We tend to romanticize working in show business, but it's not always the glitz and glamour
that people expect it to be.
Being a television or film star – or especially a stunt double – can be a pretty dangerous
gig.
Accidents during production have historically led to the injuries and deaths of countless
people.
Join us as we take a closer look at some of the worse accidents and injuries that occurred
on the sets of film and television productions in the 1970s.
Barquero – 1970
During the filming of this Western film, the movie's director Robert Sparr was tragically
killed in a plane crash while he was scouting out filming locations with a cameraman named
Gerald Finnerman.
Their single-engine plane went down near the Brush Hollow Reservoir right outside of Penrose,
Colorado.
The pilot of the aircraft was also killed in the crash, but the cameraman miraculously
survived.
One of the film's leads, Lee Van Cleef, was supposed to be on the flight as well to accompany
Finnerman and Sparr as they did their scouting, but at the last minute, he decided not to
join them in their excursion.
Catch-22 – 1970
While filming a bombing scene for the film, second-unit director John Jordan was pulled
out of a B-25 Mitchell aircraft and was killed.
He wasn't wearing a safety harness while the plane was up in the air.
If he had, he would have likely survived.
Golden Eagle – 1970
Thai actor Mitrr Chalbancha was killed while portraying his signature action-hero character,
Insee Daeng, the masked crime-fighter.
On the last day of filming, Mitr was supposed to grab hold of a rope ladder that was dangling
from a helicopter.
Sadly, he wasn't able to secure his grip on the ladder, but the pilot didn't realize this
and took off.
Mitr then lost his grip and plummeted to the ground.
Disturbingly, the incident was captured on camera and was featured in the final cut of
the film.
The accident, however, was later omitted from the film's DVD release.
Tora!
Tora – 1970
While rehearsing aerial scenes prior to filming in Oahu, Hawaii, a BT-13 airplane that was
altered to resemble a Japanese Val dive-bomber went down in a sugar cane field near Ewa.
The pilot, Guy Thomas Strong, was killed in the crash.
Zeppelin – 1970
While filming aerial shots over the Irish Sea, two aircraft, including a helicopter
camera-ship, collided mid-flight.
Four crewmen were killed in the collision; Assistant director Burch Williams, cameraman
Skeets Kelly, Pilot Jim Liddy, and co-pilot Gilbert Chomat.
A Clockwork Orange – 1971
If you've ever seen this controversial yet critically acclaimed Stanley Kubrick film,
then you're probably pretty familiar with the notorious MK Ultra-esque brainwashing
scene.
During filming, actor Malcolm McDowell's cornea was scratched while his eyes were propped
open for a fairly long duration.
He suffered temporary blindness from the incident.
Later, during the film's production, McDowell sustained a broken rib during a scene when
another actor taunted and attacked him to demonstrate his rehabilitation.
Kamen Rider – 1971
While filming a scene for the episode entitled 'The Terrifying Cobra-Man', the film's lead,
Hiroshi Fujioka, broke his thighbone in a motorcycle stunt accident when he drove straight
into a telephone pole at nearly 50 miles per hour.
For the next four episodes, in Fujioka's absence, stock footage was used, and another actor
was called in to dub over his lines.
The ratings took a hit as the audience clearly could tell that something had changed.
The series producers eventually felt as if they had no other choice but to replace him
with a character played by Takeshi Sasaki.
Fujioka later returned to the show in episode 53, 'Monster Jaguarman – Deathmatch by Motorcycle
Fight'.
At that point, however, neither actor could be canned, so the series ended up having two
leads.
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And don't go anywhere just yet.
We've still got quite a bit of territory to cover.
Turns out, the 70s were a pretty dangerous time to work in the entertainment industry.
Von Richthofen and Brown – 1971
After the plane he was flying in crashed at Weston Airport near Dublin, Ireland, stunt
pilot Charles Boddington was killed.
The next day, another airplane crashed, but fortunately, no one was killed.
The plane's pilot, Lynn Garrison, and actor, Don Stroud, were, however, injured.
Matlock Police – 1971
After losing control of his vehicle while attempting to round a gravel bend while filming
a chase scene, a cameraman struck a crew member, and they were unfortunately killed.
Deliverance – 1972
While filming a scene involving a canoe, actor Burt Reynolds injured his coccyx.
He went on to make a speedy recovery and finished filming the movie with little delay.
The Godfather – 1972
During the shooting of a fight scene where James Cann threw Gianni Russo over a fence,
Russo slammed into a metal garbage can and broke two ribs, and shattered his elbow.
The Last Lion -1972
Working with wild animals always comes at a bit of risk.
During the production of this South African action film, sound tech James Chapman learned
this hard way when he was mauled to death by a lion.
Napoleon and Samantha -1972
Apparently, no one learned any lessons from the accident that happened earlier that year
on the set of The Last Lion, because during the filming of this adventure film, actress
Jodie Foster was also mauled by a lion.
But unlike Chapman, Foster survived the event, although it understandably left her with quite
a bit of trauma.
Enter the Dragon – 1973
While filming a fight scene for this iconic martial arts film, actor Robert Wall accidentally
cut Bruce Lee's arm with a broken glass bottle.
After healing from his injury, Lee intentionally kicked Wall for real during the re-shoot.
He kicked the man with such intensity that an extra fractured his arm while attempting
to catch Wall.
The Exorcist – 1973
During the filming of the scene where actress Lind Blair's character Regan MacNeil levitates
and thrashes about rather violently, some kind of mechanical failure caused her to fracture
her spine.
The injury later caused Blair to develop scoliosis after she reinjured her spine during the shooting
of a motorcycle scene for another film.
Another serious injury occurred on the set of The Exorcist when actress Ellen Burstyn
fell backward after her possessed daughter struck her.
That scene ended up in the final theatrical cut of the film.
Primal Man – 1974
Thirty-six people include Actor Janos Prohaska and his son, were killed in an airplane crash
while filming this now obscure television series.
The Eigher Sanction – 1975
While filming this action-thriller, a 27-year-old English climber named David Knowles was killed
during a rock slide incident.
Mike Hoover, a mountaineer, almost was killed as well, but fortunately, he managed to survive.
The Great Waldo Pepper – 1975
Stunt Pilot Frank Tallman was seriously injured when the Nieuport biplane he was flying crashed
while filming an aerial scene for this drama film.
He survived the accident but suffered two crack vertebrae, needed 58 stitches, and had
to take off a couple of weeks of filming to recover.
Carrie – 1976
Actress PJ Soles, who portrayed Norma in this groundbreaking supernatural horror film based
upon the Stephen King 1974 novel of the same name, ruptured her eardrum after pressurized
water from a hose struck her in the ear during the shooting of the film's now-famous prom
scene.
Hand of Death – 1976
Jackie Chan was knocked out when he was attempting a stunt in this Hong Kong martial arts film.
No Deposit, No Return – 1976
The President of the Stuntmen Association, Dale Van Sickel, suffered severe brain damage
and spent the remainder of his life as an invalid after his car went out of control
and struck an abutment after hitting an inappropriately applied oil slick while filming this Disney
crime comedy film.
His family successfully sued the production studio after the incident.
The Omen – 1976
Gregory Peck crushed the hand of his fellow actor Guglielmo Spoletini when he slammed
a car door.
Spoletini's finger was almost amputated ruin the accident.
A Bridge Too Far – 1971
A stuntman named Alf Joint was severely injured while attempting a stunt that involved him
jumping off a roof.
The spooky thing is he later said that he felt as if he had been pushed.
Also, during the film's production, special effects director John Richardson and his assistant
Liz Moore got into an automobile accident that killed Moore.
Because of these two incidents, people began to say that the 1976 supernatural horror film
was cursed.
Hi-Riders – 1977
Stuntman Vic Rivers drowned to death after his car went off a ramp into a pond on the
Paramount ranch
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes – 1978
Actors Jack Riley and George Wilson sustained minor injuries when the Hiller UH-12 Helicopter
they were in crashed while filming an aerial scene for the film.
The shot of their crash ended up being included in the film's theatrical release.
Comes A Horseman – 1978
While filming a scene where the character portrayed by actor Jason Robards was dragged
to his death by a horse, Robards' stunt double hit his head on a fence post and was killed.
That grisly scene found its way into the final cut of the film, although it was cut short
right before the accident transpired.
Grease – 1978
While filming the prom scene in a room without windows that reportedly reached temperatures
up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit, actor Michael Tucci experienced heat stroke.
Later on, during the musical film's production, while shooting the 'Grease Lightning' sequence,
Jeff Conaway fell and injured his back.
That about wraps up this video, but hopefully, learning about all of these accidents and
incidents is a sobering reminder of just how risky it can be to work in film and television.
You might think that it's a fairly safe work environment – and for the most part, it
is, especially these days with all the regulations and rules that are in place – but it's certainly
not foolproof.
Accidents still happen.
What was the most shocking injury or death you learned about in this video?
Do you know of any that we failed to mention?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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