As cinema fans, we almost always try to look for the best, most glamorous side of our favorite
actors. That mentality can at times, make it difficult for us to imagine anything bad
ever happening to them. But throughout the history of film, accidents have occasionally
occurred during production that resulted in great bodily harm, financial loss, destroyed
credibility, and even death.
As it turns out, movie sets can sometimes be dangerous places. Grueling hours can lead
to fatigue. Arrogance can lead to recklessness. And freak accidents sometimes just – well
- happen. There's no real way to prevent that kind of thing. Even celebrities aren't immune
to happenstance.
In this video, we'll be covering some of the most tragic injuries and accidents that occurred
on film sets in the 1960s. Make sure you stick around to the end to learn how not one but
two people were killed in what was supposed to be just a routine car commercial in 1967.
The Alamo – 1960
While portraying the character Colonel W. B. Travis in the 1960 epic historical war
film The Alamo, actor Laurence Harvey was injured when a cannon recoiled while firing.
One of the cannon's wheels rolled over the actor's foot and fractured it. He didn't reveal
that he had been injured until after the scene was finished shooting.
The Siege of Sidney Street – 1960
During the production of this historical drama film co-directed by Monty Berman and Robert
S. Baker, South African-born British actor Leonard Sachs was injured while shooting a
scene that was set in a burning building.
Everything in the room, from the props to the actor's shoulders and arms, were coated
in a thick layer of fire-retardant jelly. Unfortunately, the special-effects department
neglected to apply the jelly to the actor's head because it would have delayed production
by 20 minutes, and they were trying their best to keep a tight schedule.
Because of their negligence, Sachs suffered extensive burns to his scalp and hair while
filming the dramatic scene.
The Unforgiven – 1960
While rehearsing a scene involving a horse, actress Audrey Hepburn was thrown from the
animal and ended up sustaining two broken vertebrae. She later suffered a miscarriage
which was also attributed to the incident. Hepburn had to be flown off of the set and
ended up spent six weeks recovering from her injuries at a hospital. Upon returning to
the set, Hepburn wore a back brace for the remainder of the film's production, and the
wardrobe department had to redesign her costumes to hide the brace.
Spartacus -1960
While filming this hit 1960 Roman epic film, actor Charles McGraw sustained a broken jaw.
During the scene featuring the revolt at the gladiator school, Spartacus, played by Kirk
Douglas, can be seen forcing the head of the evil trainer Marcellus, portrayed by McGraw,
into a giant pot of boiling soup effectively drowning the character. While pushing the
actor down, McGraw struck his jaw on the rim of the cauldron, which resulted in a fracture.
But in spite of his injuries, he still managed to power through the scene.
The Guns Of Navarone – 1961
While filming an oceanic scene while inside a huge tank of water, Actor David Niven almost
drowned. He suffered a gashed lip that eventually caused the actor to have to be hospitalized
with sepsis. Production on the film had to be paused for a month, but Niven insisted
on returning to the set to finish filming his scenes before he had even fully recovered
from his injuries. He should have taken more time, however, to let his body heal because
pushing himself like that caused his sepsis to come back with a vengeance, and once again,
he had to be hospitalized for another seven weeks.
Not to get too derailed, but if you're enjoying this video so far, do us a favor and give
it a like and subscribe to Facts Verse if you haven't already. And don't go anywhere
just yet. Stay tuned to find out what happened during the filming of that notorious car commercial
that we teased you about at the start of this video.
Cape Fear – 1962
What was supposed to be a simulated fight scene at the climax of the film turned ugly
when actor Gregory Peck accidentally punched Robert Mitchum for real. Mitchum wasn't seriously
injured by the blow, but he said that he felt the impact for several days afterward.
Flower on the Stone – 1962
While shooting in a burning building on July 30, 1960, Soviet Actress Inna Burduchenko
suffered third-degree burns. She later ended up dying from her injuries less than a month
later, on August 15, 1960. At the time of her death, Burduchenko was three months pregnant.
How The West Was Won -1962
While filming a gunfight scene on a fast-moving train, stuntman Bob Morgan, spouse of Yvonne
De Carlo, was severely injured and lost a leg. The accident happened when chains that
were holding down logs on a flatbed train car broke and crushed Morgan as he knelt beside
them.
Lawrence of Arabia – 1962
Peter O' Toole was almost killed when he fell from his camel during the production of this
historical drama which was based upon the life of British adventurer T.E. Lawrence.
Additionally, he injured his hand during shooting by punching through a window of a caravan
while he was heavily intoxicated. You can even see a bandage on his left thumb during
the first train-attack sequence.
The Manchurian Candidate -1962
During the shooting of a fight scene between Frank Sinatra and Henry Silva, Sinatra broke
one of his fingers while attempting to pull off a move where he would have smashed through
a table. Sinatra experienced trouble with his hand for many years after the accident,
and it's rumored to be one of the reasons why he declined to star in the titular role
in Dirty Harry. The crooner had to have several surgeries to address the injury and relieve
some of his pain.
Dr. Stangelove – 1964
Peter Sellers was originally going to play a fourth character, Major 'King' Kong, in
the convoluted yet brilliant film, but after injuring his ankle while filming a scene as
Kong, the role went to actor Slim Pickens instead.
The Horror of Party Beach – 1964
While filming a chase scene involving a car and motorcycle, members of a local motorcycle
club were called in to play a bike gang. Trying to get to the front of the action, one of
the bikers sped up and collided with one of the actors who played the gang's leader. This
triggered a huge pileup that resulted in the actor and several other biker's injuries.
En route to the incident, a police officer was involved in another crash.
The Flight of the Phoenix – 1965
The flying sequences in this survival drama film were flown by famous stunt and racing
pilot Paul Mantz who was filling in for his buddy Frank Tallman who had recently sustained
a leg injury.
On July 8, 1965, Mantz was attempting a touch-and-go landing when the fuselage of his Tallmantz
Phoenix P-1 aircraft buckled during touchdown. The plane broke apart and tumbled, killing
Mantz and seriously injuring another stuntman named Bobby Rose.
Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N – 1965
Cameraman Robert King Baggot, the father of King Baggot, was fatally injured while shooting
in Kauai when a massive wave hit his boat and pulled him overboard.
High Jungle – 1966
On September 28, 1966, Eric Fleming, star of the popular Western television series Rawhide,
was filming in Peru. While wrapping up production of the film, Fleming's canoe overturned in
the Huallaga River.
While actor Nico Minardos somehow managed to swim to safety, Fleming wasn't so lucky.
He was swept away by the river's raging current and drowned. He was only 41 when he died,
and his body wasn't recovered until three days after the accident.
You Only Live Twice – 1967
The title of this film is especially ominous in retrospect. While filming a scene involving
a gyrocopter in Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture, John Jordan, an experienced Hollywood cameraman,
was struck on the foot by the copter's blade.
Even though Japanese doctors were able to reattach his severed foot, he had to have
it amputated once he returned to the United Kingdom. Sadly, several years later, Jordan
was killed during a tragic accident while filming 1970s Catch-22.
Night of the Living Dead – 1968
While he was trying to ignite a prop with gasoline – which alone sounds like a pretty
bad idea – crewmember Gary Streiner accidentally set himself on fire. Actor Bill Hinzman jumped
into action and managed to extinguish the flames, thus saving Streiner's life.
Where Eagles Dare – 1968
While filming a scene in which his character was killed in this 1968 World War II film,
actor Derren Nesbitt was injured by a sack of prop blood that exploded with such force
that it actually temporarily blinded the actor. But more than anything, he got quite a fright
out of that incident as he managed to make a full and quick recovery from his injuries.
Battle Of Britain – 1969
While the British World War II film the Battle of Britain is best known for featuring spectacularly
choreographed and historically accurate flight scenes, Spanish Air Force pilot Don Federico
Eglesisas Lanzo was tragically killed in a crash during the film's production at Tablada,
Seville.
Director – 1969
While you might not have ever heard about this 1969 Soviet propaganda film, it is notable
for the regrettable fact that actor Yevgeni Urbanksy died during its production. He lost
his life on November 5, 1965, while attempting to perform a dangerous stunt.
Shark! - 1969
This Mexican-American action film was never supposed to actually be dangerous, but unfortunately,
a stuntman was killed during production when he was mauled by a shark on camera. The shark
was supposed to be sedated, but apparently, he hadn't been, and after seeing the stuntman,
he suddenly attacked, resulting in disastrous consequences.
Pontiac Commercial – 1967
Last but not least, we have the tragic case of what happened while filming what should
have been a routine commercial for Pontiac automobiles in Thousand Oaks, California.
Actress Brenda Lee Meisenheimer and cameraman Raffael John Esposito were killed when a camera
boom that was suspended from an oncoming camera car smashed through the windshield of their
vehicle.
While it's many people dream of becoming a rich and famous Hollywood film star, few realize
just how dangerous of a job it can really be. Granted, protocols and safety precautions
have been put into place to keep performers as safe as possible, but even so, accidents
still happen.
What do you think is the most shocking accident that you learned about in this video? Let
us know in the comments section below. And before you go, make sure you take a moment
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And as always, thanks for watching. Be safe out there!