Hooper

Sonny Hooper is one of Hollywood's most sought-after stuntmen, but years of hard landings have left his spine in constant pain, and he relies on painkillers to get through a day's work. He knows he should walk away before the damage becomes permanent. Then a young, ambitious newcomer named Ski arrives on set, eager to take his place, and the producer and director of a new action picture push both men toward ever more dangerous gags. Rather than step aside, Sonny, who shares his life with Gwen, the daughter of an older stuntman, agrees to a stunt involving a rocket-powered car launched over a demolished bridge.

The action comedy was directed by Hal Needham, a former stuntman himself, from a screenplay by Thomas Rickman and Bill Kerby. It followed Smokey and the Bandit in Needham's filmography and came before The Villain, Smokey and the Bandit II, The Cannonball Run and other titles. Burt Reynolds, who also produced, stars as Sonny, with Jan-Michael Vincent as Ski, Sally Field as Gwen, Brian Keith, John Marley and Robert Klein in supporting roles. Sixty-three cast members and 161 crew are credited.

Made for about 6 million dollars, Hooper took in roughly 78 million worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from around 8,700 votes, and on TMDB 6.3 out of 10 from about 145 votes. A critics' rating of 5 out of 10 from 21 reviews puts it somewhat below the audience scores.