Stroker Ace * (1983, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Jim Nabors, Loni Anderson, Parker Stevenson, Bubba Smith) – Classic Movie Review 11,343

Hal Needham recalled: ‘Stroker Ace is the kind of movie Burt Reynolds and I do best.’

Director Hal Needham’s 1983 action comedy Stroker Ace is a surprise early 80s flop from Burt Reynolds, who should have been on home ground as Stroker Ace, a popular NASCAR racing driver with the usual entourage of gals, good ol’ boys, sheriffs and Ned Beatty, as mogul Clyde Torkle, the fried-chicken company car sponsor.

But Burt’s regular director Needham lets the action and comedy limp along and the tired old thing ends up like a lame parody of a Burt Reynolds film.

Stroker Ace clashes with his sponsor over his promotion gimmicks such as getting him to wear a chicken suit, while romantically pursuing the buxom Pembrook Feeney (Loni Anderson).

Parker Stevenson was born on June 4, 1952.

Also in the cast are Jim Nabors, Loni Anderson, Parker Stevenson, Bubba Smith, John Byner, Frank O Hill, Cassandra Peterson, Warren Stevens, Alfie Wise, Jim Lewis, and Neil Bonnett.

The screenplay by Hugh Wilson, Hal Needham and David E Peckinpah is based on the novel Stand On It by William Neely and Robert K Ottum.

It had weak box office, grossing $13,000,000.

Anderson and Reynolds met while making this film and were married from 29 April 1988 to 17 June 1994) (divorced, with one child).

Needham recalled: ‘Burt called me to tell me he wanted to be in it. I guess Burt realised he’d have a good time working on the movie and that it would be a fun one for people to see. After all, Stroker Ace is the kind of movie Burt and I do best.’

RIP Burt Reynolds (1936-2018).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,343

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