MEMOIR: DAREDEVIL FOR HIRE
Stuntman! by Hal Needham
“Stuntman!: My Car- Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life” (Little, Brown) is the autobiography of Hal Needham, one of the industry’s legendary stuntmen and at one time its highest-paid. Needham drops us (usually from enormous heights) into a world in which most of us wouldn’t last two minutes, placing himself and his fellow daredevils front and center, where they’re not used to being. The insatiable sense of adventure and nonchalant fearlessness that permeate every page will make most readers feel a tad wimpy. At one point, Needham asks, “Am I crazy or dedicated?” He doesn’t answer, but it’s clear he’s a little of the former and a great deal of the latter.
“Stuntman!” is a collection of Needham’s on-set stories, which I assume he’s been telling at parties for decades. Big stars come and go here, with two standing out: Needham’s best pal, Burt Reynolds, and none other than John Wayne, with whom Needham made 10 movies. Both men come across as expected, with Reynolds a lot of laughs and Wayne a formidable character. However, Needham moves beyond Wayne’s iconic persona and draws an affectionate portrait of a star who is funnier, warmer and smarter than you might expect, as well as being fair and respectful to his collaborators.
Needham writes, “During my stunt career, I broke fifty-six bones; I broke my back twice; I punctured a lung; I knocked out a few teeth; not to mention bruises, cuts, and multiple sprains.” He also suffered severe stunt-related hearing loss. A more upbeat way of saying all of this might be: “Tumbling, rolling, leaping, flying, the action figure that really reacts.” That was the slogan for the Hal Needham Stunt Doll, probably the most macho doll ever made.
This book might not inspire you to take Needham-size risks, but it does demonstrate an enviable zest for living. Facing injury and even death on most of his workdays, Needham approached it all as a joyful expression of being alive and as an enthusiastic leap into an unknown future.
