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Rollercoaster (1977 Film)
''Rollercoaster'' is a 1977 American disaster-suspense film starring George Segal, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, and Timothy Bottoms, and directed by James Goldstone. It was one of the few films to be shown in Sensurround, which used extended-range bass frequencies to give a sense of vibration to the viewers during the coaster rides. Plot An unnamed man (Timothy Bottoms) (simply called "young man" in the credits) sneaks into Ocean View Amusement Park and places a small radio-controlled bomb on the tracks of the park's wooden roller coaster, The Rocket. The bomb detonates, causing the ride's train to derail, killing and injuring the riders as a result. Safety inspector Harry Calder (George Segal), who initially cleared the ride, is called to the park to investigate. A park worker tells Calder that he saw what he thought was a park maintenance man up on the tracks earlier that day but did not state that the man was someone other than the park had authorized to be there. In Pittsbu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Levinson
Richard Leighton Levinson (August 7, 1934 – March 12, 1987) was an American screenwriter and Television producer, producer who often worked in collaboration with William Link. Life and career Levinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Economics in 1956. He served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1958 and married actress Rosanna Huffman in 1969. Levinson was of Jews, Jewish heritage. William Link and Richard Levinson began a 43-year-long friendship in 1946, on their first day of junior high school. Both were avid Ellery Queen fans from boyhood and enjoyed mental puzzles and challenges, a characteristic that would spill over into their work. Beginning with radio scripts, the team wrote plays and then prime-time TV scripts. They went on to co-create and sometimes produce the detective television series ''Columbo'', ''Mannix'', ''Ellery Queen (TV series), Ellery Queen'', ''Murder, She W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ocean View Amusement Park
Ocean View Amusement Park was an amusement park at the end of Granby Street at Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, opened in 1905 and operated by Jack L. Greenspoon and Dudley Cooper. The amusement park and its wooden coaster, the Rocket, appeared in the 1977 movie ''Rollercoaster'' but closed on September 4, 1978. The Rocket was destroyed as part of the making of the television program '' The Death of Ocean View Park'' in 1979. The amusement park had five coasters, including the Southern Belle, Leap the Dips, Figure Seven and the Rocket. The history of the park is described at the Ocean View Station Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. Vintage features and attractions The dance hall In the park's heyday, the dance hall was a place for young singles and couples to meet and socialize. At the west end, outside of the Promenade, it featured live bands and a large wooden floor for dancing. During the 1960s, it fell into disuse and was closed down. The lawn and bath houses Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Prince (actor)
William LeRoy Prince (January 26, 1913 – October 8, 1996) was an American actor who appeared in numerous soap operas and made dozens of guest appearances on primetime series as well as playing villains in movies like '' The Gauntlet'', ''The Cat from Outer Space'' and ''Spontaneous Combustion''. Early life Prince was born in Nichols, New York, the son of Myrtle Jane (née Osborne), a nurse, and Miles Gorman Prince, who worked in sales. When Prince was a senior at Cornell University, he left to act ''in The Taming of the Shrew'' as part of a Federal Theatre tour. He gained additional experience with the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia, including a trip to New York for a 1937 production. He also performed in Shakespeare's plays in a company headed by Maurice Evans. Career Early in Prince's career, he supplemented his limited income from acting in summer stock productions in Pennsylvania by photographing children professionally. Off-season from summer stock he was an ann ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig Wasson
Craig Wasson (born March 15, 1954) is an American actor. He made his film debut in ''Rollercoaster'' (1977). He is best known for his roles as Jake Scully in Brian DePalma's ''Body Double'' (1984), and Neil Gordon in Chuck Russell's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'' (1987). For his role as Danilo Prozor in Arthur Penn's '' Four Friends'' (1981), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Early life Wasson was born March 15, 1954 in Ontario, Oregon. Career Wasson's first feature film was the 1977 suspense thriller ''Rollercoaster''. In 1978, he appeared in two films about the Vietnam war: first as a private in ''The Boys in Company C'' and then as a corporal in ''Go Tell the Spartans''. He also wrote and sang the haunting folk song "Here I Am (In Vietnam)", which served as the theme song for ''The Boys in Company C''. Craig starred in the short-lived 1980 TV series ''Skag''. In 1981, he played Don Wanderley, a junior English professor in the film ''Ghost Story' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Bell (actor)
Michael Bell (born July 30, 1938) is an American actor who is most active in voice over roles, known for his youthful voice. He has acted in video games and animated series, including ''Legacy of Kain'', '' The Transformers'', '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', ''The Houndcats'', ''Rugrats'', ''The Smurfs'', and ''Snorks'' and appeared on-screen in film and television, including the TV programs ''Dallas'' and ''Star Trek''. Bell was described as being "one of the most prominent voice actors of the 1980s." Both Bell's wife, Victoria Carroll, and his daughter, Ashley Bell, are actresses. Early life Michael Bell was born on July 30, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. Career 1970s and 1980s voice work Bell had an important part in animated entertainment in the 1970s and 1980s. His first voice role was that of Stutz, the leader of ''The Houndcats''. He followed this with a co-starring role in the Canadian biker film "The Proud Rider" in 1971. In 1973, he was Mark on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayne Tippit
Wayne Tippit (December 19, 1932 – August 28, 2009) was an American television and stage character actor. He was best known to television audiences for playing Ted Adamson on the 1970s and 1980s CBS soap opera, ''Search for Tomorrow'', for five years. He later portrayed Palmer Woodward, the father of Heather Locklear's character, Amanda Woodward, on the Fox primetime soap opera, ''Melrose Place'', during the 1990s. Early life Gerald Wayne Tippit was born on December 19, 1932, in Lubbock, Texas. He initially enrolled at what is now called Texas Tech University, where he pursued drama and speech. However, Tippit transferred to the University of Iowa, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1953. Tippit enlisted in the United States Army following his graduation, where he produced a radio show. He moved to New York City after leaving the Army in order to pursue stage and theater roles. Career Shortly after arriving in New York City in the late 1950s, Tippit appeare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jamie Buchman in the sitcom ''Mad About You'' (1992–1999, 2019), which earned her three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Hunt won the Academy Award for Best Actress for starring as Carol Connelly in the romantic comedy ''As Good as It Gets'' (1997), while her portrayal of Cheryl Cohen-Greene in '' The Sessions'' (2012), gained her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other notable films include ''Twister'' (1996), ''Cast Away'' (2000), ''What Women Want'' (2000), ''Pay It Forward'' (2000), ''Bobby'' (2006), ''Soul Surfer'' (2011), and ''The Miracle Season'' (2018). Hunt made her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a amusement park located in Valencia, California, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added "Six Flags" to the park's name. With 20 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain holds the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park. It became the first amusement park to offer 20 roller coasters with the opening of Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage in 2022. In 2017, the park had an estimated 3.3 million visitors, ranking it sixteenth in attendance in North America. History In 1968, Sea World Inc. founder George Millay and his executives began looking for a place in the Los Angeles county to build a theme park. Knowing that Newhall Land and Farming Company had enough undeveloped land in the new town of Valencia, he asked C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The New Revolution (roller Coaster)
The New Revolution (formerly known as Revolution, Great American Revolution and La Revolución) is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 8, 1976. The New Revolution is the world's first modern roller coaster to feature a vertical loop and has been recognized for that accomplishment by American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), who awarded the roller coaster its Coaster Landmark status. However, there were earlier examples of roller coasters with a full vertical loop, such as the steel roller coaster called "Looping the Loop" in Parque Japonés in Buenos Aires, which operated from 1911 to 1930. The coaster was named after the American Revolution in celebration of the country's Bicentennial. Unlike many of the previous looping roller coasters in the 19th and early-20th centuries which attempted circular loops, Revolution's success w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gondola Lift
A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor. It is often considered a ''continuous system'' since it features a haul rope which continuously moves and circulates around two terminal stations. In contrast, an aerial tramway operates solely with fixed grips and simply shuttles back and forth between two end terminals. The capacity, cost, and functionality of a gondola lift will differ dramatically depending on the combination of cables used for support and haulage and the type of grip (detachable or fixed). Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alps, the it, Cabinovia and french: Télécabine are also used in English-language texts. The systems m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Racer 75
Racer 75 is a wooden racing roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Designed by John C. Allen, the ride opened with the park in 1975 as Rebel Yell. It features a similar track layout to The Racer (1972) at Kings Island and the now-defunct Thunder Road at Carowinds (1976). In 2018, Rebel Yell was renamed Racer 75, dropping its Confederate theme to represent its racing layout and opening year, as well as a subtle nod to the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) organization that was founded in 1978. History Racer 75 opened as Rebel Yell with Kings Dominion's grand opening in 1975. The original name paid homage to the battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Shortly after its debut, the racing roller coaster was prominently featured in the 1977 film ''Rollercoaster''. In 1992, the trains on one side were changed to face and run backwards, which was a similar change made on Kings Island's The Racer a decade earlier in 1982. Locals would call thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion is an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia, north of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island, and the nickname for the state of Virginia, "Old Dominion." History Early history as Kings Dominion (1972–83) Following the success of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park. A site was chosen in Doswell, Virginia, with construction beginning on October 1, 1972. The new park was designed with similar themes, rides, and activities as sister park Kings Island. Following a limited preview of the park's Lion Country Safari, a dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
