Bud Ekins
Encyclopedia
Bud Ekins was one of the foremost stuntmen
of his generation. Born James Sherwin Ekins in Hollywood, California, he is known to most as the actor who jumped the fence on a disguised Triumph TR6 Trophy
650cc motorcycle in The Great Escape
, and who drove the Ford Mustang 390 GT in Bullitt
. He also coordinated the stunts for the popular 1970s motorcycle cop show CHiPs
.
For years, movie fans believed that the star Steve McQueen
made the big barbed-wire fence jump at the finale of The Great Escape but the stunt was actually performed by Ekins. Although McQueen undertook the rest of the bike work in the film, the film's producers were too nervous to allow him to make the iconic jump himself. Five years later, McQueen was given a late call to the Bullitt set one day, and found Ekins with his hair sprayed blond performing the most dangerous stunts around the streets of San Francisco. McQueen then shouted "you did it to me again!" referring to the earlier scene-stealing from The Great Escape. Ekins regularly contributed to documentaries and biographies on Steve McQueen
with some authority, given their close friendship until the actor's death in 1980.
After a successful foray into British motorcycle sport, upon his return stateside, Ekins ran a very successful Triumph dealership for many years, counting many Hollywood
stars as clients. Eventually, and to his stated regret, Ekins switched to selling Honda
s.
during the 1960s.
He rode a 650cc Triumph TR6 Trophy as did Steve McQueen
in the USA International Six Day Trial team for 1964 held in East Germany. The team, mounted on Triumphs they personally collected from the Meriden
factory, also included his brother Dave Ekins
, who rode a 500cc Triumph T100 Tiger, winning, along with teammate Cliff Coleman, a gold medal in the process.
He received a gold medal at the 1962 International Six Days Trials in East Germany, and was part of the US ISDT team of 1964 with John Steen
, Cliff Coleman, Dave Ekins
, and Steve McQueen
. In 1965, again on Triumphs, the team competed at the ISDT on the Isle of Man
, McQueen being replaced by Ed Kretz, Jr.
Other race success included winning the Big Bear Hare & Hound desert race three times, the Catalina Grand Prix, and winning Southern California's AMA District 37 Number One Plate seven times.
In addition to motorcycle racing, Ekins was active in off-road truck racing. He participated in most of the early off-road racing
events including the Mint 400 and Stardust 7-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada
. He notably raced Vic Hickey's prototype "Baja Bug
" in the first Baja 500 in 1973.
He is a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
and Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
.
dealer as the one thing he would change from his past.
Throughout the 1990s Ekins was on screen in movies and TV as a character actor, and can be seen in films such as Pacific Heights
, Mac and Me
, The Karate Kid series, The Specialist
(1994), and Vegas Vacation
(1997).
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
of his generation. Born James Sherwin Ekins in Hollywood, California, he is known to most as the actor who jumped the fence on a disguised Triumph TR6 Trophy
Triumph TR6 Trophy
The TR6 Trophy is a motorcycle that was made by Triumph, in Meriden, from 1956 to 1973, when it was replaced by the 750 cc Tiger Trail TR7. During this time it was a successful model, particularly in the US. The competition variant, popularly known as the "desert sled", won numerous...
650cc motorcycle in The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
, and who drove the Ford Mustang 390 GT in Bullitt
Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 American police procedural film starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. It was directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. The story was adapted for the screen by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness by Robert L....
. He also coordinated the stunts for the popular 1970s motorcycle cop show CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
.
For years, movie fans believed that the star Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
made the big barbed-wire fence jump at the finale of The Great Escape but the stunt was actually performed by Ekins. Although McQueen undertook the rest of the bike work in the film, the film's producers were too nervous to allow him to make the iconic jump himself. Five years later, McQueen was given a late call to the Bullitt set one day, and found Ekins with his hair sprayed blond performing the most dangerous stunts around the streets of San Francisco. McQueen then shouted "you did it to me again!" referring to the earlier scene-stealing from The Great Escape. Ekins regularly contributed to documentaries and biographies on Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
with some authority, given their close friendship until the actor's death in 1980.
After a successful foray into British motorcycle sport, upon his return stateside, Ekins ran a very successful Triumph dealership for many years, counting many Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
stars as clients. Eventually, and to his stated regret, Ekins switched to selling Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
s.
Honors and competition success
Ekins won four Gold Medals and a Silver at the International Six Day TrialsInternational Six Days Enduro
The International Six Days Enduro is the oldest 'off road' motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar.The ISDE was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. It has occurred annually, apart from interruptions due to World War I and World War II, at various locations throughout the world. The early...
during the 1960s.
He rode a 650cc Triumph TR6 Trophy as did Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
in the USA International Six Day Trial team for 1964 held in East Germany. The team, mounted on Triumphs they personally collected from the Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
factory, also included his brother Dave Ekins
Dave Ekins
Dave Ekins is an American off-road racing pioneer having set the first Tijuana to La Paz timed run in under 40 hours aboard a Honda CL72 Scrambler in 1962....
, who rode a 500cc Triumph T100 Tiger, winning, along with teammate Cliff Coleman, a gold medal in the process.
He received a gold medal at the 1962 International Six Days Trials in East Germany, and was part of the US ISDT team of 1964 with John Steen
John Steen
John Steen was a North Dakota public servant and politician with the Republican Party. He served as the North Dakota State Treasurer from 1915 to 1918 and again from 1921 to 1924. He then served as the North Dakota State Auditor from 1925 to 1934...
, Cliff Coleman, Dave Ekins
Dave Ekins
Dave Ekins is an American off-road racing pioneer having set the first Tijuana to La Paz timed run in under 40 hours aboard a Honda CL72 Scrambler in 1962....
, and Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
. In 1965, again on Triumphs, the team competed at the ISDT on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, McQueen being replaced by Ed Kretz, Jr.
Other race success included winning the Big Bear Hare & Hound desert race three times, the Catalina Grand Prix, and winning Southern California's AMA District 37 Number One Plate seven times.
In addition to motorcycle racing, Ekins was active in off-road truck racing. He participated in most of the early off-road racing
Off-road racing
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...
events including the Mint 400 and Stardust 7-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He notably raced Vic Hickey's prototype "Baja Bug
Baja Bug
The term Baja Bug generally refers to an original Volkswagen Beetle modified to operate off-road , although other versions of air-cooled Volkswagens are sometimes modified as well.-History:...
" in the first Baja 500 in 1973.
He is a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association that recognizes individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction and motorcycling in general. It displays motorcycles and riding gear and memoribilia. The museum is located in...
and Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame is located inside the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.-History:In 1966, Ed Pearlman cofounded the first exclusively off-road racing organization, called the National Off-Road Racing Association...
.
Filmography and television stunt work
- The Ransom of Red Chief (1998)
- Extreme Justice (1993)
- Black Moon RisingBlack Moon RisingBlack Moon Rising is an action motion picture made in 1986 directed by Harley Cokeliss, written by John Carpenter and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton and Robert Vaughn...
(1986) - City HeatCity HeatCity Heat is a 1984 American action-comedy film starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. The film was released in North America in December 1984. The pairing of Eastwood and Reynolds in a Prohibition-era action-comedy seemed to give the film the potential to be a hit...
(1984) - Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (1982)
- MegaforceMegaforceMegaforce is an action film made in 1982 directed by former stuntman Hal Needham. The film starred Barry Bostwick, Persis Khambatta, Michael Beck, Edward Mulhare, Evan C...
(1982) - The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers (film)The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
(1980) - 19411941 (film)1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
(1979) - Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider (1979)
- Movie Movie (1978)
- Animal House (1978)
- Return from Witch MountainReturn from Witch MountainReturn from Witch Mountain is the 1978 sequel to Walt Disney Productions' 1975 film, Escape to Witch Mountain. It was written by Malcolm Marmorstein and is based on the novel by Alexander Key. Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards, and Denver Pyle reprise their roles as Tony, Tia, and Uncle Bené—humanoid...
(1978) - SorcererSorcerer (film)Sorcerer is a 1977 thriller adventure film, produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. It is the second remake of the 1953 French film Le Salaire de la Peur ....
(1977) - Scorchy (1976)
- Dixie Dynamite (1976) - film also features McQueen in an uncrediated stunt role
- Death Scream (1975)
- Race with the DevilRace with the DevilRace with the Devil is a 1975 occult thriller and action film starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and Oates would star in together...
(1975) - The Front PageThe Front Page (1974 film)The Front Page is a 1974 American comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the 1928 play of the same title by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, which was previously adapted for the screen under its...
(1974) - The Towering InfernoThe Towering Inferno (film)The Towering Inferno is a 1974 American action disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.A co-production between Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros...
(1974) - EarthquakeEarthquake (film)Earthquake is a 1974 American disaster film that achieved huge box-office success, continuing the disaster film genre of the 1970s where recognizable all-star casts attempt to survive life or death situations...
(1974) (stunts) - Electra Glide in BlueElectra Glide in BlueElectra Glide in Blue is a 1973 film starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy Green Bush as his partner. The name stems from the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle issued to traffic cops....
(1973) - The Thing with Two HeadsThe Thing with Two HeadsThe Thing with Two Heads is a 1972 film, starring Rosey Grier, Ray Milland and Don Marshall directed by Lee Frost, and written by Wes Bishop. Frost and Bishop also had parts in the movie....
(1972) - Diamonds Are ForeverDiamonds Are Forever (film)Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
(1971) - Chrome and Hot Leather (1971)
- Flap (1970)
- Bullitt (1968)
- SpeedwaySpeedway (film)Speedway is a 1968 action film musical film starring Elvis Presley as a racecar driver and Nancy Sinatra as his love interest.Scenes were shot at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina...
(1968) - The Cincinnati KidThe Cincinnati KidThe Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American drama film. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best...
(1965) - The Great Escape (1963)
- Then Came Bronson (1969 film entitled "And Then Came Bronson" and 1969-70 TV Series)
Subsequent career
Previously a Triumph Motorcycles dealer, Ekins occasionally restored old British motorbikes for movie stars. He cited becoming a HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
dealer as the one thing he would change from his past.
Throughout the 1990s Ekins was on screen in movies and TV as a character actor, and can be seen in films such as Pacific Heights
Pacific Heights (1990 film)
Pacific Heights is a 1990 thriller film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton. Griffith's real-life mother Tippi Hedren has a cameo as a rich older woman who is conned by Keaton's character. The original music score was composed by Hans...
, Mac and Me
Mac and Me
Mac and Me is a 1988 sci-fi fantasy film co-written and directed by Stewart Raffill about a "Mysterious Alien Creature" escapes from nefarious NASA agents and is befriended by a young boy who uses a wheelchair. Together, they try to find MAC's family, from whom he has been separated...
, The Karate Kid series, The Specialist
The Specialist
The Specialist is a 1994 American action film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It is directed by Luis Llosa, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and written by Alexandra Seros...
(1994), and Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film. It is the fourth film in the original Vacation film series centering around the fictitious Griswold family, following Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase reprises his starring role as Clark W. Griswold, the patriarch of the family...
(1997).