''Stunts Unlimited'' is a 1980 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...

about stunt performers directed by

Hal Needham Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013) was an American stuntman, film director, actor, writer, and NASCAR team owner. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Burt Reynolds, usually in films involving fast c ...

Plot

A group of professional stunt performers is hired by a former U.S. Intelligence agent to retrieve a stolen weapon from a dangerous arms dealer.

Cast

* Chip Mayer as Matt Lewis * Susanna Dalton as C.C. Brandt * Sam J. Jones as Bo Carlson *

Glenn Corbett Glenn Corbett (born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg; August 17, 1933 – January 16, 1993)"CORBETT Obituary — Corbett, 59, starred in 'Route 66,' Wayne films." ''San Antonio Express-News'' January 18, 1993. Web. May 29, 2012. Document #0F22314D ...

as Dirk Macauley * Linda Grovenor as Jody Webber *

Alejandro Rey Alejandro Rey (February 8, 1930 – May 21, 1987) was an Argentine-American actor and television director. Career Early work Rey was born in Buenos Aires and studied acting under Hedwig Schlichter and Milagros de la Vega. He became known a ...

as Fernando Castilla *

Stefan Gierasch Stefan Gierasch (February 5, 1926 – September 6, 2014) was an American film and television actor. Career Gierasch made over 100 screen appearances, mostly in American television, beginning in 1951. In the mid-1960s, he performed with the Trin ...

as Axel Kalb *

Victor Mohica Victor Mohica (born Victor Mojica; July 31, 1933 – October 17, 2019) was an American actor. Though of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican descent, he often portrayed Native Americans in his roles. His works include guest-star episode of ''Dark Shadows'' t ...

as Joe Tallia * Lina Raymond as Cora * Alfie Wise as Tom *

as H.N. *

Arthur Weiss Arthur Weiss (13 June 1912 – 26 August 1980) was an American script writer for two decades on action/adventure TV shows like '' Mission: Impossible'', ''Mannix'', '' The Fugitive'', ''Super Friends'', ''The Time Tunnel'' and ''Sea Hunt''. His ...

as Fall Director * Richard Ziker as The Star *

John Larroquette John Bernard Larroquette (; born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' (1984–1992; for which he rec ...

as Leading Man * Linda McClure as 1st Assistant Director * Victoria Peters as Rhea * Peaches Pook as Waitress * Sandy Lang as 2nd Assistant Director * Graydon Gould as Western Director *

Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...

Nicholas David Nicholas David Mrozinski, formerly known as Nick "The Feelin'" Mrozinski, (born August 14, 1980) is an American soul singer-songwriter based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was a finalist on the third season of NBC’s ''The Voice''. Performed at ...

as Fred *

Danny Rogers Daniel "Danny" Rogers (born 23 March 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for St Patrick's Athletic. Born in the United States, he has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level. Personal life Rogers was born in ...

as Fire Stuntman *

Alan Gibbs Alan Gibbs (born 1939) is a New Zealand-born businessman, entrepreneur and art collector. After a successful business career in New Zealand, which made him one of that country's wealthiest individuals, he relocated to London in 1999. He retains ...

as Rider #1 * Monty Laird as Pistol Stuntman *

Mickey Gilbert Mickey Gilbert is an American rodeo performer and film stunt man. Gilbert has been Robert Redford's stuntman on Redford films beginning with '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), through '' The Old Man & the Gun'' (1988). In the traile ...

as Horse Rider *

Walter Wyatt Walter Wyatt (July 20, 1893 – February 26, 1978) was an American lawyer, who served as the twelfth Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Wyatt received his LL.B. from the University of ...

as Rider #2 *

Stan Barrett Stan Barrett (born June 26, 1943) is a Hollywood stuntman, stunt coordinator actor, and former stock car racing driver. His biggest act was however outside the movie world. On December 17, 1979, he attempted to break the land speed record, and t ...

as Tower Stuntman * Charles Picerni as Air Stuntman * Stefan Gudju as Gate Guard * Maureen Cavaretta as Trapeze Lady #1 * Vicki Mathaway as Trapeze Lady #2 * Charles A. Tamburro as Bunker Guard * Jophery C. Brown as Roving Guard * Richard Lapp as Minor Role

Production

The title of the film is an homage to the real company Stunts Unlimited, a stunt group formed by Hal Needham, Glenn Wilder, and Ronnie Rondell in 1970.

Broadcast and reception

The TV movie was broadcast on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

at 9:30 p.m.

Eastern Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small por ...

on January 4, 1980 as the pilot for a proposed series but the series was not picked up.
Upon the film's broadcast, the staff of ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' wrote that "the idea is ingenious" and "it ought to be a series".

References

External links

* {{Hal Needham 1980 television films 1980 films 1980 action films ABC network original films Action television films American television films Films about arms trafficking Films about stunt performers Films directed by Hal Needham Films scored by Barry De Vorzon Paramount Television Television pilots not picked up as a series 1980s English-language films