Film-maker goes on trial

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 11

Film-maker goes on trial

NZPA-Reuter Los Angeles

Four years after the actor, Vic Morrow, and two children were killed by helicopter blades on the set of "The Twilight Zone” film, the director, John Landis, and four associates went on trial yesterday on manslaughter charges.

After years of legal wrangling and procedural delays, the unprecedented trial began with the first in a series of motions by defence attorneys, including one that will keep jurors from seeing photographs of the victims’ mangled bodies. Morrow, aged 53, Renee Chen, aged six, and Myca Dinh Lee, aged seven, were killed by a crashing helicopter that was knocked out of control by debris from special-ef-fects explosions on the set about 64km from Los Angeles.

Superior Court Judge Roger Boren refused to allow the prosecution to introduce six pictures of the victims taken soon after they were killed, saying they were "some of the most gruesome I’ve ever seen”.

He did allow pictures of the two children, in full make-up before shooting

of the Vietnam war scene began. Prosecutors argued that the grisly make-up would show the extent to which Landis would go to attain the realism he desired.

Landis, who was not in court, his special-effects co-ordinator, Paul Stewart, and the helicopter pilot, Dorcey Wingo, each face three counts of involuntary manslaughter in the helicopter crash. Landis, aged 35, his associate producer, George Folsey, and the unit production manager, Dan Allingham, also are charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the alleged endangerment of the children’s lives. Most of the day was spent in private sessions, lawyers and the Judge discussing such procedural issues as how a jury would be selected. The judge will entertain more motions today and jury selection is scheduled to begin tomorrow. The long-delayed trial is believed to mark the first time that a director has been prosecuted for actions taken while working on a film. Hollywood observers said it could have an adverse effect on film-makers who employ special effects.