Being Evel Page #5

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he had the evel knievel

persona,

and that's what he presented

to the world.

we don't want guys in gray hats.

we want black and white.

evel represented that.

he definitely

thought of himself

as the guy in the white hat,

the good guy.

if i look like i'm rigging up

for a trip into outer space,

you're right.

nobody should ever ride

a motorcycle without a helmet.

i never do.

he was somebody

who was seeking what many

of us do in our own way,

and that's recognition,

and if you get

into his background,

you can understand that.

he wanted identity.

he needed that.

he just wanted to be loved.

( peter frampton's

"show me the way" plays )

i wonder

how you're feeling

there's ringing

in my ears...

thank you very much.

believe me,

it's a pleasure

to be back here

in portland, oregon,

and on behalf

of my sponsors,

the mack truck company,

the harley davidson

motor company,

and the bucyrus-erie

train and steam shovel company

in milwaukee...

kelly knievel:

my dad, he invented

the licensing business.

i mean, how many people

can you think of

that had their names on products

before evel kn--

i mean, there was a few,

but he really elevated the art

of the licensing business.

knoxville:
yeah, he had a deal

with everyone--

mack truck,

harley davidson,

but that's not the one

i remember.

announcer:
this is evel knievel

and his stunt cycle.

he's the only rider

to do so many stunts,

mid-air summersaults...

evel knievel has become

a legend in his own lifetime.

zeke rose:
when 'ideal' came out

with the evel knievel toy,

the president of 'ideal'

called me aside and said,

"this is gonna be

a really big item for us."

boy:

it's an evel knievel rally!

for me, there was only one

action figure

when i was growing up,

and that was evel knievel.

it was as cool as you could

possibly get at the time.

it came with a motorcycle

you could wind up.

when you wind it up

and you stop and it takes off--

you just wind it up,

and if you're building

the suspense,

you don't know

what's gonna happen,

but you know it's gonna blow up,

and it's not gonna be pretty,

but you're lucky

that this toy's evel knievel,

- 'cause he can take it.

- that's awesome.

wow. go evel!

announcer:
the evel knievel

stunt cycle comes with figure,

winder, gt wheelie stand,

and front flip bar.

new from ideal.

rose:

the toy sold out.

pavlovich:
i would say he made

more money off of ideal toy

then he did

on any of his jumps.

i was with him one time,

he showed me two royalty checks,

and both of them

at that time

were half

a million dollars each.

both of 'em.

two checks.

i told him, "well, you made it.

you're on the pinnacle.

"you said you were gonna

be a millionaire.

you are a millionaire."

wilson:

it was an amazing time.

the money was rolling in

by the millions.

kelly knievel:
everywhere

he went, he went first-class.

yeah, my dad liked

to spend money.

robbie knievel:
all of a sudden,

there's five ferraris,

two lear jets,

five other airplanes.

linda knievel:
he'd get a boat,

oh, he needed a bigger boat

oh, how about a yacht?

how about another yacht?

tracey mccloud:

with helicopters on top.

leeuwen:
he's got "evel eye i"

painted on the side of it.

reporter:

he's no easy rider.

he's proud of the material

things his money can buy--

his cadillac's, his $140,000

luxury-appointed van.

wilson:
he took me

into his office,

opened up a huge safe he had,

and there was a gold-platted,

full-sized motorcycle.

but you know what?

you could hardly see it

because it was covered

in cash,

like it had been thrown

in there like confetti.

tonning:
he built

a big, beautiful home

on the 18th green

with this huge iron gate

with a great big "e.k."

right in the middle of it

was the actual handle.

you know, for butte, montana,

that was-- that was the stuff.

if i'm risking my life for it.

i'm gonna spend

every damn dime of it!

kelly knievel:
yeah, my dad

had an affinity for clothes.

he liked to dress with flair.

he'd walk into a store

and see a sweater he liked,

and he'd just buy one

in 20 colors.

come on with me and i'll

take you on a little tour

of my office and dressing room

and show you what you can buy

with a few dollars

if you're willing

to jump a motorcycle

over 19 cars.

man:

evel was very flashy.

walked with a cane

with diamonds in his cane,

and his jewelry had diamonds,

and he had gold all over.

robbie knievel:

he always loved elvis.

and they traded

the belt buckle and the cape.

my dad was a big fan of

liberace for being a showman.

evel knievel:

all the money in the world

can't buy your way into heaven.

it can't buy

your way out of hell.

it was made to be spent

right here,

and i'm gonna

have the best clothes,

best boots, best diamonds,

best cars, trucks, motorcycles,

booze, and women

on the face of this earth

just as long

as i can keep going.

gene sullivan:
when he came into

money and fame and fortune,

it's like the women became

almost an equal part of his...

thrust from day to day.

part of it was that women

were extraordinarily

attracted to him.

i know because he and i'd go

out drinking once in a while,

and, hell, they'd line up.

and he'd pick

the prettiest one.

he's unbelievable.

he's got more fire in him.

he's unbelievable.

leeuwen:

he'd turn the hat trick

half the time,

because i'd see him

do three a night for a about

week when i was there.

hang on.

bobbie knievel:
come on,

i mean, back in the '70s,

every woman

wanted somebody like that.

i was always mad 'cause

he was maybe cheating on my mom.

i'm the other woman...

linda was aces--

aces.

i mean,

she was the nicest woman

that he could have ever married.

tamburina:

you know, she stood by him,

and a lot of times,

he didn't treat her right.

hi, good-lookin'.

you going swimming again?

linda bork knievel:

he didn't hide anything,

and that's probably where

i'd get a little upset with him.

he'd come home with a little

lipstick on his collar,

and i'd get

a little ticked off.

i'd like to take you

out to dinner somewhere

in a real nice

quiet little spot,

get you swacked

and take you home someplace.

i'd think,

i married this guy.

i don't know,

i just--

you don't leave that man

unless he wants you to.

let's say i i died

and landed in heaven.

bang, i'm there, okay?

here i'm sitting there in a

white robe on a hard marble slab

next to jfk,

martin luther king,

and some pope.

now, what the hell

would evel knievel have to say

to any of those three guys?

i couldn't carry on

an intelligent conversation

with 'em.

i want to go

to my own kind of heaven.

uh... it's got draft beer

that doesn't make you fat.

it's got a lot of beautiful

girls like you running around,

and my wife won't get mad

if i go out with any of them.

he was okay before he became

evel knievel,

and then, you know, it's--

people just can't handle

that fame, some of 'em.

he's was small-town guy

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