Vintage original 27x41 in. US "Style C" one-sheet poster from the popular 1970's Hollywood-themed action comedy, HOOPER, released in 1978 by Warner Bros. and directed by Hal Needham. Aging stuntman Sonney Hooper (Burt Reynolds) is
still on top as one of the best stuntmen in the business. But up-and-coming Ski (Jan-Michael Vincent) is starting to do bigger and better stunts. Hooper has the experience to set-up
a stunt safely, while Ski lacks the common sense to know when a stunt is too
dangerous. Maybe together, along with their fun loving buddies, they can do a
stunt together that will surpass anything that anyone has done.
As indicated in the right half of the bottom border, this is the "Style C" one-sheet that depicts a large photographic image of a car sailing through the air across a river with the great tagline, "Ain't nobody can fly a car like Hooper!" Beneath this is great artwork depicting a close shot of motion picture stuntman Hooper (Burt Reynolds) blowing a bubble with his gum. Unrestored and folded as originally issued, this vintage original one-sheet poster is in very fine condition without any pinholes, tears, or stains and just a light 3.5 in. diagonal crease on the bottom right corner.
This film was not a tribute to just stuntmen
in general but to the well-known stuntman Jock Mahoney. Mahoney is the
stepfather of co-star Sally Field. \Reynolds and
director Hal Needham both worked as stuntmen early in their careers.
The film was made as a tribute to all of their fellow stuntmen. In the movie, Reynolds and James Best were
long-time friends and they were actually close friends in real life. In fact,
Best, who also taught acting, was an early acting instructor to Reynolds. In the scene where Hooper and crew are watching Hooper's
"stunt reel" at Hooper's house, the stunt reel contains scenes of
Burt Reynolds in Deliverance (1972)
being flipped out of the canoe. Director Hal Needham said
on a radio show that he decided he wanted a shot from the point-of-view of the
stuntman doing the motorcycle stunt that opens the film but the stuntman had
already left for the day; so Needham put on pads over his street clothes and
did the gag himself. The footage was not used, after all.
Stunt man A.J. Bakunas, doubling for Reynolds, dropped 232 feet,
setting a record for the highest jump without a parachute.