This page explains the links between The Fall Guy and various movie series created by the inclusion of clips in the show's intro.
The Fall Guy intro[]
November 4, 1981
The Fall Guy
various movie series
The Fall Guy intro with movie titles
The intro of the show The Fall Guy consists in various clips showcasing stunts as the song "The Unknown Stuntman" by Lee Major (who also stars as Colt Seavers) plays. In the first season of the show, the song is followed by a section narrated by Colt, introducing the show's premise. The stunt clips include scenes from the show itself, but also from various movies as well as from live shows from the 1930s and in some cases they are made to sync up with the lyrics of the song and with Colt's narration.
Due to the themes of the show, the fact that the song is written and sung by Colt within an episode of the show, and the way the scenes sync up, the intro appears to give the illusion of showing stunts performed by the protagonist, so while the usage of generic footage in an intro might generally not be considered a fictional link, we do consider it this time.
Still, because they are never actually stated to be Colt's stunts, they can't be considered Type 2 or Sub-universe links, instead the connection remains ideal, creating only a Type 3 or Out-universe link.
Movie clips shown during the theme song are:
- Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry: explosion of the protagonists' car after being hit by a train; one of the very last shots in the movie. Coincides with the lyrics "I've been on fire with Sally Field".
- The Stunt Man: Cameron driving the Dusenberg car off of the bridge, one of the final scenes from the movie. Lyrics: "gone fast with a girl named Bo".
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Butch and Sundance being carried down a river. (being based on a true story, this movie doesn't count as a fictional series)
- Silver Streak: George being hit on the train roof by a overhanging signal. Lyrics: "It's a death-defying life I lead, I'll take my chances".
- The Hot Rock: the protagonists driving their car into the open rear of a truck.
- Our Man Flint: Derek Flint diving off of a cliff into the ocean to escape the Galaxy complex as its island is about to explode.
- The Poseidon Adventure: Terry falling from a table onto a skylight of the overturned SS Poseidon, probably the most iconic scene of the movie. Lyrics: "I might fall from a tall building".
- Speedway: Steve Grayson's Dodge Charger #6 spinning out of control and hitting the guardrail. Lyrics: "I might roll a brand-new car".
- Sky Riders: Jim McCabe hanging off of a helicopter's landing skid, from the movie's climax. Lyrics: "It's true I hire my body out for pay. Hey hey!"
- Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry: the protagonists' car being hit by a train, immediately preceding the scene mentioned above. Lyrics: "I've gotten burned over Cheryl Tiegs, blown up over Rachel Welch"
- "Singin' in the Rain" a biplane runs across the farm and crashes into a barn. Lyrics: ""But when I wind up hittin' the hay, it's only hay"". Immediately preceded with actual scene from "The Fall Guy" Colt actually winds up hitting the hay. Lyrics: ""Hey hey!"" But in another version to the intro, "Singin' in the Rain" biplane runs across the farm and crashes into a barn. Lyrics: ""But when I wind up hittin' the hay, it's only"" preceded with scene from "The Fall Guy" Colt winds up hittin' the hay. Lrics: "" hay. Hey hey!""
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Butch and Sundance jumping into the river, preceding the scene mentoned above. Lyrics: "I might jump an open drawbridge"
- Silver Streak: George on the train roof, preceding the scene mentoned above.
- Sky Riders: Cora flying a hang glider and landing in a herd of sheep; another scene from the movie's climax.
Movie clips from the narration section:
- Singin' in the Rain: airplane crashing into a barn.
- The Blue Max: German airplane crashing to the ground and exploding.
- Singin' in the Rain: failed stunt of Don Lockwood jumping off a trolley car and missing Kathy Selden's car; he jumps into it in the movie.
- Race with the Devil: car rolling over.
- Moving Violation: Sheriff Rankin's car driving underneath a truck and having its roof completely torn off; the sheriff then peeks his head out. Coincides with Colt saying "Maybe you wonder how a guy keeps his head together."
Starting with Season 2, the narration is removed and most of the movie clips from the theme song are replaced by clips from the show.
The only clips returning from Season 1 are the two Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry clips, the first Silver Streak clip, the first Sky Riders clip, and the airplane clip from Singin' in the Rain, previously used in the narrated section, now made to coincide with lyrics "But when I wind up hittin' the hay, it's only hay."
License[]
Most of the clips are from movies distributed by 20th Century Fox, which also produced the show. The only exceptions are Speedway and Singin' in the Rain, which are Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movies, so it's unknown what kind of deal was made to include them.