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Richard Graydon
Richard Graydon (12 May 1922 – 22 December 2014) was a British stunt performer and stunt coordinator best known for his work in the ''James Bond'' film series. Early life He was educated at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and was an amateur jockey and a dancer. He was rejected for service in the RAF in World War II due to a childhood eye injury. Career His acting, dancing and horse-riding skills were used to good effect in the 1952 film ''The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men'', and he then developed a career as a stunt performer. His stunts for James Bond films included tobogganing down the Cresta Run in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service,'' doubling for George Lazenby, and later for Roger Moore in a cable car fight scene 1,000 ft above ground on Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil, in '' Moonraker.'' At in height, Graydon was shorter than Moore, but it was necessary to maintain the height difference with the stuntman doubling for the Richard Kiel Richard Dawson Kiel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stunt Performer
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed to a daredevil, who performs for a live audience. When they take the place of another actor, they are known as stunt doubles. Overview A stuntman or stuntwoman typically performs stunts intended for use in a film or dramatized television. Stunts seen in films and television include car crashes, falls from great height, drags (for example, behind a horse), and explosions. There is an inherent risk in the performance of all stunt work. There is maximum risk when the stunts are performed in front of a live audience. In filmed performances, visible safety mechanisms can be removed by editing. In live performances the audience can see more clearly if the performer is genuinely doing what they claim or appear to do. To reduce the risk of injury ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moonraker (film)
''Moonraker'' is a 1979 Spy-fi (subgenre), spy-fi film, the eleventh in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond filmography, James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Cléry, and Richard Kiel. Bond investigates the theft of a Space Shuttle, leading him to Hugo Drax, the owner of the shuttle's manufacturing firm. Along with space scientist Holly Goodhead, Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond follows the trail from California to Venice, Rio de Janeiro, the Amazon rainforest, and finally into outer space to prevent a plot to wipe out the world population and to recreate humanity with a master race. The story was intended by author Ian Fleming to become a film even before he completed the Moonraker (novel), novel in 1954; he based it on a screenplay manuscript he had devised earlier. The fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dead Cert (1974 Film)
''Dead Cert'' is a 1974 British crime thriller film directed by Tony Richardson. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel of the same name by Dick Francis. Plot In this film based on Dick Francis' mystery novel, Alan York ( Scott Antony) is stunned when his dear friend, skilled jockey Bill Davidson ( Ian Hogg) is killed during a simple steeplechase. Convinced Davidson's death was no accident, York begins an investigation with a suspicion that Davidson's racehorse, Admiral, was drugged in a murderous act of sabotage. Assisting him as he delves into this world of high stakes, horses and gambling is Davidson's devoted widow, Laura (Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...). Cast References External links * * * 1974 films 1974 crime films British crime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Last Valley (film)
''The Last Valley'' is a 1971 film directed by James Clavell, a historical drama set during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). While war ravages southern Germany, a mercenary leader (Michael Caine) and a teacher (Omar Sharif) stumble upon a valley untouched by the war. Based upon the novel ''The Last Valley (novel), The Last Valley'' (1959), by John Pick, J. B. Pick, the cinematic version of ''The Last Valley'', directed by James Clavell, was the final feature film photographed with the Todd-AO 70 mm film, 70 mm widescreen process until it was revived to make the film ''Baraka (film), Baraka'' in 1991. Plot "The Captain" leads a band of mercenaries who fight for whoever will pay them, regardless of religion. His soldiers pillage the countryside, raping and looting when not fighting. Vogel is a former teacher trying to survive the fighting and resulting chaos in south-central Germany. Vogel runs from the Captain's force, and eventually stumbles upon an idyllic mountain valley, un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
You Only Live Twice (film)
''You Only Live Twice'' is a 1967 spy film and the fifth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is the first Bond film to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, who later directed the 1977 film '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' and the 1979 film '' Moonraker'', both starring Roger Moore. The screenplay of ''You Only Live Twice'' was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name. It is the first James Bond film to discard most of Fleming's plot, using only a few characters and locations from the book as the background for an entirely new story. In the film, Bond is dispatched to Japan after American and Soviet crewed spacecraft disappear mysteriously in orbit, each nation blaming the other amidst the Cold War. Bond travels secretly to a remote Japanese island to find the perpetrators, and comes face-to-face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. The film reveals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thunderball (film)
''Thunderball'' is a 1965 spy film and the fourth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the 1961 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham devised from a story conceived by Kevin McClory, Whittingham, and Fleming. It was the third and final Bond film to be directed by Terence Young, with its screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins. The film follows Bond's mission to find two NATO atomic bombs stolen by SPECTRE, which holds the world for ransom of £100 million in diamonds under its threat to destroy an unspecified metropolis in either the United Kingdom or the United States (later revealed to be Miami). The search leads Bond to the Bahamas, where he encounters Emilio Largo, the card-playing, eyepatch-wearing SPECTRE Number Two. Backed by CIA agent Felix Leiter and Largo's mistress, Domino Derval, Bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand National Night
''Grand National Night'' is a 1953 British thriller film brought to the screen by George Minter, produced by Phil C. Samuel, and based on a play of the same title written by Campbell and Dorothy Christie. It was directed by Bob McNaught and starred Nigel Patrick, Moira Lister and Beatrice Campbell (Patrick's wife) with support from Michael Hordern, Noel Purcell and a cameo role from Colin Gordon. The film was shot at Walton Studios near London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Frederick Pusey. Cinematography was by Jack Asher. Previous to this film version Grand National Night had been presented as a BBC Radio serial as well as the original stage play, which was produced in 1945 and 1946. The cast of the original play was headed by Leslie Banks as Gerald Coates. Plot Racehorse trainer Gerald Coates argues with his alcoholic wife Babs on the evening after his horse has won the Grand National. She attacks him with a knife and there is a struggle with the knif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' is a 1998 British black comedy crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, produced by Matthew Vaughn and starring an ensemble cast featuring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Steven Mackintosh, Sting with Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham in their feature film debuts. The story is a heist involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three-card brag. To pay off his debts, he and his friends decide to rob a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door. The film brought Ritchie international acclaim and introduced actors Jones, a former Wales international footballer, and Statham, a former diver, to worldwide audiences. Based on a $1.35 million budget, the film had a box office gross of over $28 million, making it a commercial success. A British television series, '' Lock, Stock...'', followed in 2000, running for seven episodes including t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Batman (1989 Film)
''Batman'' is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial ''Batman'' film series. The film was produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy The Joker. After Burton was hired as director in 1986, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay. ''Batman'' was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988). The tone and themes of the film were partly influenced by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's '' The Killing Joke'' and Frank Miller's ''The Dark Knight Returns''. The film primarily adapts and diverts from the "Red Hood" origin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ladyhawke (film)
''Ladyhawke'' is a 1985 medieval fantasy film directed and produced by Richard Donner and starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. The story is about a young thief who becomes unwillingly involved with a warrior and his lady who are hunted by the Bishop of Aquila. As he learns about the couple's past and secret, he chooses to help them overcome the bishop's forces: men-at-arms, a wolf hunter and an infernal curse. Plot In medieval Italy, Phillipe Gaston, a thief known as "The Mouse", is imprisoned in the dungeons of the evil Bishop of Aquila. Phillipe escapes, just in time to avoid execution. He is recaptured at an inn by the Bishop's guards, led by Captain Marquet. The former captain, Etienne Navarre, arrives, rescues him, and defeats Marquet and the guards. As Navarre and Phillipe flee on horseback, Navarre's hawk scatters the other guards, aiding the escape. Navarre and Phillipe stay the night at a farmer's barn. Later, Phillipe tries to leave, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Man Who Fell To Earth
''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' is a 1976 British science fiction drama film directed by Nicolas Roeg and written by Paul Mayersberg. Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 novel of the same name, the film follows an extraterrestrial (Thomas Jerome Newton) who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought, but finds himself at the mercy of human vices and corruption. It stars David Bowie, Candy Clark, Buck Henry, and Rip Torn. It was produced by Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings. The same novel was later adapted as a television film in 1987. A 2022 television series with the same name serves as a continuation of the film 45 years later, including featuring Newton as a character and showing archival footage from the film. ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' retains a cult following for its use of surreal imagery and Bowie's first starring film role as the alien Thomas Jerome Newton. It is considered an important work of science ficti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Look Now
''Don't Look Now'' ( it, A Venezia... un Dicembre rosso shocking, lit=In Venice... a shocking red December) is a 1973 English-language film in the thriller genre directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland portray Laura and John Baxter, a married couple who travel to Venice following the recent accidental death of their daughter, after John accepts a commission to restore a church. They encounter two sisters, one of whom claims to be clairvoyant and informs them that their daughter is trying to contact them and warn them of danger. John at first dismisses their claims, but starts to experience mysterious sightings himself. ''Don't Look Now'' focuses on the psychology of grief and the effect the death of a child can have on a relationship. The film is renowned for its innovative editing style, recurring motifs and themes, and for a controversial sex scene that was explicit by the standards of contempor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
