Des nerfs d'acier

Lee Majors made several pictures during his stardom period of "The Six Million Dollar Man." Most weren't particularly good ("The Norseman" was the absolute pits), but this is a neat little surprise. It's along the same lines as "The Magnificent Seven" in that it brings together a disparate group of professionals in order to achieve a seemingly impossible goal--in this case they're a construction crew that has to finish off the top nine stories of a building in the short span of three weeks. The tone is a bit lighter than usual for this kind of film, with some welcome humorous touches, notably the antics of Terry Kiser and Albert Salmi as a libidinous steelworker and a prankish crane operator, respectively. Majors was never an actor with much range, but here he's actually quite good as the crew leader and plays well off the other actors. The movie has a roster of first-rate character actors whose presence raises its interest level several notches. It's also one of the few films where veteran heavy Richard Lynch gets to play against type as a good guy (albeit a tough one), and he's quite effective at it. Jennifer O'Neill is still as beautiful as ever and still can't act to save her life, but she doesn't drag the picture down as she did, for example, in the John Wayne western "Rio Lobo", in which she was so astoundingly inept it was actually embarrassing to watch her; she's better than that here. Director Steve Carver paid his dues with Roger Corman, and while he never attained the levels of success as fellow Corman alumni Martin Scorsese or Jonathan Demme, he was usually a more than competent filmmaker, and he's done a good job of putting this one together. It's well paced, with a few twists and turns, and the cast seems to be having a good time. You could do worse than rent this on a night when you have nothing much to do.

Lee Majors. Fresh off "The Six Million Dollar Man" , play a former foreman who returns to the construction business following the death of the current foreman. He left when he froze up on the job following the death of a coworker. He does a good job building up high rises. All jobs are risky. For doing high rise buildings, you got to have nerves of steel.

For this great American movie, I see a lot of Big trucks on the highway. I know big trucks when I see them. Blood, sweat, and tears make it to the world. With the cast on, it is gold! Great for the 4th of July. It honors the memory of a stuntman.

4 out of 5 stars.

Big Lew Cassidy (George Kennedy) is in a race against time, and the bank, to complete his latest building. But a tragic accident makes the likelihood of building completion seem impossible. Cassidy's daughter Cass (Jennifer O'Neill), with the help of Pignose Moran (Art Carney), assembles the `dream team' of steel workers to help her finish off the building.

Mike Catton (Lee Majors) leads the rag-tag bunch of hardhats in a race with the bank. On the crew are Harry Doyle (Redmond Gleeson), an ex-IRA bomber who Catton helped get into the steel workers union, Dancer (Richard Lynch) who is likable enough but has that all appealing `edge'-- or as Catton puts it, `He's the meanest b**tard that ever lived', Cherokee (Robert Tessier) who claims he's not afraid of Custer, Tank (Albert Salmi) who runs the big crane and has a warped sense of humor and Valentino (Terry Kiser), the `lover' of the group. Basically this group mirrors the more comic bunch from CARWASH, although this movie is a drama, not a comedy.

An interesting little subplot to this movie is the fact that Catton, after witnessing the death of several co-workers from a fall off a building, is now afraid of heights and in fact had retired from iron work to become a big-rig driver.

Everyone does a fine job of acting, Majors is believable as the leader and O'Neill is a nice surprise as the boss's daughter and potential love interest for Majors. Kennedy always delights in whatever he does, whether as an aging steelworker or work-farm prisoner (COOL HAND LUKE) and Harris Yulin is great as his sleazy brother Eddie.

Kiser is hilarious with his over-active libido and Lynch has some engaging scenes, particularly his confrontation with Catton when he discovers his fear of heights. Lastly, Tessier is entertaining as the `big lug' Cherokee and Salmi's antics and pranks throughout the film will keep you happily entertained.

Though this film is in no danger of winning an Oscar, it is thoroughly entertaining and has a feel-good ending to it. You'll never look at a building under construction the same again after viewing this one!

TITLE: STEEL opened in New York City on December 12 1980 starring Lee Majors as Mike Cattan, the very lovely Jennifer O'Neill as Cass Cassidy, Art Carney as Pignose Moran, Harris Yulin as Eddie Cassidy, George Kennedy as Big Lou Cassidy and Redmond Gleeson as Harry.

SUMMARY: Big Lou Cassidy is a millionaire who likes to big tall buildings all the country. This time he's putting up a building in downtown Houston Texas. Big Lou takes no bull **** from anyone especially his workers. One day when he gets to work, he pulls up driving his limo because his driver gets to many tickets only to find his workers ready to fight each other. There to meet him is Pignose Moran who is good friends with Lou and has been helping Lou for years. Therefore, Lou gets on his hard hat, and starts to the top of the building with a new kid and they're going to set some steel pillars. Lou tells someone to get him a welder so he can weld two pieces together because the bolt won't set right. When Lou starts the welding there's and explosion on the top floor which has one man frozen and won't let go. Lou goes over to try to help him when another explosion goes off sending Big Lou to his Death. Along comes Cass Cassidy Big Lou's daughter who comes to the funeral. After the funeral, Cass and Pignose get together to talk about what she's going to do next. Pignose tells Cass that she has three weeks to get nine floors added on to this tower. Along comes Mike Cattan who used to work was a steel worker many years ago until he froze on top of a building and ever since then he's been driving a truck. One day while going down the highway driving his rig, Cattan hears someone beeping a horn at him and they want him to pull over. Therefore, Cattan pulls over only to find out that the gorgeous woman in the red sports car was Big Lou's daughter Cass. Cass tells Mike that she needs his help because Pignose told her that he was the best. Cass tells him that she needs nine more floors added to that building and she has only three weeks to do it.

QUESTIONS: Does Cass get her man? Why is Lou's Brother Eddie upset with his sister Cass? Does Cattan get the men that he needs to get this job done? Finally do they get this steel put together before the banks comes knocking?

MY THOUGHTS: I love this movie because it was field with action, adventure, and drama that kept you on your sits to the very end. I think Lee Majors was great in his role and George Kennedy was as good as ever. However, the person that caught my interest was Jennifer O'Neill. She was gorgeous in this movie and she defiantly can act. She also had spunk when it came to keeping her men in line. Because of Jennifer O'Neill and that beautiful body, I give this movie 10 weasel stars. One bite of trivia from this movie Stuntman A.J. Bacons died while doubling for George Kennedy in a fall that killed Kennedy's character. The scene had been shot safely with the stunt man jumping from the ninth floor of the construction site/shooting location in Lexington, KY. At the time he held the record for high falls, set while doubling Burt Reynolds in Hooper (1978), but when rival Dar Robinson later beat his distance in a helicopter jump at Knott's Berry Farm, A. J. and Lee Majors returned to the star's home state to re-shoot the opening of the movie with Bakunas actually jumping from the top of the building. He fell correctly onto an airbag, but the airbag split on impact. His father was with him at the time of his death, but his mother never visited A. J. on set because she always feared he would be killed. Ironically, the completed structure, Kincaid Towers, became home to a life insurance company that eventually went bankrupt.

The Six Million Dollar Man plays The man of Steel. How perfect is that?! This movie took a place in Lee Majors' actual home town Kentucky. It was reported that they used actual under the construction building (Kincaid Tower) at the time and build the set on top roof of Eastern Kentucky University building for the shooting.

This was not critically claimed nor big box office hit, and yet it is the one of the best action drama Majors ever produced and stared. Steel surely shines in his life long acting career. It defines what kind of actor he was, and he had great qualities to play this type of role (well, best or worst). He was man's man, but not in egoistic way. He was the kind of the guy let his action speak itself, tough in both physically and mentally, and yet vulnerable, respect and honor his friends, trying to do the right thing.

Mike Catton (Lee Majors) as foreman gathers craziest crews in skyscraper business to fight against all odds to finish up the building to meet the deadline. It is race against time! I still love this 70's ultimate guy movie because it portraits what real American men were used to be like.

Majors made a couple of films such as Agency with late Robert Mitchum and The last Chase with Late Burgess Meredith after Steel. Those two films did not take off, and Majors came back with huge success of TV Fall Guy.

Finally, Lee Majors was not the only man of Steel in this movie. Steel features other men of Steel. Academy Award winners: Art Carney (Harry & Tonto) and George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke) The film was dedicated for A.J. BAKUNIS who did stunt for George Kennedy's free fall scene from top of the building.

Steel is one of the 70's infamous movie that should be available on DVD.