The Stunt Man (1980)

Director:

Richard Rush

Writers:

Lawrence B. Marcus (screenplay)
Richard Rush (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

25 February 1981 (France)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

"If God could do the things that we can do, he'd be a happy man . . ."

Plot:

A fugitive stumbles on a movie set just when they need a new stunt man, takes the job as a way to hide out, and falls for the leading lady.

Plot Keywords:

Stunt | On The Run | Police | Actress | Fugitive

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Eli Cross
Steve Railsback	...	Cameron
Barbara Hershey	...	Nina Franklin
Allen Garfield	...	Sam (as Allen Goorwitz)
Alex Rocco	...	Police Chief Jake
Sharon Farrell	...	Denise
Adam Roarke	...	Raymond Bailey
Philip Bruns	...	Ace
Charles Bail	...	Chuck Barton
John Garwood	...	Gabe
Jim Hess	...	Henry
John Pearce	...	Garage Guard
Michael Railsback	...	Burt
George Wallace	...	Nina's Father
Dee Carroll	...	Nina's Mother
Leslie Winograde	...	Nina's Sister
Don Kennedy	...	Lineman
Whitey Hughes	...	Eli's Assistant Director
Walter Robles	...	Eli's Assistant Director
A.J. Bakunas	...	Eli's Script Clerk
Roberto Caruso	...	Cop #1
Frank Avila	...	Cop #2
Stafford Morgan	...	FBI Agent Thompson
John Alderman	...	Carlbinarri
Jack Palinkas	...	Technician
James Garrett	...	Technician #2 (as Cecil Brittain)
Garrett McPherson	...	Tourist
Nelson Tyler	...	Elk's Crane Cameraman
Louis Gartner	...	Brothel Man #1
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Joseph Arno	...	(uncredited)
James Avery	...	(uncredited)
Frank Beetson	...	(uncredited)
Gregg Berger	...	(uncredited)
Chance Boyer	...	Kid in Cemetery (uncredited)
Deanna Dae Coleman	...	Stunt Crew (uncredited)
Larry Dunn	...	Stunt Crew (uncredited)
Don Hayden	...	WWI German Soldier (uncredited)
Patricia McPherson	...	Pretty Woman (uncredited)
Ross Reynolds	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Gordon Ross	...	(uncredited)
Marion Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Leigh Webb	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Rush

Writing credits
Lawrence B. Marcus		(screenplay)
Richard Rush		(adaptation)
Paul Brodeur		(novel)

Produced by
Paul Lewis	....	associate producer
Richard Rush	....	producer
Melvin Simon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dominic Frontiere

Cinematography by
Mario Tosi

Film Editing by
Caroline Biggerstaff
Jack Hofstra

Art Direction by
James L. Schoppe

Set Decoration by
Richard Spero

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup designer
Tom Lucas	....	makeup artist
Marina Pedraza	....	hair stylist
Richard Blair	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Beetson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Beetson	....	first assistant director
Paula Marcus	....	second assistant director
Richard H. Prince	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Gary Fettis	....	assistant property master
Douglas E. Madison	....	property master

Sound Department
Jeff Bushelman	....	sound effects
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cal Marks	....	boom operator
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lee Strosnider	....	sound mixer
James M. Tanenbaum	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
David Domeyer	....	special effects
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects foreman
Milt Rice	....	head special effects

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts
A.J. Bakunas	....	stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts
Gary Baxley	....	stunts
Wayne Berg	....	stunt pilot
Norman Blankenship	....	stunts (as Norm Blankenship)
Hank Calia	....	stunts
Deanna Dae Coleman	....	stunts
Erik Cord	....	stunts
Ted Duncan	....	stunts
Larry Dunn	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts
Gray Johnson	....	stunt coordinator
Gray Johnson	....	stunts
Mike Johnson	....	stunts
Al Jones	....	stunts (as Alton Leo Jones)
John Kazian	....	wing walker
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Regis Parton	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts
Gary Robert	....	stunts
Walter Robles	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
James Winburn	....	stunts
Charles Bail	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ross Reynolds	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William L. Asman	....	camera operator
Peter J. Breen	....	dolly grip
Bob Fillis	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Bob Fillis	....	best boy
Tim Griffith	....	chief lighting technician
Tim Griffith	....	gaffer
Frank M. Holgate	....	underwater photography
Terry Kempf	....	electrician
Joel King	....	camera operator
Robin Krause	....	still photographer
Michael E. Matteson	....	grip
Jack Palinkas	....	key grip
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera: additional camera
Nelson Tyler	....	aerial photography

Editorial Department
Andy Blumenthal	....	assistant editor
Diego Borghello	....	colorist: digitally restored version
John Carnochan	....	assistant editor
Dolly Gordon	....	assistant editor
Robert Leader	....	editorial coordinator
Ryan Noto	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Laurie Higgins Tobias	....	co-music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Gary Paulsen	....	transportation captain

Other crew
James S. Appleby	....	head pilot: WWI-planes (as Jim Appleby)
Dessie Markovsky	....	post production supervisor
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles
Emile Razpopov	....	post production coordinator
Ross Reynolds	....	helicopter pilot
Alicia Rivera Frankl	....	production executive (as Alicia Alon)
Terry Terrill	....	script supervisor
Dean Westgaard	....	parachutist

Production Companies

• Simon Productions
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Magnetic Video (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS / Fox Video (1989) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS / Fox Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Severin Films (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Other Companies

• Digital Post Services  digital laboratory
• Digital Post Services  quality control and deliverables
• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)
• Tyler Camera Systems  helicopter and camera crane mounts

Also Known As:

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:15 (video rating) (2003) | USA:R | Canada:A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | UK:X (original rating) | Peru:18

Filming Locations:

Flynn Springs, California, USA

Company:

Simon Productions

Trivia:

François Truffaut was an early contender to direct the film version of Paul Brodeur's novel. Truffaut borrowed elements from the story for Day for Night (1973) and Arthur Penn did the same for Night Moves (1975).

Goofs:

Continuity: At dinner, after Eli's line "This film... is not about fighting wars, Sam," Sam's right arm jumps; first it is putting some food in his mouth and then it's resting on the table.

Quotes:

Cameron:Why are you trying to save my ass?
Eli Cross:Because you're almost as crazy as the young man I'm making this film about. Besides, I've fallen madly in love with the dark side of your nature.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead End (1985)

Soundtrack:

Bits & Pieces

a comedy with some ideas

This movie is a slightly surreal comedy about moviemaking. It's told with the perspective (if not always from the point of view) of a young fugitive who wanders onto the set and gets hired due to various complications. The movie people all seem larger than life to the fugitive, and since he's a little paranoid anyway, their motives seem complex and suspect. Peter O'Toole gives his usual performance, and he's perfect here as the flamboyant director (he must have had a great time sending up some blowhards of his past with this role). Steven Railsback does his usual disoriented guy on the edge, and he does it with a rather touchingly naive quality this time. Barbara Hershey is the leading lady love interest, delivers an intelligent and understated performance, and is appropriately bewitchingly beautiful.

Roger Ebert didn't like this movie, but he got confused into thinking that it was something deeper than a comedy. It's about as deep as "Get Shorty", but with a completely different feel.

The movie holds up pretty well, although the special effects look a little clunky sometimes, and I remember thinking they were pretty good when I saw the movie in its initial release. But the clunkiness isn't really distracting, and since the movie's attempts to "deceive" are all firmly tongue-in-cheek, it doesn't hurt.