noticed the influence of Irwin Allen in this wretched production? The "Poseidon Alumni" of Red Buttons and Leslie Nielsen? The casting of Eric Olsen and Cameron Mitchell (two holdovers from Allen's poorly received "Swiss Family Robinson" series)? And the "Allen Tradmark" of casting over-the-hill has-beens -- in this case Gene Kelly -- in a 'throw away' role? Allen even threw in one of his old 'stand-bys', Albert Salmi (Captain Tucker, the space pirate from two episodes of "Lost In Space").

Almost the entire production crew is from the Irwin Allen camp including legendary special effects man L.B. Abbott (what for you ask -- I didn't see any 'special effects?). Even Allen's costume designer, Paul Zastupnevich, is along for the ride. Allen's wife played the Mother Superior in the famed scene where the orphan throws his crutches away at the sight of seeing Evel as he sneaks into the orphanage in the middle of the night(!).

The story behind this film is that producer Sherrill Corwin (who was the head of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences during the '70s), was a major financial contributor to Irwin Allen's "Poseidon Adventure" and "Towering inferno." Allen needed backing because the studios baulked at the high production costs. But, by the mid-70s Irwin was 'The Man' and now it was 'pay back time' for Corwin when he wanted to hype Knievel, who by that time was a superstar among the teen-set. True, Evel Knievel WAS bankable when it came to packing arenas, selling lunch boxes, action figures and toy motorcycles. Problem was that in the acting department Evel was as wooden as a tree trunk and this movie shows it.

Not helping matters was the horrendous screenplay by Norman Katkov and Antonio Santillian (whoever he is), and the ingredients for a GRADE A Turkey were assured. It is surprising that Katkov co-penned such a bad script since he was also responsible for the famous "Blood and Orchids" mini-series of the early '80s. But then again, he was also one of the primary contributors to the screenplay for another Irwin Allen travesty: "The Return of Captain Nemo" (aka "Amazing Captain Nemo"), a mini-series produced or should I say released the following year.

"Viva Knievel" is best enjoyed by those suffering from insomnia or otherwise get their kicks from bad-movie marathons.

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