"Knight Rider" Knight of the Phoenix (1982)

Director:

Daniel Haller

Writer:

Glen A. Larson (written by)

TV Series:

"Knight Rider" (1982)

Original Air Date:

26 September 1982 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A young man set on revenge. His partner... an indestructible car.

Plot:

A detective, believed to have been killed, is given a new face and identity and is armed with an artificially intelligent super car.

Plot Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence | Knight Rider | TV Series Pilot | Gadget Car | Automobile

Cast

David Hasselhoff	...	Michael Knight
Edward Mulhare	...	Devon Miles
Phyllis Davis	...	Tanya Walker
Pamela Susan Shoop	...	Maggie
Lance LeGault	...	Vernon Gray
Noel Conlon	...	William Benjamin
Michael D. Roberts	...	Jackson
Bert Rosario	...	Brown
Vince Edwards	...	Fred Wilson
Richard Basehart	...	Wilton Knight
Ed Gilbert	...	Charles Acton (as Edmund Gilbert)
Shawn Southwick	...	Lonnie
Brian Cutler	...	Bar Manager
Barret Oliver	...	Buddy
Robert Phillips	...	Symes
Alma Beltran	...	Luce (as Alma L. Beltran)
Ed Hooks	...	Guard
Tyler Murray	...	Sally
Victoria Harned	...	Doris
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Anderson	...	Dr. Ralph Wesley
William Daniels	...	K.I.T.T. (voice) (uncredited)
Herb Jefferson Jr.	...	Munsie (uncredited)
Charles Napier	...	Truck driver (uncredited)
John Quade	...	Dolan (uncredited)
Red West	...	Truck driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Haller

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Glen A. Larson		written by

Produced by
Tom Greene	....	producer
Glen A. Larson	....	executive producer
Harker Wade	....	producer

Original Music by
Stu Phillips

Cinematography by
Frank Beascoechea		(director of photography) (as Frank P. Beascoechea)

Film Editing by
David Howe
William Martin

Casting by
Mark Malis
Ron Stephenson

Art Direction by
Charles R. Davis
Seymour Klate

Set Decoration by
Richard Friedman
Hal Gausman

Costume Design by
Jean-Pierre Dorléac

Makeup Department
Dick Dawson	....	makeup artist
Ora Green	....	hair stylist (as Ora Tillman Green)
Tim Jones	....	hair stylist
Jeremy Swan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frank Crawford	....	unit production manager
James A. Westman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herb Adelman	....	second assistant director
Ronald Martinez	....	first assistant director (as Ron Martinez)
Don Wilkerson	....	second assistant director (as Don Edward Wilkerson)

Sound Department
Alan Bernard	....	sound
Walt Jenevein	....	sound effects editor
John R. McDonald	....	sound

Stunts
Bob Bralver	....	stunt coordinator (as Robert Bralver)
Jerry Summers	....	stunt coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Ellsworth	....	costume supervisor
Don Snyder	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Jerry Cohen	....	music editor
Glen A. Larson	....	composer: main theme
Stu Phillips	....	composer: theme music

Transportation Department
Alan Kaminsky	....	driver

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rob Gilmer		6 episodes
Glen A. Larson		creator

Original Music by
William Broughton

Film Editing by
Ron Rutberg

Production Management
Edward D. Markley	....	production manager (pilot episode)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Gill	....	second unit director (1983-86)
Barry K. Thomas	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Glenn Forbes	....	assistant property master
Ed Keyes	....	property master: second unit
George Tuers	....	property master

Sound Department
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor

Special Effects by
Larry Fioritto	....	special effects coordinator
George Zamora	....	pyrotechnician

Stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
Jean Coulter	....	stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunts (multiple episodes)
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunts
Harold 'Hal' Frizzell	....	stunts
David Hasselhoff	....	stunt driver (4 seasons)
Terry James	....	stunt double: David Hasselhoff
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Eric M. Miller	....	utility stunts (5 episodes) (as Eric Mil)
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Jerry Summers	....	stunt coordinator: episode 1
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts
James Winburn	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Chevalier	....	camera operator: second unit
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gregory B. Peña	....	co-costume supervisor (1983)
Gregory B. Peña	....	set costumer (1984)
Gregory B. Peña	....	set costumer: second unit (1982)

Music Department
William Broughton	....	orchestrator
Bradley Carow	....	assistant music editor
Carl Cedar	....	orchestrator
Udi Harpaz	....	orchestrator
Ralph Kessler	....	orchestrator
Kim Richmond	....	orchestrator
Nathan Scott	....	orchestrator
Jack Smalley	....	orchestrator

Other crew
George Barris	....	car designer

Production Companies

• Glen A. Larson Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Pontiac Motor Division  some automobiles furnished by
• Technicolor  color
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars
• Universal Title  titles & optical effects
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono

Certification:

Sweden:11

Company:

Glen A. Larson Productions

Trivia:

This two hour TV movie is split up into two parts for syndication.

Goofs:

Continuity: The nose of K.I.T.T. changes multiple times in the movie. At some point the nose has lights in it, other times the nose is more armored looking and thus has no lights at all. The nose consists of black metal plating

Quotes:

Wilton Knight: Well, what's the word?
Dr. Ralph Wesley: I'm gonna give you the same answer that I've been giving you for the past four days. He's probably the only human being on this planet who’s in worse condition than you are.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Knight Rider: A Nice, Indecent Little Town (#1.16)" (1983)

Soundtrack:

Carolina In My Mind

classic

I remember when we eventually got our cable back in the mid-80's. Knight Rider came on our screens along with Airwolf and those other shows you also might remember well. I was a child and Knight Rider was fun, a car that actually can talk and think. Coool. Well, I strongly doubt I will be still as much impressed more than 15 years later, but it was really entertaining at that time.