Television and Radio Dangerous impressive deeds of the film stuntmen

Press, 28 March 1980, Page 11

Television and Radio

Dangerous impressive deeds of the film stuntmen

Silent films are best remembered for their physical gags — always good for a laugh — but over in a second. Behind these gags lay

the planning, courage and skill of the stunt man — virtues exhibited in last night’s episode of “Hollywood,” the British series on TV2. Stuntmen in the early days did everything — high dives, car wrecks, upsetting wagons, motor-cycle-to-plane transfers. The big stars seldom took risks, but other players sometimes did do their own stunts, often with: painful results. "P r e-release publicity often insisted that the stars did all their own; Stunts, but even the ath-. letic Douglas Fairbanks/ used a stunt man for long shots. And always therte were tricks of the trade tio improve the stunt arid astonish the audience.

The craze for stunt-fly-ing in the 1920 s led to feats of reckless daring for the cameras. Sonaatimes these barnstormer's were unlucky. After; service in the Air; Corps, the most famous stunt flyer, Ormer Locklear. was killed in a film. The production company capitalised on the tragedy. Other stunts sometimes ended in disaster — some* times through ignorance, often in the face of uniMedictable hazards.

But the survivors jremember those early days of Hollywood with pleasure and unabashed actatiiration.