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Following
Korean War service as a paratrooper, Hal Needham drifted
into movies as a bit player. His remarkable physical
dexterity and willingness to "take it" enabled him to
rise up the professional ladder from stuntman to stunt
coordinator to 2nd unit director. A longtime chum of
Burt Reynolds, Needham was given his first chance to
direct a theatrical feature with Reynolds' Smokey and
the Bandit (1977); the film was a huge hit, assuring
Needham future assignments as both director and scriptwriter.
The 1980 Reynolds vehicle Hooper was widely recognized
as Reynolds and Needham's tribute to the entire fraternity
of Hollywood stunters. For television, Needham directed
several installments 1989 Burt Reynolds adventure series
B. L. Stryker (1989) and the pilot for the syndicated
adventure semi-weekly Bandit (1994); there was also
a 1992 animated cartoon series titled Stunt Dawgs, wherein
the central character was named Needham. Founder of
the troubleshooting aggregation Stunts Unlimited, Needham
has also served as chairman for another movie-industry
organization, Camera Platforms International. In addition,
Hal Needham is owner of the "world's fastest car," the
Budweiser Rocket, now on display at the Smithsonian
Institute.
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