Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman

Last updated
Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman
Survival Of The Hitman cover.png
Poster for the film.
Written byJohn Pollock
Starring Bret Hart
Bruce Hart [1] [ unreliable source ]
Keith Hart [1]
Ross Hart [1]
Jimmy Hart
Dwayne Johnson [1]
Lance Storm [2] [3]
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersJohn Pollock [4]
Jorge Barbosa [5]
Wai Ting [5]
Loudon Owen
Original release
Network The Fight Network
ReleaseMarch 22, 2010 (2010-03-22)

Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman also known as just Survival of the Hitman is a 2010 television documentary film [6] chronicling Canadian professional wrestler Bret Hart's life as he prepared for his in-ring return at WrestleMania XXVI after a ten-year absence from the ring after a career ending concussion. [7] [8] [9] [10] It also covers the rise of Hart's career and his split with World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1997. It is a Fight Network original documentary and first aired March 22, 2010. [11] [12] [13] The documentary was produced by John Pollock, Jorge Barbosa and Wai Ting. [14] [2] The documentary features interviews with Bret, members of Hart's family, [15] former head of WWE Canada Carl De Marco, former sports agent Gord Kirke and producer of Wrestling with Shadows , Paul Jay. [1] It also features archive footage of wrestlers, Dynamite Kid, Bad News Allen, Curt Hennig and Ric Flair.

Contents

It is the third documentary about Bret Hart, the first being Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows in 1998 which chronicles Hart's last days wrestling in the WWF and the second Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be in 2005 which is a DVD released by WWE Home Video.

Production

The project originally began as a feature idea concerning Bret Hart's return to the WWE but it continued to grow when Hart got involved, thus changing the concept into a two-hour documentary. [16] The documentary producers have stated that while interviewing Hart it was necessary to avoid showing copyrighted material from WWE which prompted them to make the decision to film Hart's reactions while watching tapes of his old work while he commentated over them. They have also stated that while filming they ended up with several hours of footage which had to be excluded from the film to avoid going over the time limit. [17]

The advertisement picture of Hart which was used for the poster was taken and licensed by photographer John W. MacDonald. [18]

The first trailer for the film was released on March 18, 2010. [19]

Overview

The film begins with a backstory on Hart about his youth, early career in amateur wrestling and goes on to show some of his earliest matches with the Dynamite Kid in his father, Stu Hart's wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling in the late 70's and early 80's. [2] Later it includes discussion of Hart's first world title win against Ric Flair. In his interview segment Hart states that the fact that WWE owner Vince McMahon gave him the opportunity to be the world champion is one of the reasons why he felt compelled to return to the company and forgive Vince McMahon despite their personal and professional differences.

On the documentary Hart offers his insight on Survivor Series 1997, which was the event where the Montreal Screwjob [20] took place where Vince McMahon changed the ending of an important match where Hart and McMahon had agreed to before without Hart's consent, while watching the video footage. [21] Later, the documentary shows Hart walking the audience through his range of emotions on the moment on January 4 when he returned to WWE TV. The documentary also focuses on the death of his youngest brother Owen Hart whom he had worked closely with in WWE before his death in an accident on a WWE PPV when Hart was with another company in 1999, as well as the deaths of Hart's brother-in-law "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, his parents Helen and Stu, as well as Hart's concussion and subsequent stroke. [22]

The documentary focuses on Hart's passion for the wrestling business, which is part of the reason for why he chose to return to the WWE and to the wrestling ring despite being fragile physically and being well off financially. Included in the documentary are three of Hart's seven brothers, Bruce, Keith and Ross. [22] [23] [24]

Release

The film first aired on the Canadian Fight Network in 2010 and was shown again in 2011. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] It was also available for free on the Fight Networks official YouTube channel for some time, although that is not the case anymore. [2] [31] [32] As of December 2017 the film is available on the streaming service Global Wrestling Network. [33]

Reception

The film was well received, and one review stated that the film is a great companion piece to Hart's Autobiography. [34] [4] [35] [36] [37]

James Caldwell, writer and assistant editor at the Pro Wrestling Torch stated "Like a good wrestling promoter or a good screenplay writer, the producers of the documentary showed fundamental understanding of their audience. The documentary was aimed at Canadian TV viewers who appreciate good, honest values, fairness, justice, and fair play. Interviews with the likes of Lance Storm, Mauro Ranallo, former WWE VP Carl De Marco, and "Pain & Passion" author Heath McCoy captured those images and themes." He also went on to say that the documentary is in his opinion excellent at telling its story and that he felt Hart was very candid in his interviews. [22] [38]

Reuse

Some parts from the documentary as well as non-included material such as leftover interview segments from Hart has been used by John Pollock in his wrestling podcast Review-A-Wai which is also featured on the Fight Network. [39] [40] [41]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bret Hart</span> Canadian-American professional wrestler, writer and actor

Bret Sergeant Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. A major international draw within professional wrestling, he has been credited with changing the perception of mainstream North-American professional wrestling in the early 1990s by bringing technical in-ring performance to the fore. Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time; Sky Sports noted that his legacy is that of "one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle". For the majority of his career, Hart used the epithet "the Hitman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roddy Piper</span> Canadian professional wrestler and actor (1954–2015)

Roderick George Toombs, better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Screwjob</span> 1997 professional wrestling incident

The Montreal Screwjob was a notorious unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. During the WWF Championship match between Shawn Michaels and champion Bret Hart, WWF owner Vince McMahon and select WWF employees covertly manipulated the predetermined outcome of the match in favor of Michaels; the screwjob occurred without Hart's knowledge, causing him to lose the championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Neidhart</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler (1955–2018)

James Henry Neidhart was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with his real-life brother-in-law Bret Hart in the Hart Foundation. He also won titles in Stampede Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis Championship Wrestling and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. He was part of the Hart wrestling family through marriage to his wife Ellie Hart, teaming with various members throughout his career, and appearing with his daughter Natalya Neidhart on the reality television show Total Divas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania IV</span> 1988 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on March 27, 1988, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The announced attendance of the event was 19,199, drawing a 6.5 buyrate on PPV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Hall of Fame</span> Professional wrestling hall of fame and television series

The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously inducted with a video package as the sole inductee that year. The 1994 and 1995 ceremonies were held in conjunction with the annual King of the Ring pay-per-view events and the 1996 ceremony was held with the Survivor Series event. After an eight-year hiatus and after the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) had been renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002, the promotion relaunched the Hall of Fame in 2004 and has held the ceremonies in conjunction with WrestleMania ever since. Since 2005, portions of the induction ceremonies have aired on television and since 2014, the entire ceremonies have aired on the WWE Network, which was extended to Peacock in 2021 after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Hart (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Bruce Edward Hart is an American-born Canadian retired professional wrestler, promoter, booker, trainer and school teacher. He is a second-generation wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family, being the second child of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances for WWE, often with his brothers Bret and Owen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith Hart</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler

Smith Stewart Hart was an American-Canadian professional wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family. His parents were Stu and Helen Hart. Smith was the first of their twelve children, being one of their eight sons, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Bret, Ross and Owen followed him. Hart is also the father of two professional wrestlers, Mike and Matt Hart. Hart wrestled for the majority of his career in Canada but also worked briefly in other countries and is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and for his appearances for WWE. He died in 2017 due to prostate cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Hart</span> Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and referee

Dean Harry Anthony Hart was a Canadian–American amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, referee, wrestling as well as music promoter and member of the Hart family who wrestled in Canadian regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, most notably in the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling. He was the son of Stu and Helen Hart and the younger brother of Smith, Bruce, Keith and Wayne, as well as older brother of Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana and Owen Hart. Dean was widely regarded as the most handsome of the Hart brothers. He died at the age of 36 in 1990, from a heart attack induced by kidney failure.

Diana Joyce Hart is a Canadian-American writer, model, valet and wrestling personality. She is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and was the second to last child born to Stu and his wife Helen. She is best known for her several appearances for Stampede Wrestling and WWE often with her brothers Bret and Owen Hart as well as her husband Davey Boy Smith, and for her book, Under the Mat.

<i>Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be</i> 2005 film

Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be also known as The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be is a 2005 documentary film released as part of a three-DVD set on November 15, 2005, by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The documentary chronicles the career of popular WWE wrestler Bret Hart. Hart collaborated with WWE to make the documentary, contributing hours of interview content to the film. This collaboration marked the first time Hart had worked in an on camera capacity with WWE since the Montreal Screwjob, which was Hart's last in-ring appearance with the company until his return on January 4, 2010. The documentary chronicles Bret Hart's wrestling career, from how he broke into the business as a member of the Hart family to his run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

Paul Jay is a journalist, filmmaker, is the founder, editor-in-chief, and host of theAnalysis.news, a news analysis service. He was the founder, CEO and senior editor of The Real News Network (TRNN). Jay was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and holds dual-citizenship with the United States. Jay is the nephew of screenwriter Ted Allan. A past chair of the Canadian Independent Film Caucus, the main organization of documentary filmmakers in Canada, Jay is the founding chair of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. He chaired the Hot Docs! board for its first five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauro Ranallo</span> Canadian sports commentator

Mauro Domenico Ranallo is a Canadian sports announcer, commentator and mental health advocate. He is currently signed as a play-by-play announcer with MMA organization Bellator, and also performs play-by-play duties for boxing broadcaster Showtime. He is also known for his time with WWE on the NXT and SmackDown brands. He has experience in Canadian football, ice hockey, professional wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts events.

The Hart wrestling family, sometimes known as the Hart dynasty, is a mainly Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family was wrestling legend Stu Hart (1915–2003). An amateur and professional wrestling performer, promoter and trainer, Stu owned and operated his own wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling. He also trained some of the most well known stars in wrestling history including "Superstar" Billy Graham, Fritz Von Erich, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and his own sons Bret Hart and Owen Hart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fight Network</span> Canadian television channel dedicated to combat sports

Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment. The network broadcasts programming related to combat sports, including mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, and professional wrestling.

Ross Lindsay Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, booker, TV producer, coach and actor. Hart is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the second youngest son of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his work in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances in WWE, often with his siblings Bruce, Keith, Bret, Diana and Owen Hart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hart Legacy Wrestling</span> Canadian professional wrestling promotion

Hart Legacy Wrestling (HLW) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion operated by some members of the Hart wrestling family, it was founded mainly by Teddy Hart and his associates. Smith Hart was also involved with the promotion prior to his death on July 2, 2017. His long-time partner Stacey Angel is the current owner of the promotion. Bret Hart has no involvement in HLW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persona and reception of Roman Reigns</span> Ascendency of American professional wrestler Roman Reigns

Professional wrestler Roman Reigns debuted on the WWE main roster in November 2012 as part of a faction called "The Shield" and was well-received by critics. Support began to dwindle upon Reigns's transition to a heroic main event singles act in 2014, largely due to his perceived forced push. This would manifest itself in Reigns main eventing four consecutive editions of WWE's premier annual pay-per-view event, WrestleMania, while being booed in all four appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Hall of Fame (2019)</span> WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony

The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE that featured the introduction of the twentieth class into the WWE Hall of Fame. It took place on April 6, 2019 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as part of WrestleMania 35 weekend. The event aired live on the WWE Network.

John Pollock is a Canadian sports reporter best known for his work on Fight Network Radio, Live Audio Wrestling and founding the website POST Wrestling. He has also produced the acclaimed documentary Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman about professional wrestler Bret Hart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bret Hart Documentary To Air For Free, $5 Wrestling, Atlas". wrestlinginc.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 ""Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman" Documentary". sescoops.com.
  3. ↑ "Breaking Kayfabe". stormwrestling.com.
  4. 1 2 "CANADA'S FIGHT NETWORK FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY; FIRST CREDITOR MEETING SET FOR FRIDAY IN TORONTO". pwinsider.com. Pro Wrestling Insider. Archived from the original on 2017-12-25. Retrieved 2016-01-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. 1 2 Pollock, John (March 18, 2010). "LAW March 17 Update – WWE Addresses Head Shots". The Fight Network. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ Historical Dictionary of Wrestling. Scarecrow Press, inc. 2014. p. 98 pp. ISBN   978-0-8108-7926-3.
  7. ↑ "Happy Birthday Bret Hart!". 2 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "DOCUMENTARY – "SURVIVAL OF THE HITMAN"". wrestlingdvd.net. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  9. ↑ MURPHY, JAN (April 21, 2015). "WWE return heals Hitman's soul". Slam! Wrestling. Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  10. ↑ BAINES, TIM (December 10, 2010). "Hitman has finally found contentment". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  11. ↑ "Bret Hart". wrestlingdvduniverse.com.
  12. ↑ "Documentaries". wrestling.blogspot.se. 7 July 2007.
  13. ↑ Pat Laprade; Bertrand Hebert (2012). Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs: The Untold Story of How Montreal Shaped the World of Wrestling . ECW Press. p. ? pp. ISBN   978-1770410947.
  14. ↑ "Jorge Barbosa". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023. Experienced in producing and editing documentaries "Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman"
  15. ↑ "Bret Hart – Survival of the Hitman DVD". wrestlingepicenter.com.
  16. ↑ "LAW March 22 Update – Bret Hart Doc Debuts Tonight". fightnetwork.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Review-A-Wai – Greatest Rivalries DVD w/ Jimmy Korderas". f1ghtold.fightnetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  18. ↑ "MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010 Bret Hart – Documentary". johnwmacdonald.com.
  19. ↑ "Trailer For New Bret Hart Documentary 'Survival Of The Hitman' Now Online". PWInsider.com. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  20. ↑ Laprade, Pat (November 9, 2017). "The Montreal Screw Job 20 years later". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  21. ↑ Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW. Sports Publishing. 2011. p. ? pp. ISBN   978-1613210413.
  22. 1 2 3 ""Survival of the Hitman" documentary answers the "why?" on Bret Hart's return after 12 years". pwtorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch.
  23. ↑ "411Mania".
  24. ↑ "411Mania".
  25. ↑ Nemer, Paul (March 22, 2010). "Bret hart documentary to air tonight". wrestleview.com. Wrestle View.
  26. ↑ "LAW Apr. 23 Update – Bret Doc on Fight Network". fightnetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  27. ↑ "New Bret Hart Documentary 'Survival Of The Hitman' Set To Debut This Month In Canada". PWInsider.com. 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  28. ↑ "WWE News: Details on Bret Hart book signing during WrestleMania weekend & new Bret Hart documentary". PWTorch.com. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  29. ↑ "Bret Hart Documentary To Debut Tonight In Canada, Online Tomorrow". PWInsider.com. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  30. ↑ "Cbs News Planning A Feature On Wwe Star, Bret Hart Documentary Debuts Next Week, Jericho Talks About Headlining Against Tna". PWInsider.com. 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  31. ↑ "Hart News: Watch the complete "Survival of the Hitman" documentary". pwtorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch.
  32. ↑ https://superluchas.com/bret-hart-survival-of-the-hitman-el-documental-completo-online/ https://archive.today/20180326123319/https://superluchas.com/bret-hart-survival-of-the-hitman-el-documental-completo-online/
  33. ↑ https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/12/19/news-items-dean-ambrose-entered-raw-legit-elbow-injury-alexa-bliss-reacts-royal-rumble-news-new-nwa-video-chronicles-aldis-title-win-storm-gwn-update/ https://archive.today/20180218055120/https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/12/19/news-items-dean-ambrose-entered-raw-legit-elbow-injury-alexa-bliss-reacts-royal-rumble-news-new-nwa-video-chronicles-aldis-title-win-storm-gwn-update/
  34. ↑ "WWE News: Excellent Bret Hart documentary "Survival of the Hitman" now available for free online viewing". prowrestling.net.
  35. ↑ "Wrestling Globe Newsletter for 3–23 (2010) – Online World of Wrestling".
  36. ↑ "Wrestling Globe Newsletter for 3–20 (2010) – Online World of Wrestling".
  37. ↑ https://prowrestling.net/article.php?WrestleMania-26-countdown-time-killer-Watch-the-excellent-documentary-Surviving-The-Hitman-on-Bret-Hart-10970 https://archive.today/20180118145740/https://prowrestling.net/article.php?WrestleMania-26-countdown-time-killer-Watch-the-excellent-documentary-Surviving-The-Hitman-on-Bret-Hart-10970
  38. ↑ "WWE News: Jim Ross blogs on Goldberg's potential WWE return, possibly his final WM broadcast, Bret Hart's possible final match". PWTorch.com. 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  39. ↑ "HE LAW: LIVE AUDIO WRESTLING is coming to Hamilton Comic Con". hamiltoncomiccon.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  40. ↑ "Review-A-Wai – WWE Raw Jan. 4, 2010 (Bret Hart Returns)". fightnetwork.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  41. ↑ "Review-a-Wai – WWF SummerSlam '92 w/ Bret Hart, Harry Smith". fightnetwork.com.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.