The magnificent stunt was actually performed by his good friend, stunt rider Bud Ekins.
Posted on 11/29/2008 5:59:58 PM PST by Daffynition
'The Great Escape' superstar spent his last year there. Neighbors remember him as a generous man who enjoyed quiet respect and cheap beer.
One day in 1979 the King of Cool decided to fly.
Before anyone knew it, Steve McQueen was living with his girlfriend in a hangar at the Santa Paula Airport. During the day, he learned to pilot a World War II-era biplane. In the evening, the tough-guy superstar would crack open cold beers with grease monkeys, fledgling pilots and aging flyboys who still had a few loop-de-loops left in them.
He and his girlfriend, a stunning model who would become his third wife, slept on a four-poster brass bed amid his vintage motorcycles and airplane parts. His bright yellow Stearman biplane loomed over their cramped quarters, its wings close enough to create a head-whacking hazard for someone groping through the dark.
But life was good: On Saturday nights, the couple kicked back in their hangar -- really a big storage shed -- to watch "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" on a black-and-white TV. Dinner was often a feed at the local Chinese restaurant.
"It was a sweet time in a sweet place," said Barbara McQueen, the last woman in McQueen's life. "We just loved it."
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Yes, it was classic.
The difference between McQueen and most other actors is that he lived it in real life. Cars, motorcycles and learning to fly. Don't know about his level of flying expertise but he was accomplished at driving cars and riding bikes.
Excellent article, thanks for posting it.
At one time he owned a palatial home in Palm Springs Ca. , overlooking Palm Canyon. It was on a hill at the Southern edge of Palm Springs,a few doors from the Bob Hope home.
I worked at an AC company that did monthly service on his house but I only saw him there once. A little French beauty opened the door and I believe she was his wife.
He had several vintage motorcycles and cars in his garage. He would sometimes ride one of the bikes down the hill, across the desert, and park at the back of Sib’s bar and grille and come in and have a few beers.
He seemed like a nice quiet guy, joking and trading insults with the owner of the bar over the price of beer etc.
“My favorite McQueen movie is “the Sand Pebbles”, probably not the first one people usually think of....”
Yep. A brilliant film.
The magnificent stunt was actually performed by his good friend, stunt rider Bud Ekins.
I personally saw him get pretty crazy on a dirt bike, he could ride!
Cinderella Liberty was good, too.
Thanks, I’ve always wondered about that...
Being both a dirt and street bike survivor - I recognized he had some talent on bikes - but questioned if he had THAT much....
I'm intrigued. Now I want to read the book 19th LA Inf recommended.
That Super Cub on floats looks like the one parked in Sarah Palin’s yard on the Gretta Van Susteren interview!
I have always wanted to fly a float plane!
See 19th LA Inf’s comment above. The studio/contract restrictions may have had more to do with his not performing the stunts than anything else.
The GREAT JUMP from the Great Escape is about 1 min into this video...... If it doesn't draw your knees to the tank, NOTHING will!
Video here:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DPpTdBoHzGM
Don’t forget “La Papillon”.
And the original “Thomas Crown Affair” (with Faye Dunaway).
And “The Magnificent Seven.”
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