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STUNTS, STARS & LEGENDS - November 2013

Stunts Stars And Legends: Robert M. Porter
Artwork and articles by John Hagner (Artist of the Stars)

Robert M. PorterBobby is an American actor and stuntman from Long Beach, California. In 1973 he played the role of Cornelius- the son of Caesar in Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Porter has happy memories of his first movie acting role. He as in college and fondly remember skipping class to go monkey around. ‘Battle’ was the first film he did as an actor rather than a stuntman. The Apes films had gotten down to very slim budgets by this time. He was hired after the stunt coordinator, Paul Stader, introduced him to the director, J. Lee Thompson, one of Hollywood’s true gentlemen. Roddy McDowell was a legend. Bobby couldn’t have had a better mentor. The 4 a.m. makeup calls and miserably long days were quickly forgotten when he stepped on the set and began his magic.

Bobby wore the ape make-up again in 1974 when he played the part of young Arno in the pilot episode of the Planet of the Apes television series.

Porter was one of the stuntmen featured in “Slaughter of the Innocent” filmed in Moab in 1993. He was also footprinted in cement at the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame during the filming.

John’s talents as an artist has gained the title of “Artist of the Stars”, having done hundreds of Celebrity drawings since 1946, when,. as a first class seaman in the Navy he was assigned to the Chaplain’s office as his assistant and illustrated for the ship’s newspaper. His first movie star drawing was of June Allyson, which is done in pastels. His art work is popular in many places, including Europe. He is available to do portrait drawings for anyone. Contact him at 435 260-2160, or email him at johnhagner@hotmail.com.


Hal Needham —
Stuntman and director of action films, and honored inductee into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, dies at 82. Hal Needham, a veteran Hollywood Stuntman who later embarked on a less dangerous career as a director of action movies including, “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Cannonball Run” both of which starred his friend Burt Reynolds, died Friday, October 25, 2013 of cancer. During the course of his career, Hal said in a speech at the Academy Awards last year, that he broke 56 bones including his back twice. He punctured a lung, had a shoulder replaced and knocked out several teeth. He invented several new stunt methods and devices-among which was the introduction of air bags for breaking falls, prompted by watching pole-vaulters-as a way of saving himself more trips to the hospital.

Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on Twitter ... “I’m still grateful he took a chance with me in “The Villain” which starred Kirk Douglas in 1979. I’ll miss him.

Hal Needham was born way back in the hills of Arkansas during the Great Depression. He was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. He is an honored Inductee in the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame and was footprinted in cement in 1975 in Palmdale, California where the Hall of Fame first opened its doors to the visiting public.

In 1989, the Hall of Fame opened its doors here in Moab Utah, where it was open until 1995. It has been in storage ever since. Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible donation may do so by sending your donation to: Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, 81 W. Kane Creek Blvd. Moab UT 84532

 


Movies Made in Moab

SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENT (1993)
Director: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Armin Shimerman, Scott Glenn and a host of others.
Filmed in Moab, Utah.
Fast plot about a moab nut who thinks he is Noah and collects two of every living thing. Detective Broderick, with help from his teenage son, gather evidence and find the ghastly horror of this schizophrenic man who kills and kidnaps for his so assumed god.
After a double homicide is blamed on a solitary orphaned loner, a seasoned Fed believes the police have the wrong man. After the ‘convicted’ suspect is executed, a murder of a store clerk and then a child kidnapping occurs which mirrors the child homicide. Despite the fed’s claims, no one believes him, other than his child-genius son who sets out on his own investigation to help his father expose and stop the true double child murderer, who’s long time religious abuse and torture has driven him into being convinced he’s on a fanatical crusade to build a new ark for an upcoming apocalyptic flood.

 

If interested in learning more about the Hall of Fame, please contact John Hagner (Founder) at 435 260-2160.
email: johnhagner@hotmail.com
Hall of Fame website: www.stuntmen.org

John Hagner (Founder) is also the Artist of the Stars.
His Celebrity Portrait Drawings are available at telephone 435-259-7000,
Mailing address: 50 W. 400 N, Moab, Utah 84532.
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