This Sunday coming upon 48 years since the untimely death of Eric Fleming I thought Id repost this article I found from October, 1966. Think of this next actor who you here braging about doing his own stunts. After his death, it became quite an item the Screen Actors Guild to the lack of protection for actors doing action stunts. THE SUMTER TIMES – OCT. 31, 1966 By Bob Thomas, AP Movie-Television Writer The recent drowning of Eric Fleming on a film location in Peru has prompted the Screen Actors Guild to express concern for the safety of its 17,000 members. This month the Guild’s board of directors called on industry leaders for a full scale investigation of the increasing number of production accidents involving actors. While commending the industry’s Labor-Management Safety Committee, the board stated: “A number of producers and directors and other management personnel are not carrying out their obligations to insure the safety of persons working before the camera in action shots. Failure to use an adequate number of doubles and stuntmen and necessary equipment responsible for far too many accidents involving motion picture players.” President Charlton Heston detailed the Guild’s concern in an interview. He is an actor well acquainted with the perils of action scenes having survived everything from broad-sword battles – “ED Cid” – to chariot races – “Ben Hur”. Heston cited Fleming’s death as an example of how actors can be placed in jeopardy by inadequate protection. Fleming, one time star of “Rawhide” on television drowned in a boat upset in a Peruvian river while on location of “High Jungle”. The film was to be a two hour feature made by MGM for the ABC network. “Our preliminary investigation indicates the accident took place during the filming of a scene,” said Heston. “Apparently there was no rigging to prevent the boat from capsizing. There were no floatation devices in the boat for the actors, who had heavy boots on. There were no ropes on poles on shore.” Fleming was swept into the raging river when his canoe overturned Sept. 28; his body was recovered three days later, 15 miles down stream. Another Hollywood actor, Nico Minardos, survived the accident. We can’t remove all the hazards from filming. But the Guild wants to make sure enough precautions are being taken,” Heston said
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 16:13:39 +0000
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