Checkered Flag or Crash promoter Bo Cochran (Hagman) wants the race completed by any means necessary. Checkered Flag or Crash Checkered Flag or Crash is a 1977 American adventure comedy film about off-road racing through the Philippines jungle, starring Joe Don Baker and Susan Sarandon and featuring Larry Hagman, Alan Vint and Parnelli Jones. It was written by Michael Allin and directed by Alan Gibson. Hard-charging race car driver "Walkaway" Madden (Baker), nicknamed that because of his history of walking away from car crashes, just wants to win the big Manilla 1000 off-road race. Photojournalist C.C. Wainwright (Sarandon) intends to ride with him in
Glenn Close television movie "Orphan Train" and "Too Far to Go". The latter film, included Blythe Danner and Michael Moriarty in the cast, Close played Moriarty's lover. In 1980, director George Roy Hill discovered Close on Broadway and asked her to audition with Robin Williams for a role in "The World According to Garp," which would become her first film role. The 1980s proved to be Close's most successful decade in Hollywood. She made her debut film performance in "The World According to Garp" which earned Close her first Oscar nomination. She played Robin Williams' mother, despite being just four years older.