Evel Knievel (film)
Encyclopedia
Evel Knievel was a 1971 motion picture starring George Hamilton
as motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
.
. The film depicts Knievel reflecting on major events in his life, particularly his relationship with his girlfriend/wife, Linda. The film opens with Knievel at the Ontario Motor Speedway
in Ontario, California
. Knievel is speaking directly to the camera describing his upcoming daredevil motorcycle jump:
Following his introduction, the story follows a flashback narrative through Knievel's life.
The film ends with Knievel successfully completing the jump at the Ontario Motor Speedway and riding off onto a dirt road which leads to the edge of Grand Canyon (at the time of production, the real Evel Knievel was hyping a jump over the Grand Canyon).
and was released on September 10, 1971. The screenplay was written by Allan Caillou and John Milius
. George Hamilton was a producer of the movie and Evel Knievel worked as an advisor to the production. Actual footage of Knievel jumping his motorcycle was used throughout the film. Additionally, Knievel performed a series of new jumps at the Ontario Motor Speedway for the production, including a spectatular record jump of 129 feet over 19 cars that was included in the film (Knievel held the record for jumping a Harley-Davidson
motorcycle over 19 cars for 27 years, until broken by Bubba Blackwell
in 1998). Knievel received a flat rate of $25,000 for his rights and the consulting fee.
The motion picture has fallen out of copyright and is in public domain
. The most common version of the film (available on DVD and various streaming media
) is from a faded 16 mm print. Scratches on both the audio and video track are easily detectable.
The music is conducted by Patrick Williams. The title song, "I Do What I Please", is played throughout the film, including the opening & closing credits and the montage of the real Evel Knievel's stunt riding.
Below is a transcript of the monologue from the movie:
George Hamilton (actor)
George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
as motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
.
Story
The story is a biography of the famed motorcycle daredevil, much of which was filmed in his home town of Butte, MontanaButte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. The film depicts Knievel reflecting on major events in his life, particularly his relationship with his girlfriend/wife, Linda. The film opens with Knievel at the Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
in Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. Knievel is speaking directly to the camera describing his upcoming daredevil motorcycle jump:
- Ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea how good it makes me feel to be here today. It is truly an honor to risk my life for you. An honor. Before I jump this motorcycle over these 19 cars — and I want you to know there's not a Volkswagen or a Datsun in the row — before I sail cleanly over that last truck, I want to tell you that last night a kid came up to me and he said, "Mr Knievel, are you crazy? That jump you're going to make is impossible, but I already have my tickets because I want to see you splatter." That's right, that's what he said. And I told that boy last night that nothing is impossible. Now they told Columbus to sail across the ocean was impossible. They told the settlers to live in a wild land was impossible. They told the Wright BrothersWright brothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
to fly was impossible. And they probably told Neil ArmstrongNeil ArmstrongNeil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
a walk on the moon was impossible. They tell Evel Knievel to jump a motorcycle across the Grand CanyonGrand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
is impossible, and they say that every day. A Roman General in the time of Caesar had the motto: "If it possible, it is done. If it is impossible, it will be done." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live by.
Following his introduction, the story follows a flashback narrative through Knievel's life.
The film ends with Knievel successfully completing the jump at the Ontario Motor Speedway and riding off onto a dirt road which leads to the edge of Grand Canyon (at the time of production, the real Evel Knievel was hyping a jump over the Grand Canyon).
Production
The picture was directed by Marvin J. ChomskyMarvin J. Chomsky
Marvin J. Chomsky is an American television and film director. He has also worked as a producer. He is a cousin of academic Noam Chomsky....
and was released on September 10, 1971. The screenplay was written by Allan Caillou and John Milius
John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures.-Early life:Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elizabeth and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer. Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps in the late 1960s, but was rejected...
. George Hamilton was a producer of the movie and Evel Knievel worked as an advisor to the production. Actual footage of Knievel jumping his motorcycle was used throughout the film. Additionally, Knievel performed a series of new jumps at the Ontario Motor Speedway for the production, including a spectatular record jump of 129 feet over 19 cars that was included in the film (Knievel held the record for jumping a Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycle over 19 cars for 27 years, until broken by Bubba Blackwell
Bubba Blackwell
Bubba Blackwell is a stunt performer and motorcycle jumping world record holder who was sponsored by and promoted Buell Motorcycle Company...
in 1998). Knievel received a flat rate of $25,000 for his rights and the consulting fee.
The motion picture has fallen out of copyright and is in public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. The most common version of the film (available on DVD and various streaming media
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
) is from a faded 16 mm print. Scratches on both the audio and video track are easily detectable.
The music is conducted by Patrick Williams. The title song, "I Do What I Please", is played throughout the film, including the opening & closing credits and the montage of the real Evel Knievel's stunt riding.
Monologue
As the movie closes over the Grand Canyon, George Hamilton does a voice-over monologue in the Knievel character. In the monologue, he describes himself as the "last gladiator", which would later be used by the real Evel Knievel in his 1998 documentary, The Last of the Gladiators.Below is a transcript of the monologue from the movie:
- Important people in this country...celebrities like myself: Elvis, Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. We have a responsibility. There are millions of people that look at our lives and it gives theirs some meaning. People come out from their jobs...most of which are meaningless to them...and they watch me jump 20 cars, maybe get splattered. It means something to them. They jump right alongside of me...they take the bars in their hands, and for one split second, they’re all daredevils. I am the last gladiator in the new Rome. I go into the arena and I compete against destruction and I win. And next week, I go out there and I do it again. And this time...civilization being what it is and all...we have very little choice about our life. The only thing really left to us is a choice about our death. And mine will be...glorious.
Cast
- George HamiltonGeorge Hamilton (actor)George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
as Evel Knievel - Sue LyonSue Lyon- Lolita :Sue Lyon was 14 years old when she was cast in the role of Dolores "Lolita" Haze, the sexually charged adolescent and the object of an older man's obsessions in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film, Lolita. She was chosen for the role partly because her curvy figure suggested an older adolescent...
as Linda - Bert FreedBert FreedBert Freed was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television.-Life and career:...
as Doc Kincaid - Rod CameronRod CameronRod Cameron was a Canadian-born movie actor whose career extended from the 1930s to the 1970s. He appeared in horror, war, action and science fiction movies, but is best remembered for his many Westerns....
as Charlie Knesson - Dub TaylorDub TaylorWalter Clarence Taylor, Jr. , better known as Dub Taylor, was an American actor who worked extensively in Westerns, but also in comedy from the 1940s into the 1990s.-Early life:...
as Turquoise Smith - Ron MasakRon MasakRon Masak is an American actor. He began on stage and much of his work is in theater. His first screen role was as the Harmonica Man in "The Purple Testament," an episode of The Twilight Zone in 1960...
as Pete - Hal Baylor as The Sheriff