Evel Knievel **½ (1971, George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed) – Classic Movie Review 3996

Director Marvin Chomsky’s fairly entertaining 1971 biopic of the famed real-life dare-devil motorbike stuntman Evel Knievel stars George Hamilton, who plays him effectively here all cocky swagger, teeth and smiles, and suntan.

Naturally the exciting bike stunts help and so does the one-time Lolita, Sue Lyon, as Linda.

Alan Caillou’s reasonably adroit story and screenplay (with John Milius) shows Knievel reflecting on the main events of his life before making a big jump. Much of the film was shot in Knievel’s home town of Butte, Montana. The film

Also in the cast are Bert Freed, Rod Cameron, Dub Taylor, Ron Masak, Hal Baylor, Betty Bronson, Sylvia Hayes and Mary Peters.

The people who thought Knievel should have played himself in the movie got a chance to test the thought in 1977’s Viva Knievel, but they were proved wrong.

Sue Lyon, Sixties star of Lolita and Seven Women, is 70 on 19 July 2016, long retired from acting after Alligator in 1980.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3996

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com