The film was shot in Kentucky and at one stage was called Look Down and Die.[3]
On September 21, 1978, stuntmanA.J. Bakunas was fatally injured while doubling a fall for George Kennedy's character "Big Lew" Cassidy.[4] Bakunas, who had already filmed a jump from ninth floor of the Kincaid Towers, wanted to surpass fellow stuntman Dar Robinson's then-new world record for highest free-fall (286 feet),[5] a record Bakunas himself had previously held (230 feet).[6] Bakunas jumped 323 feet from the top floor of the building, reaching a speed of 115 miles per hour. However, the landing airbag burst upon impact, and Bakunas died fifteen hours later from damage to his hips, shoulder blades and lungs. Steel was dedicated to Bakunas's memory. [1]
Release
Steel was first released in the Philippines on July 16, 1979, with Columbia Pictures handling international distribution. The studio intended to release the film in the United States in April 1980, but dropped out due to disagreements with producers Peter S. Davis and William N. Panzer over the film's release date. The domestic distribution rights were then picked up by World-Northal Corporation, who released it in the US on November 21, 1980.[1]
