George Hamilton

Daredevil stuntman Evel Knievel pulled a gun on actor George Hamilton, who was to portray him in a movie about his life, and forced him to read the script aloud to him so he could make sure the movie would depict him in a flattering light.

Knievel

The story is told by sportswriter and author Leigh Montville in his new book Evel, a biography of the showman who broke 37 major bones and underwent 14 operations during his career of jumping his motorcycle over cars, buses and anything else that would attract an audience.

Knievel, who died aged 69 in 2007, was by various accounts a hard-drinking, abusive lout, reports Montville, who quotes promoter Bob Arum as saying: “He was a creation of network television. It was totally non-purposeful…totally crap. That was what he was.” 

Knievel had summoned Hamilton to his Hollywood motel because he had been told the movie in which Hamilton was due to star would be a critical portrayal of him.  
He ordered the actor to read the script at gunpoint and when he did, Knievel was satisfied to hear that it was an unbiased look at his life.