DANGEROUS STUNTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20140, 9 January 1940, Page 2

DANGEROUS STUNTS

FILM STUDIO DOUBLE CRASHES FOR A LIVING PLANE COLLISION £IOOO A man who has lived dangerously all his life and acted as double for many film stars in sensational aeroplane and automobile crashes has arrived at Wellington on a visit to New Zealand. He is Mr. R. Kavanagh, and he has often been described overseas as the world's highest-paid stunt artist. His many experiences include mid-air collisions and last-minute leaps for safety, delayed parachute drops, rolling over in motor cars, bull-fighting on motor cycles in Spain, and air battles in the Spanish War and also in China. In .an interview Mr. Kavanagh spoke of his experiences in a casual, modest way, as thought risking his life was as matter of fact a thing as taking a walk through the Botanical Gardens on a summer evening. He is a former holder of the world delayed parachute drop record —24,000 ft —and is leader and organiser of the Film Crash Squad, formed in London 10 years ago with the object of providing stunt men for film companies. The squad has its own office and staff in London, and is the only organisation of its type formed on proper business lines Standard Charges

Film studios may telephone and inquire about any type of stunt, from crashing into a tree on a motor cycle to n mid-air collision between two aeroplanes. The standard price for the latter stunt, for example, is £IOOO, and on one occasion Mr. Kavanagh was paid as much as £2OOO The stunt took eight minutes, and his fee worked out at £250 a minute. This was when he was taking part in the film, “Night Flight.” The fee for crashing an aeroplane into the ground is £SOO. and that for walking on the wing of an aeroplane in flight is £2O a minute. An ordinary parachute drop costs £SO, but a delayed jump with a guarantee of where he will land costs the film company £250. A headon car crash is done for £2OO. In each case the equipment is provided by the studio. Mr. Kavanagh is generally known as an American, but he was born in Ireland and has travelled in many parts of the world, often with teams of dare-devil aviators and drivers, fully equipped with their own aircraft and racing cars. He ran away from home at the age of 12, travelled lo Australia, and later went to Honolulu and the United States of America. There he took over a racing car after the driver had been killed and performed a sensational doublesomersault crash. The manager of the track asked if he would repeat the act, which he agreed to do, and then Mr. Kavanagh started crashing eais for a living. Several World Records He holds world titles for aeroplane crashing and stunting, for 1200 consecutive delayed parachute jumps, and the record for rolling oyer 10 times in a car. He has also leapt 71ft in a car. Stunting, however, has not been without its mishaps. Mr. Kavanagh has fractured his right arm on six occasions, his left arm four times, has broken both his legs, and at different times all his ribs have been fractured. He said that lie was disappointed because the Royal Air Force would not take him. He is a qualified pilot and learnt to fly in Germany when he was doing parachute jumps In 1928. “I tried to enlist, but they turned me down because of the injuries I have received,” he said. On the outbreak of war Mr. Kavanagh had a narrow escape from being interned in Germany. He was 300 miles beyond the Italian frontier and motoring to Berlin, where he intended meeting his team of stunt drivers and mechanics. They had arranged to perform in Germany, but before reaching Berlin Mr. Kavanagh received word that his staff had escaped to Denmark. He immediately returned to the Italian frontier, and after a hectic dash, as he described it, succeeded in jetting clear of enemy Petrol restrictions in Italy ' compelled him to abardon a car worth £3OO, and in Germany 15 cars, representing £llOO in value, were abandoned by his team. [ Twice Reported Dead 1

Mr. Kavanagh has been twice reported as dead. The first oecasicn was in Berlin 10 years ago. After a delayed parachute jump he crashed to the ground and fractured both legs and arms People who watched