I haven’t seen any of these movies, but why does he say Burt Reynolds’s career was dying in 1969, when it hadn’t even gotten properly started yet? Does the author mix him up with someone else?
The only tie-in to Burt Reynolds, was that he and Needham were the most well-known actor/stunt man pair in Hollywood.
Ironically, Burt was supposed to be in the movie, but he passed away, (Bruce Dern played the role instead)