Max Kleven obit

Max Kleven, Stuntman, Second-Unit Director on ‘Rollerball,’ ‘Batman Returns’ and ‘The River Wild,’ Dies at 92

A ski jumper from Norway, he also worked on ‘Naked City,’ ‘Silent Movie,’ the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy and ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.’

 He was not on the list.

Max Kleven, the Norwegian-born stunt performer, stunt coordinator and second-unit director with credits including Our Man Flint, Rollerball, The Deep and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 92.

Kleven died Wednesday of heart failure at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, his family announced.

Early in his career, Kleven doubled for Paul Burke on ABC’s Naked City and for Glenn Corbett on CBS’ Route 66, and he served as the president of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures in the 1970s.

Kleven did double duty performing stunts and directing scenes on several films, starting with Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and the sequel Come Back Charleston Blue (1972) and followed by Rollerball (1975), Silent Movie (1976), Batman Returns (1992) and The River Wild (1994).

And as an actor on television action series, he showed up on everything from Rescue 8, Get Smart, The Big Valley, Combat! and The Invaders to Batman, Star Trek, Mannix, Kojak and Magnum, P.I.

Born on Aug. 16, 1933, in Trondheim, Norway, Kleven spent his early years on a farm with his mother, Jenny, and a cousin, Joni. He joined the Norwegian Merchant Marine as teenager and came to the U.S. in 1951; he said the moment he saw California’s sunshine and palm trees, he knew he never wanted to leave.

Kleven had been an accomplished ski jumper in his home country, and when he was spotted sliding down and flying off ramps in Sugarbush, Vermont, he was recruited to be a stunt performer. According to IMDb, the first movie he worked on was the Oscar best picture winner Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

Kleven did stunts for other films including Our Man Flint (1966), Murderers’ Row (1966), Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), Charley Varrick (1973), Back to the Future (1985), Ruthless People (1986), Species (1995) and Wild Wild West (1999).

His résumé as a stunt coordinator included Book of Numbers (1973), Dillinger (1973), The Deep (1977), The Changeling (1980), Footloose (1984) and Sleeping With the Enemy (1991), and he was a second-unit director on Raid on Entebbe (1976), Runaway Train (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Part III (1990), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and Spider-Man (2002).

He even got to direct a handful of films.

Kleven’s family said that one of his career highlights came when Steven Spielberg told him, “I hire you to fix my movies.” (Kleven worked for the producer on the Back to the Future films, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1980’s Used Cars and 2000’s What Lies Beneath, among other features),

Survivors include his wife, Luz; his daughters, Valli and Céline; his son, Erik; and his grandson, Hunter.

Stunts

Nolan North and Elle Travis in Broken (2000)

Broken

6.8

Short

stunt coordinator

2000

 

Kevin Kline and Will Smith in Wild Wild West (1999)

Wild Wild West

4.9

stunts

1999

 

Dina Meyer and James Caan in Poodle Springs (1998)

Poodle Springs

6.0

TV Movie

stunt performer

1998

 

Almost Heroes (1998)

Almost Heroes

5.8

stunt coordinator

1998

 

Rowan Atkinson in Bean (1997)

Bean

6.5

stunts

1997

 

Jean Reno and Patrick Bruel in The Jaguar (1996)

The Jaguar

6.0

stunt coordinator (as Max J. Kleven)

1996

 

Natasha Henstridge in Species (1995)

Species

5.9

stunt coordinator

1995

 

Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, Meryl Streep, and Joseph Mazzello in The River Wild (1994)

The River Wild

6.5

stunt coordinator

1994

 

Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, and Christopher Walken in Batman Returns (1992)

Batman Returns

7.1

stunt coordinator

1992

 

Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Don Johnson, and Elijah Wood in Paradise (1991)

Paradise

6.7

stunt coordinator

1991

 

Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, and Bob Hoskins in Shattered (1991)

Shattered

6.5

stunt coordinator: second unit

1991

 

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

Sleeping with the Enemy

6.3

water stunt coordinator

1991

 

Rutger Hauer in Blind Fury (1989)

Blind Fury

6.3

stunt coordinator: second unit

1989

 

Judge Reinhold in Vice Versa (1988)

Vice Versa

5.9

stunt coordinator

1988

 

Christopher Lloyd and Howie Mandel in Walk Like a Man (1987)

Walk Like a Man

4.8

stunt coordinator

1987

 

Rutger Hauer in Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986)

Wanted: Dead or Alive

5.9

stunts

1986

 

Ruthless People (1986)

Ruthless People

6.9

stunts

1986

 

Fisher Stevens, John Stockwell, Raphael Sbarge, and Danielle von Zerneck in My Science Project (1985)

My Science Project

5.9

stunts

1985

 

Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future

8.5

stunts

1985

 

Tanya Roberts in Sheena (1984)

Sheena

4.9

action consultant (uncredited)

1984

 

Footloose (1984)

Footloose

6.6

stunt coordinator

1984

 

Hot Dog... The Movie (1984)

Hot Dog... The Movie

5.1

stunt coordinator

1984

 

Lovely But Deadly (1981)

Lovely But Deadly

4.1

stunt double

1981

 

Southern Comfort (1981)

Southern Comfort

7.1

stunts

1981

 

Matt Craven in Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Happy Birthday to Me

6.0

stunt coordinator

1981

 

The Five of Me (1981)

The Five of Me

6.5

TV Movie

stunt coordinator

1981

 

Used Cars (1980)

Used Cars

6.7

stunts

1980

 

The Changeling (1980)

The Changeling

7.1

stunt coordinator

1980

 

Damien: Omen II (1978)

Damien: Omen II

6.2

stunt coordinator: Los Angeles

1978

 

Sylvester Stallone and David Huffman in F.I.S.T. (1978)

F.I.S.T.

6.4

stunt coordinator

1978

 

Crisis in Sun Valley (1978)

Crisis in Sun Valley

5.1

TV Movie

stunt coordinator

1978

 

Superstunt

7.6

TV Special

stunt coordinator

1977

 

The Deep (1977)

The Deep

6.3

fight coordinator (uncredited)

1977

 

Fire (1977)

Fire

5.3

TV Movie

stunt coordinator

1977

 

Jacqueline Bisset and Charles Bronson in St. Ives (1976)

St. Ives

6.2

stunt gaffer

1976

 

Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, and Marty Feldman in Silent Movie (1976)

Silent Movie

6.7

stunt coordinator

1976

 

The Kansas City Massacre (1975)

The Kansas City Massacre

6.0

TV Movie

stunt coordinator

1975

 

Charles Bronson and Robert Tessier in Hard Times (1975)

Hard Times

7.2

stunt coordinator

1975

 

Rollerball (1975)

Rollerball

6.5

stunt coordinator

1975

 

Beau Bridges and Marilyn Hassett in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975)

The Other Side of the Mountain

6.4

stunt coordinator

1975

 

Richard Harris in 99 and 44/100% Dead! (1974)

99 and 44/100% Dead!

5.5

stunt coordinator

1974

 

Gene Hackman and Liv Ullmann in Zandy's Bride (1974)

Zandy's Bride

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1974

 

Lucille Ball, Bea Arthur, Robert Preston, and Gene Saks in Mame (1974)

Mame

5.9

stunts (uncredited)

1974

 

Walter Matthau and Joe Don Baker in Charley Varrick (1973)

Charley Varrick

7.5

stunt double (uncredited)

1973

 

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off

5.8

stunt coordinator (uncredited)

1973

 

Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, and Michelle Phillips in Dillinger (1973)

Dillinger

6.9

stunt coordinator (uncredited)

1973

 

Michael Callan, Katherine Justice, Malachi Throne, Neil, and Shurze in Frasier, the Sensuous Lion (1973)

Frasier, the Sensuous Lion

5.7

stunt coordinator

1973

 

Book of Numbers (1973)

Book of Numbers

6.9

stunt coordinator

1973

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

stunts

1972–1977

 

Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques in Come Back Charleston Blue (1972)

Come Back Charleston Blue

6.5

stunts (uncredited)

1972

 

Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972)

Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues

6.0

stunt coordinator

1972

 

Michael Brandon and Tippy Walker in Jennifer on My Mind (1971)

Jennifer on My Mind

3.9

stunt coordinator

1971

 

Sean Connery in The Anderson Tapes (1971)

The Anderson Tapes

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1971

 

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Cotton Comes to Harlem

6.5

stunt coordinator

1970

 

Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy in The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969)

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1969

 

Never a Dull Moment (1968)

Never a Dull Moment

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

The Search for the Evil One (1967)

The Search for the Evil One

4.9

stunt coordinator (as Max Kelvin)

1967

 

Who's Minding the Mint? (1967)

Who's Minding the Mint?

7.0

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Pamela Austin in The Perils of Pauline (1967)

The Perils of Pauline

5.7

stunt coordinator

1967

 

A Covenant with Death (1967)

A Covenant with Death

6.0

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Ann-Margret and Dean Martin in Murderers' Row (1966)

Murderers' Row

5.8

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

Our Man Flint (1966)

Our Man Flint

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

George Maharis and Martin Milner in Route 66 (1960)

Route 66

7.7

TV Series

Fight Double for Glenn Corbett (uncredited)

1963

1 episode

 

Tallahassee 7000 (1961)

Tallahassee 7000

6.4

TV Series

stunts (uncredited)

1961

1 episode

 

Naked City (1958)

Naked City

8.2

TV Series

stunt double: Paul Burke (uncredited)

1960–1961

16 episodes

 

Lang Jeffries in Rescue 8 (1958)

Rescue 8

7.8

TV Series

stunt double for Jim Davis (uncredited)

1958

1 episode

 

David Niven and Cantinflas in Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Actor

Sylvester Stallone, Tom Berenger, Kelsey Grammer, Kyra Sedgwick, Thomas Jane, Kevin Connolly, Omari Hardwick, and Lauren Cohan in Reach Me (2014)

Reach Me

4.9

Man in Bookstore

2014

 

Slumber Party Slaughter (2012)

Slumber Party Slaughter

6.2

Sheriff Bowden

2012

 

Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff in W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989)

W.B., Blue and the Bean

4.5

Video

Gunman (uncredited)

1989

 

Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I. (1980)

Magnum, P.I.

7.5

TV Series

Costa's 1st HenchmanThug #1Shipley, Thug working for Mr. C ...

1983–1987

4 episodes

 

Robert Urich in Gavilan (1982)

Gavilan

6.1

TV Series

Adler

1983

1 episode

 

Crisis in Sun Valley (1978)

Crisis in Sun Valley

5.1

TV Movie

Adler

1978

 

Exo-Man (1977)

Exo-Man

5.2

TV Movie

(uncredited)

1977

 

Telly Savalas in Kojak (1973)

Kojak

7.1

TV Series

Paul KimbroughWilson (uncredited)

1973–1976

2 episodes

 

The Kansas City Massacre (1975)

The Kansas City Massacre

6.0

TV Movie

Parker

1975

 

Charles Bronson and Robert Tessier in Hard Times (1975)

Hard Times

7.2

Pool Player

1975

 

Richard Harris in 99 and 44/100% Dead! (1974)

99 and 44/100% Dead!

5.5

North

1974

 

Melvin Purvis G-MAN (1974)

Melvin Purvis G-MAN

6.0

TV Movie

Purvis' Driver

1974

 

Tough Guys (1974)

Tough Guys

5.5

L'homme enorme

1974

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

Terry Benner

1973

1 episode

 

Anthony Franciosa, Doug McClure, and Hugh O'Brian in Search (1972)

Search

8.1

TV Series

ThugHood 1

1973

2 episodes

 

Mannix (1967)

Mannix

7.4

TV Series

HenchmanCarl SampsonThug ...

1967–1973

5 episodes

 

Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, and Greg Morris in Mission: Impossible (1966)

Mission: Impossible

7.9

TV Series

Guard #2GuardSecret Policeman ...

1966–1973

6 episodes

 

The Survivors (1969)

The Survivors

7.2

TV Series

Guard

1969

1 episode

 

James Drury, Doug McClure, and John McIntire in The Virginian (1962)

The Virginian

7.6

TV Series

Halevey

1968

1 episode

 

Star Trek (1966)

Star Trek

8.4

TV Series

Maximus

1968

1 episode

 

Don Adams in Get Smart (1965)

Get Smart

8.2

TV Series

Otto

1968

1 episode

 

The Search for the Evil One (1967)

The Search for the Evil One

4.9

(as Max Klevin)

1967

 

Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman (1966)

Batman

7.5

TV Series

Henchman (uncredited)

1967

1 episode

 

Who's Minding the Mint? (1967)

Who's Minding the Mint?

7.0

Guard (uncredited)

1967

 

The Invaders (1967)

The Invaders

8.0

TV Series

AlienAlien GuardGuard #2 ...

1967

5 episodes

 

Ann-Margret and Dean Martin in Murderers' Row (1966)

Murderers' Row

5.8

Fortress Guard (uncredited)

1966

 

The F.B.I. (1965)

The F.B.I.

7.4

TV Series

Reynolds

1966

1 episode

 

John Carradine and Chuck Courtney in Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula

3.9

Sandy Newman (as Max Klevin)

1966

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

German Lt.Patrol Leader #1

1965–1966

2 episodes

 

Lee Majors, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Peter Breck, and Richard Long in The Big Valley (1965)

The Big Valley

7.6

TV Series

Dave Williams

1965

1 episode

 

Tuesday Weld in Mr. Broadway (1964)

Mr. Broadway

7.5

TV Series

1964

1 episode

 

George Maharis and Martin Milner in Route 66 (1960)

Route 66

7.7

TV Series

HenchmanDeputy at Roadblock (uncredited)

1960–1963

2 episodes

 

Naked City (1958)

Naked City

8.2

TV Series

CashierPolicemanMurder victim (uncredited) ...

1960–1963

4 episodes

 

Tallahassee 7000 (1961)

Tallahassee 7000

6.4

TV Series

Deputy (uncredited)

1961

1 episode

 

Lang Jeffries in Rescue 8 (1958)

Rescue 8

7.8

TV Series

Fireman hit by dartFilm crew memberIce plant worker (uncredited) ...

1958–1959

7 episodes

 

Valerie French and Guy Madison in The Hard Man (1957)

The Hard Man

6.1

Townsman (uncredited)

1957

 

David Niven and Cantinflas in Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days

6.7

Extra (uncredited)

1956

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man

7.4

action director: second unit (uncredited)

2002

 

What Lies Beneath (2000)

What Lies Beneath

6.6

underwater unit director

2000

 

Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, Meryl Streep, and Joseph Mazzello in The River Wild (1994)

The River Wild

6.5

second unit director

1994

 

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Death Becomes Her

6.7

second unit director

1992

 

Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, and Christopher Walken in Batman Returns (1992)

Batman Returns

7.1

second unit director

1992

 

Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

6.9

second unit director: action sequence

1991

 

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Mary Steenburgen in Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Back to the Future Part III

7.5

second unit director

1990

 

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Back to the Future Part II

7.8

second unit director

1989

 

Rutger Hauer in Blind Fury (1989)

Blind Fury

6.3

second unit director: additional crew

1989

 

The Rescue (1988)

The Rescue

5.6

second unit director

1988

 

Frank Sinatra, Christopher Lloyd, Kathleen Turner, Joanna Cassidy, Bob Hoskins, Jim Cummings, and Charles Fleischer in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

7.7

second unit director: USA

1988

 

Judge Reinhold in Vice Versa (1988)

Vice Versa

5.9

second unit director

1988

 

Hot Pursuit (1987)

Hot Pursuit

5.8

second unit director

1987

 

Robert Knepper in Wild Thing (1987)

Wild Thing

5.3

second unit director

1987

 

Daryl Hannah in The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

The Clan of the Cave Bear

5.4

second unit director

1986

 

Rebecca De Mornay, Eric Roberts, and Jon Voight in Runaway Train (1985)

Runaway Train

7.2

second unit director: Alaska

1985

 

Tom Hanks in The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)

The Man with One Red Shoe

5.7

second unit director

1985

 

Wild Horse Hank (1979)

Wild Horse Hank

5.3

second unit director

1979

 

George Segal and Glenda Jackson in Lost and Found (1979)

Lost and Found

4.9

second unit director

1979

 

Fire Sale (1977)

Fire Sale

5.5

second unit director

1977

 

Charles Bronson, Yaphet Kotto, and Peter Finch in Raid on Entebbe (1976)

Raid on Entebbe

6.7

second unit director

1976

 

Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh, and Richard Pryor in Silver Streak (1976)

Silver Streak

6.9

second unit director

1976

 

Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, and Marty Feldman in Silent Movie (1976)

Silent Movie

6.7

second unit director

1976

 

Goldie Hawn and George Segal in The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976)

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox

5.7

second unit director

1976

 

Rollerball (1975)

Rollerball

6.5

second unit director

1975

 

Beau Bridges and Marilyn Hassett in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975)

The Other Side of the Mountain

6.4

second unit director

1975

 

Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques in Come Back Charleston Blue (1972)

Come Back Charleston Blue

6.5

second unit director

1972

 

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Cotton Comes to Harlem

6.5

second unit director

1970

 

Director

The Hunted (1998)

The Hunted

5.3

Director

1998

 

Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff in W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989)

W.B., Blue and the Bean

4.5

Video

Director

1989

 

Deadly Stranger (1988)

Deadly Stranger

4.6

Director

1988

 

The Night Stalker (1986)

The Night Stalker

5.0

Director

1986

 

Ruckus (1980)

Ruckus

5.7

Director

1980

 

Superstunt II

7.3

TV Movie

Director

1979

 

Writer

Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff in W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989)

W.B., Blue and the Bean

4.5

Video

written by

1989

 

Deadly Stranger (1988)

Deadly Stranger

4.6

Writer

1988

 

Ruckus (1980)

Ruckus

5.7

written by

1980

 

Producer

Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff in W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989)

W.B., Blue and the Bean

4.5

Video

producer

1989

 

Deadly Stranger (1988)

Deadly Stranger

4.6

producer (as Max J. Kleven)

1988

 

Additional Crew

Robert Mitchum, Sally Kirkland, and Jason Bernard in Going Home (1971)

Going Home

5.9

action sequence coordinator

1971

 

Thanks

Maximiliano Luciuk, Chris Juárez, and Gemma Vilena in That's the Plan (2022)

That's the Plan

Short

special thanks

2022

 

Brave (2022)

Brave

Short

very special thanks

2022

 

Mojave Thirst (2019)

Mojave Thirst

Short

special thanks

2019

 

Kathy Griffin, Eliza Coyle, Dana Gould, Chris Hardwick, Taylor Negron, Ryan Stiles, and Julia Sweeney in Courting Courtney (1997)

Courting Courtney

6.0

special thanks

1997

 

Self

A Stuntman for All Seasons: A Tribute to Bennie Dobbins (2004)

A Stuntman for All Seasons: A Tribute to Bennie Dobbins

6.3

Video

Self

2004

 

Footloose: A Modern Musical

8.1

Video

Self

2004

 

Return to the Arena: The Making of 'Rollerball'

5.9

Video

Self

2000

 

Superstunt

7.6

TV Special

Self

1977