Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Hank Bauer in Flash & Firecat (1976)

Billed as Henry Bauer, Hank Bauer played a mechanic at a dune buggy shop in Southern California. he shared the big screen with Richard Kiel (Moonraker, Longest Yard).

Bauer is one of the NFL's best special teams players of All-Time. In the film Bauer tossed a football around but had no lines.




Bauer with Richard Kiel


Mel Owens and the Movies

Mel Owens was a left outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams from 1981-89. In addition to acting  he started a line of clothing called "Evolution Wear". He also operated a nationwide restaurant reservation hotline in the 1980s called 1-800-LETS-EAT.  In 1987, he ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain and also competed in the L.A. Marathon.

He had a bit role in The Distingueshed Gentleman, a film that starred Eddie Murphy. Owens played "Bo Chandler" a tight end for the Houston Oilers who was elected to Congress.

Here is the clip that Owens appears in:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Gene Washington in the Movies

49ers wide receiver Gene Washington had a couple of plum roles. He was really the lead biker in The Black Six, and had a key role in an episode of Banacek, a TV series with George Peppard.

Here are a few stills from The Black Six playing "Bubba Daniels": 

And from Banacek as "Clay Mills":

And his longest scenes in Banacek:

This one opens with John Brodie as "Richie Mulligan" and finished with Gene's scene.

And after the big "reveal; "Right on Banacek"

In 1975 Washington was the lead actor in Lady Cocoa. In this one Washington even gets  to fire a gun and had a love scene with nudity and all.

Here are a few clips. Sound quality is very poor:
For a more complete filmography click over to IMDB.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Harold Jackson in the Movies

Harold Jackson was a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. We had a bit part in Gus and in North Dallas Forty.

In Gus he played an inept wide reciever who dropped easy passes.


Here is his clip from North Dallas Forty:



Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Jim Brown in "The Split"

The Split was a pretty good movie about a gang who planned and succeeded in stealing the box office receipts during a Rams game in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

It featured game-action from two Rams games played in 1967. The footage was real but the PA announcer was dubbed in using phony names for Rams players. Roman Gabriel was "Jack Angel". Jack Snow's last name was changed to "Frost". One running back's name was "Angelo Coletti".

Click on these to see a few clips of the NFL action cut in with the action of the film.





The Split also starred Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Julie Harris, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman and Donald Sutherlandamong others.