Watched an episode of this 80's American action series tonight—kind of a favourite as a kid—and at the beginning, hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) and his sidekick Howie (Doug Barr) are watching an old kung-fu movie on the Fox lot in the hopes of landing the contract for an upcoming production. Between them, they figure they can master everything they see on screen in about two weeks! Naturally, this all comes in handy later in the episode when the pair chase a couple of bail jumpers to Hawaii (or in this case, L.A. pretending to be Hawaii with the help of stock footage) and they have to battle . . . Japanese Yakuza!

Anyways, thought some of you kung fu junkies would get a kick out of trying to ID the movie they're watching. Me, I haven't got a clue, but I know some of you folks watch these flicks in your sleep, so have at it. Once we ID it, we can add this silly bit of trivia to it's DB entry.

The establishing shot
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a little closer:
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and back out again:
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now some two-on-one action (with David Chiang?)
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And, since this was an American TV show shooting an episode (or pretending to shoot an episode) in Hawaii, it just wouldn't be complete without perennial Special Guest Star . . .


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And for good measure, in only his second screen appearance, Professor Toru Tanaka in a throwaway gag:
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Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm almost positive the film in question is "The Water Margin." If so, it was directed by Chang Cheh, produced by the Shaw Brothers, and released in 1972. American audiences, such as the characters on the show, more than likely know the film by its stateside title "Seven Blows of the Dragon."

If so, it is worth viewing at least once and is one of a dozen or more Shaw Brothers titles picked up by Image Entertainment here in the States.

Didn't think that would take long! If it is THE WATER MARGIN, I haven't seen it, but I DO have it, so it's only a matter of time (unless, of course, there's a differing opinion on the way!).

Thanks!

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This is real spooky . I saw this episode a couple of months back and even took VERY similar screen grabs . I was just about to do the exact same post when I decided people would think I was either being really anal or berating me for watching the Fall Guy .

Anyhow, suffice it to say, The Fall Guy was a major draw for me as a kid. I just loved it to bits and, sad as I am, pre-ordered the first season as soon as I saw it was being released (I was at work at the time and my whoops of delight caused some unwanted attention when I should have been working). I've nearly finished the season now and it's obviously a product of its time but I still find some of it really fun - like this episode, as it happens! I can't get over the fact, though, that the stuntman who doubles for Lee Majors (and it seems to be the same guy throughout) is so obviously NOT Lee Majors. Why didn't I notice this as a kid? The innocence of youth? Lower definition TVs? Anyhow, the only episode that I really didn't like was the Adventures of Ozzie and Harold, which I thought was a real drag. And I think I was a little too young on first viewing to appreciate what Heather Thomas brought to the series!

Anyway, back on topic, it is definitely Chang Cheh's Water Margin shown in the clip.

cal42 wrote:This is real spooky . I saw this episode a couple of months back and even took VERY similar screen grabs . I was just about to do the exact same post when I decided people would think I was either being really anal or berating me for watching the Fall Guy .

Anyhow, suffice it to say, The Fall Guy was a major draw for me as a kid. I just loved it to bits and, sad as I am, pre-ordered the first season as soon as I saw it was being released (I was at work at the time and my whoops of delight caused some unwanted attention when I should have been working). I've nearly finished the season now and it's obviously a product of its time but I still find some of it really fun - like this episode, as it happens! I can't get over the fact, though, that the stuntman who doubles for Lee Majors (and it seems to be the same guy throughout) is so obviously NOT Lee Majors. Why didn't I notice this as a kid? The innocence of youth? Lower definition TVs? Anyhow, the only episode that I really didn't like was the Adventures of Ozzie and Harold, which I thought was a real drag. And I think I was a little too young on first viewing to appreciate what Heather Thomas brought to the series!

Anyway, back on topic, it is definitely Chang Cheh's Water Margin shown in the clip.

My biggest wish as an 11-year-old was to have Colt Seavers' GMC Sierra Grande some day. Now those were wheels, man! Hell, I probably figured I could pull off the same four-point landings, too, never once realizing how much modification had to be done to pull that off! Nevertheless, the best I could muster at the time was the model kit (which is still in storage somewhere!) and the little die-cast version, which is one of the few trinkets that actually sits on my bookshelves, but I eventually did own a big-ass shiny new 4x4 for a time in the mid 90's, even if it was a different model. I wonder if I got it just so I could play that theme song while I was driving around! Geez, no shame here, eh?

I had a feeling the show would be a product of its time, so I went with the half-season Vol. 1 set just to be safe. The pilot is still pretty cool (and one of the few places you can hear the complete theme song), but there's such a heavy lean towards stunt footage from other movies being intercut with the Lee Majors footage (something I knew even as a kid), as well as that cheapo 80's technique of shooting non-action outdoor footage without sound, and dubbing in dialogue after-the-fact (when the camera's on one person, the other speaks in voice-over only, and vice-versa). And you're so right about Majors' stunt double! That "samurai" fight at the end was pretty ridiculous! Gotta love how Seaver's stunt training (which in reality would be built at least partially around illusion), always gets him out of even the worst situations - like swordfighting!

This 'Hawaii' episode was particularly galling in that it was so obviously not really shot in Hawaii, and most of the stock footage of the place clearly dated to the late 60's (you can always tell by the cars!). I haven't finished watched disc 3 yet, but I do notice there's a two-part Hawaii episode, so I wonder if they actually went to Hawaii for those ones after taking some flack for faking it so poorly in this one!

I know Heather Thomas brought something to the series right from the get-go, although it certainly wasn't a knack for great acting. But I do know for certain what she REALLY brought to the series: that legendary blue bikini, which I'm told didn't make it's appearance until the second season

Still, everybody's got their childhood faves, usually shows they buy knowing full well they haven't aged particularly well, and it looks like this one has at least a couple fans around here.



Guess I'll update the WATER MARGINS entry at some point to include this silly little bit of trivia.

Brian Thibodeau wrote:there's such a heavy lean towards stunt footage from other movies being intercut with the Lee Majors footage (something I knew even as a kid), as well as that cheapo 80's technique of shooting non-action outdoor footage without sound, and dubbing in dialogue after-the-fact (when the camera's on one person, the other speaks in voice-over only, and vice-versa).

Yes, I noticed a hell of a lot of that too. Terribly off-putting.

Brian Thibodeau wrote:This 'Hawaii' episode was particularly galling in that it was so obviously not really shot in Hawaii, and most of the stock footage of the place clearly dated to the late 60's (you can always tell by the cars!). I haven't finished watched disc 3 yet, but I do notice there's a two-part Hawaii episode, so I wonder if they actually went to Hawaii for those ones after taking some flack for faking it so poorly in this one!

I'm no expert on Hawaii, but I think they did go SOMEWHERE for that one and I'd guess it's the real deal. Some of it's definitely shot on location, anyway. Part one ends with one of those lovely, corny cliffhangers .

Brian Thibodeau wrote:But I do know for certain what she REALLY brought to the series: that legendary blue bikini, which I'm told didn't make it's appearance until the second season

Coming through the bat-wing doors? Fear not, that bit of TV gold occurs in the aforementioned episode The Adventures of Ozzie and Harold. It's the one ray of sunshine in an otherwise irritating episode. Unless you're a fan of Buddy Hackett, in which case you're in for a treat!

When I was a kid, I was sure I was going to grow up and be Colt Seavers (and move to America where it never rained and all the women were beautiful). As it turned out, I wasn't even a Howie Munson.

cal42 wrote:Coming through the bat-wing doors? Fear not, that bit of TV gold occurs in the aforementioned episode The Adventures of Ozzie and Harold. It's the one ray of sunshine in an otherwise irritating episode. Unless you're a fan of Buddy Hackett, in which case you're in for a treat!

For a moment I was thinking I'd have to buy the second half-season box set, but I just realized that the famous bikini shot is also in the documentary included on the first disc, as well as some other choice clips of her from that episode. Gawd, I'm such a perv! Clearly nothing's changed since I was twelve!

When I was a kid, I was sure I was going to grow up and be Colt Seavers (and move to America where it never rained and all the women were beautiful). As it turned out, I wasn't even a Howie Munson.

When I was a really little kid, I wanted to grow up to be Steve Austin the Six Million Dollar Man, and run in slow motion to impress beautiful six-million-dollar women. When I was a bigger kid, I wanted to grow up to be Colt Seavers and wreck cars to impress beautiful women. Now that I'm an even bigger kid, I see no good reason why I can't combine the two and be the Bionic Fall Guy. Well, cost, perhaps, but still . . .

Both of these shows deserve movie revivals, I think. Long past due. I can only hope they won't go the STARSKY AND HUTCH role and stick comedy actors in the leads . . . Of course, these days, Steve Austin would probably be the Sixty Million Dollar Man, and then there'd be lawsuits from Stephen Chow . . .

(also added a theme song link to my previous post! )


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i´ve also seen this tv series when i was a kid

german title was:Ein Colt für alle Fälle, means something like:a Colt for all circumstances

Colt Seavers always played the bounty hunter who teams up with Howie and Jodie

i remember, in the trailer he had something like a backpack(i don´t have the name for it) wherewith he could fly.as a kid it was totally fascinating for me that such thing exists,and i was also impressed by the mighty GMC