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Hal Needham
Director 1931 - 2013

Hal Needham

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013) was an American stuntman, film director, actor and writer. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Burt Reynolds, usually in films involving fast cars, such as Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Hooper (1978),... Read full bio →

Directed Films

Every film this person directed

11 titles
Hard Time: Hostage Hotel

Hard Time: Hostage Hotel

Hal Needham 1999 1h 28m

Final story in the Logan McQueen (Burt Reynolds) series finds the ex-cop having to rescue a congressman, his family, and Logan's ex-partner from a kidnapper who has taken the group hostage in an old hotel.

Rad

Rad

Hal Needham 1986 1h 33m 6.0

A BMX racer who lives in a small town with his mother and sister is faced with a tough decision, qualify for Helltrack or take his SAT's in order to attend college.

Body Slam

Body Slam

Hal Needham 1986 1h 29m 5.0

M. Harry Smilac is a down-on-his-luck music manager who is having a hard time attracting talent and booking gigs for his band, Kicks (The most recent of the gigs is a Dairy Queen opening!!). When making arrangements for a campaign fund-raiser, he mistakes Rick Roberts, a professional wrestler, for a musician and hires him.

Cannonball Run II

Cannonball Run II

Hal Needham 1984 1h 48m 5.8

The original characters from the first Cannonball Run movie complete in an illegal race across the country once more in various cars and trucks.

Stroker Ace

Stroker Ace

Hal Needham 1983 1h 34m 5.0

Stroker Ace, a champion NASCAR driver, is standing at the top of his career, but is getting fed up with having to do as he's told. In between rebelling against his sponsor (a fried chicken chain)'s promotion gimmicks (like making him dress up in giant chicken suit) he spends the rest of the movie trying to bed the buxom Pembrook.

Megaforce

Megaforce

Hal Needham 1982 1h 39m 6.0

Megaforce is an elite multi-national military unit that does the jobs that individual governments wont. When the peaceful Republic of Sardun in under threat from their more aggressive neighbour the beautiful Major Zara (Persis Khambatta) and General Byrne-White (Edward Mulhare) see the help of Ace Hunter (Barry Bostwick) and Megaforce.

The Cannonball Run

The Cannonball Run

Hal Needham 1981 1h 35m 6.8

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country car race.

Smokey and the Bandit II

Smokey and the Bandit II

Hal Needham 1980 1h 41m 5.1

The Bandit goes on another cross-country run, transporting an elephant from Florida to Texas. And, once again, Sheriff Buford T. Justice is on his tail.

The Villain

The Villain

Hal Needham 1979 1h 29m 5.0

The cowboy Handsome Stranger will escort miss Charming Jones to get a large sum of money from her father, Parody Jones. But the rich Avery Jones wants to lay his hands on the money and hires and old cowboy, Cactus Jack, to rob them when they ride back from her father. However, Cactus Jack is not very good at robbing people.

Hooper

Hooper

Hal Needham 1978 1h 39m 4.7

Burt Reynolds plays a legendary stunt man known as Sonny Hooper, who remains one of the top men in his field, but due to too many stressful impacts to the spine and the need to pop pain killers several times a day, he knows he should get out of the industry before he ends up permanently disabled.

Smokey and the Bandit

Smokey and the Bandit

Hal Needham 1977 1h 36m 7.1

The Bandit is hired on to run a tractor trailer full of beer over county lines in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff.

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