Charles Bail's extensive and multifaceted show business career spanned an impressive five decades, from the 1950s to the 1990s, encompassing a wide range of creative pursuits, including acting, directing, performing, and coordinating stunts for numerous motion pictures and television programs.
Born in Pennsylvania, Charles Bail's early life was marked by a sense of adventure, as he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and traveled the country before serving a stint in the Navy. After completing high school and spending two years in college, he joined a "wild west show" that performed all over the Orient, marking the beginning of his journey into the world of show business.
Bail's early foray into the industry was as an extra on the popular TV series Wagon Train in 1957, followed by a transition to stuntman and guest star on various western series, including The Texan, Gunsmoke, The Rough Riders, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Laredo, Bat Masterson, Daniel Boone, The High Chaparral, and Wanted: Dead or Alive.
As his career progressed, Bail took on the role of stunt coordinator for several films, including Werewolves on Wheels, The Last Movie, Getting Straight, and The Cycle Savages, and performed stunts in movies such as The Jayhawkers!, Hells Angels on Wheels, The Green Berets, The Scavengers, The Devil's 8, and Cleopatra Jones.
In addition to his work in film, Bail also made his directorial debut with the blaxploitation film Black Samson in 1974, followed by the sequel Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold in 1975, the cross-country road race romp The Gumball Rally in 1976, the sci-fi/action outing Choke Canyon in 1986, and the urban vigilante film Street Corner Justice in 1996.
Throughout his career, Bail worked with renowned directors, including Richard Rush, and was involved in various projects in various capacities. He also directed episodes of popular TV shows, such as Conan the Adventurer, Baywatch Nights, Adam-12, Dragnet 1967, "Knight Rider," "Manimal," and "CHiPs."
After retiring from show business, Charles Bail settled down in Texas and raised horses. He passed away at the age of 85 on November 25, 2020, in Tyler, Texas, due to complications from heart and gall bladder issues.
