What made the SMDM so cool? The RUN.

[enyawd72]

As we all know, the slow-motion running sequences were a crucial part of SMDM, and I really don't think any other actor could pull it off. The Seven Million Dollar Man (Monte Markham) clearly showed that.
IMO, Lee Majors had the coolest looking run of all time. He is steady, there's no bounce, no flailing limbs, and when he charges after someone with that fierce determination on his face, he looks like nothing on earth can stop him.

Am I right?

[wayne foundation 07]

It was all about the sound effect. What kid didn't make that sound as they ran though the back yard dadaadadadadadadadadadadad

[Mikey]

I never liked the running in slow motion.

Even as a kid I thought the slow motion running was boring ... It's like come on already

[Mikey]

BTW, I agree ... the sound effects were perfect .... except when they used funny stock footage sound effects like the Jack Webb productions hammer sound

[kennermike]

Lee Majors not only acted with his mouth but his whole body when he ran he ran with conviction.no one at the time or till this day could ever pull that off without looking like a damn clown

[HardyGirl]

It was a combination of all of it; the sounds, the run, Lee Majors acting style...everything. The 70s were truly a decade of cool, innovative shows!

[fallensaviour]

Lee Majors not only acted with his mouth but his whole body when he ran he ran with conviction.no one at the time or till this day could ever pull that off without looking like a damn clown

I think Bruce Campbell could pull it off.I mean have you seen his backwards acting in evil dead who else could do that...LOL

Majors was great in the role I do agree though it was also the sound affects not just for the running but for the lifting the eye zoom it was all great.
It drastically enhanced the second season in my opinion.
I mentioned this before but one of the things I liked was the attention to detail in a few episodes where he has been running for long periods he is sweaty only under one arm and the chest and back not under the bionic arm.That to me is genius.

[starsky]

i liked it all! the run, the bionic eye, etc..

[MIB41]

The slow motion run was a crucial and dramatic piece of the show. Fans loved that and often imitated it in their back yards playing as kids. It would still work today on a new show. H*ll look at how much people like slow motion replays in football?

[palitoy]

I think the sound effects top the run, I'm 40 years old and I still make that sound every time I lift something.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Majors had the ability to pull of ridiculous stuff and make you totally buy it. Like George Reeves, Lynda Carter, and Christopher Reeve.

The slow-motion run and sound effects were so influential they were ripped off by near-contemporary projects like Wonder Woman and the Captain America TV movies.

Chris

[Mikey]

My sister and her husband visited the SMDM studio while SMDM was still in production.
They showed how they did some SFX --- mostly blue screen stuff the day they were there.

[apes3978]

I wonder if the SMDM ripped off the idea of slow-motion from KUNG FU?

KUNG FU predates it by a few years and used slow-motion in action shots/sequences to great effect...

The slow-motion run and sound effects were so influential they were ripped off by near-contemporary projects like Wonder Woman and the Captain America TV movies.

[vulcan2074]

It's all about the Bionic Sound. That sound rocks!
Sammy

[ThatBatmanGuy]

My sister and her husband visited the SMDM studio while SMDM was still in production.
They showed how they did some SFX --- mostly blue screen stuff the day they were there.

That's really interesting. I wonder what the blue screen was being used for? Most, if not all, the jumping effects were done by a stuntman or Lee Majors jumping or landing on a trampoline.
Bob