Evel Knievel - O Rei das Proezas

Even though as a kid growing up in the 1970s I thought Evel Knievel was, along with Bruce Lee and Bill Bixby as "The Magician", one of the coolest guys on the planet, I'd for some reason never seen this biopic. Boy, watching this now is a trip! It's a mess of a movie really, but fascinating just the same. Firstly you have the oddball casting of George Hamilton as Knievel. Okay, it maybe isn't as left field as him playing Hank Williams, but it's still very odd. Secondly, Evel comes across as a real idiot, giving long winded egotistical speeches, slamming 'Easy Rider' and those "weirdos" for "giving bike riding a bad name". Thirdly, as an actual biography it's useless. We learn nothing about his life or how he became a stunt rider, let alone WHY he did what he did. Instead you get some utterly preposterous flash backs which include Evel kidnapping his future wife, robbing a store and even City Hall (with dynamite!), making you think you're watching some kind of proto-'Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind'! Hamilton gives a very unnatural, mannered performance, and the supporting cast includes Sue Lyon ('Lolita') as his wife Linda, Bert Freed, who was in everything from 'Paths Of Glory' to 'Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?' to 'Billy Jack', made the same year as this (he's the guy who says "We got the law here, Billy Jack"), plays his long suffering doctor, and Peckinpah regular Dub Taylor has a nice bit towards the beginning as the promoter who gives Evel his first break at a rodeo. 'Evel Knievel' is in many ways an awful movie but 1970s heads will get a kick out of it. You either dig these kind of Drive In exploitation movies or you don't. If you do, check this one out, it's a hoot!

This biographical movie opened on Sept. 10, 1971. Evil Knievel was just 32 years old at the time, but already a legend in America and beyond. Just three years later, he would attempt his jump across the Snake River Canyon. More on that later.

In dissecting the movie and comparing it to Knievel's real life, most reviewers miss the real point of this film, I think. Knievel was at the peak of his popularity. Every stunt he did was to make money. He had a sense of showmanship about it. And, he had a huge ego. Already he had suffered many of the 300 plus broken bones in his life. He wouldn't be able to work as a daredevil much longer. So, the time was right for a movie on the legend.

I don't know how the Knievel and Hamilton connection came about. Surely, Knievel must have provided a lot of information for this film. His background and trouble with the law while growing up in Butte, MT, isn't ignored; but is treated lightly and with a sense of humor. Knievel was known to espouse some values for children – about keeping away from drugs. Whether or not that's how he truly felt, he did in fact issue his warnings in public. It may have been part of his showman persona, but it was effective in helping paint an image of a daredevil hero. Later in life, Knievel assaulted and badly beat an author with a baseball bat. The public soon learned that his private life was far different from his public persona.

But this movie is about Knievel's early life and rise to legend status. I think George Hamilton nailed the character in this film. He moves between deadpan seriousness, humor, and anxiety with ease. That must have been how the real Evel Knievel was – in the minds of viewers, but also in the glossy hype about the legend. Sue Lyon and Bert Freed do well in their roles. Most of the incidents in the film actually happened. But, how much of the details are fact or fiction – who knows?

Now, for the historic jump that took place three years after this film. I remember watching it on TV. I don't recall if it was live (closed circuit) or a news cast, but the program showed Knievel's jump across the Snake River Canyon about five miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho. His cycle looked more like a rocket ship than a motorcycle. It was built specifically for the jump. The canyon at that point was about 1,600 feet across – from edge to edge; but the jump trajectory was 3,500 feet. Kneivel rocketed from South to North and he actually made it across the canyon. But his safety parachute had opened right at lift off and the drag held him up enough that strong northwest winds carried him back over the canyon where he descended to the floor. He came to rest just outside the waters and walked out without a scratch.

I've been to the Snake River Canyon jump site. Today, a monument is located there. It's about five miles east of Twin Falls, ID. Take I-84 exit 173 and go south toward Idaho Falls about three miles. Watch for signs at the bridge over the Snake River Canyon. Follow the falls road to the jump site. While there, a visit to Shoshone Falls Park is a must. The falls are very impressive.

George Hamilton is looser than usual portraying 20th century phenomenon Bobby "Evel" Knievel, a young hell-raiser from Butte, Montana who graduated from motorcycle stunts in front of small rodeo crowds to death-defying jumps in front of thousands. Written by Alan Caillou and John Milius, the high-flown 'humility' from Knievel is sometimes hard to swallow (particularly his lengthy speech at the picture's opening); however, the self-praise isn't damning in the rowdy flashbacks to Knievel's early years, which include cop-baiting chases and sorority-crashing adventures. The modern-day Evel is shown as a paranoid egomaniac with a short temper, and every segue back to the present day is a bummer. Not particularly well-directed or assembled, but produced handsomely (by Hamilton) and moderately engaging. ** from ****

When you think about it, the idea of someone risking their life for the sake of entertainment is obscene. So, let's not think about it. Watching EVEL KNIEVEL, we can say that he was a major adrenaline freak with a possible death wish, while still respecting his right to jump over things on his motorcycle.

George Hamilton is perfectly cast in the role of the titular daredevil. His smirking attitude toward danger, bodily injury, and dismemberment, breathes life into the legend that is Bobby "Evel" Knievel. We're treated to the story via flashbacks. Hamilton's Knievel is a man who knows his destiny lies in superstardom through increasingly hazardous risks. He lives to defy the fact that he could be obliterated into hamburger at any moment!

The actual footage of Knievel's stunts and crashes are spectacular. One in particular appears to be inescapably fatal. Yet, he somehow lived through it! Watch and believe!

Co-stars Sue Lyon as Evel's hopelessly beleaguered wife...

This is really a fun movie. I have no idea if any of it remotely resembles the actual life of motorcycle showman Evel Knievel (I doubt it) but that does nothing to detract from the film. George Hamilton is great as Knievel. Both his performance and the film's script make you care about the character and that alone seperates it from most films. If you get a chance, watch it.