Film Accident
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In the
history of film The history of film chronicles the development of a visual art form created using film technologies that began in the late 19th century. The advent of film as an artistic medium is not clearly defined. However, the commercial, public scr ...
and
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, accidents have occurred during
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
, such as cast or crew fatalities or serious accidents that plagued production. From 1980 to 1990, there were 37 deaths relating to accidents during stunts; 24 of these deaths involved the use of helicopters.


1910s

*''Across the Border'' (1914). On 1 July 1914, while filming on location in
Cañon City, Colorado Cañon City is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 17,141 at the 2020 United States Census. Cañon City is the principal city of t ...
, cast member Grace McHugh was filming a scene where her character was crossing the
Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
in a boat. When the boat
capsized Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fro ...
, camera operator Owen Carter immediately jumped into the river to save her. He dragged her onto a
sandbar In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body o ...
that was reported to be
quicksand Quicksand is a colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
. The rest of the film crew watched helplessly as they were sucked into the sandbar and drowned. Carter received a posthumous Carnegie Hero Award for his rescue efforts. *''
The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Cla ...
'' (1915). Future film director
Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...
fell off a roof and broke two ribs in one scene as an extra. * ''The Girl of the Golden West'' (1915). Actor
House Peters Sr. Robert House Peters Sr. (12 March 1880 – 7 December 1967) was a British-born American silent film actor, known to filmgoers of the era as "The Star of a Thousand Emotions". Biography Born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, Peters bega ...
suffered serious burns to his face and hands when a prop pistol exploded upon being fired. * ''The Captive'' (1915). During filming of a scene where soldiers were required to break down a locked door, the extras fired at the door using live ammunition to give the scene more realism. Director
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
then ordered the extras to reload with blanks in order to film the next shot in which the door is broken down. One of the extras inadvertently left a live round in his rifle which discharged, shooting another extra, Charles Chandler, in the head, killing him instantly. *''
The Woman God Forgot ''The Woman God Forgot'' is a 1917 American silent romance film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A copy of the film is in the George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection. Plot The '' Exhibitors Herald'', a trade magazine for independent cinemas, ...
'' (1917). In one scene, extras were required to be thrown over the side of an Aztec pyramid. The 'pyramid' was built of wood and covered in paper on which sand had been glued to create the appearance of stone. The extras were badly scraped as they slid down the side of the structure. Having expected such injuries, a crew member was waiting at the bottom with a bucket of iodine. *'' The Valley of the Giants'' (1919). Silent-era star
Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...
was badly injured in a train crash during filming in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. His injuries caused him severe pain and the studio supplied him with increasing quantities of
morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...
so he could keep working. Addicted to morphine and also suffering from
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
, Reid died in 1923 at the age of 31. * ''Wet and Warmer''
Henry Lehrman Henry Lehrman (March 30, 1881 – November 7, 1946) was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. Lehrman was a very prominent figure of Hollywood's silent film era, working with such cinematic pioneers as D. W. Griffith and Mack S ...
comedy (1919). Comedian
Billie Ritchie William Hill, known professionally as Billie Ritchie (5 September 1874 – 6 July 1921), was a Scottish comedian who first gained transatlantic fame as a performer for British music hall producer Fred Karno — thus, a full decade before Stan ...
, while working on a short comedy film, was kicked in the stomach by an
ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
.


1920s

*''
Haunted Spooks ''Haunted Spooks'' is a 1920 American silent Southern Gothic comedy film produced and co-directed by Hal Roach, starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. Plot The action in ''Haunted Spooks'' centres around Harold's romantic problems. It is se ...
'' (1920). On the set of a publicity shoot that took place while filming, actor and comedian
Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film co ...
picked up what he thought was a prop bomb with the fuse lit but realized too late the bomb was real. It detonated, blowing off the thumb and first finger of his right hand and also temporarily blinding him. For the rest of his career, Lloyd concealed his missing fingers with a prosthetic glove. *''
The Skywayman ''The Skywayman'' was a 1920 American silent action drama film directed by James P. Hogan and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film starred noted aerial stunt pilot Ormer Locklear and Louise Lovely. After having appeared in ...
'' (1920). Pilots Milton Elliott and
Ormer Locklear Ormer Leslie "Lock" Locklear (October 28, 1891 – August 2, 1920) was an American daredevil stunt pilot and film actor. His popular flying circus caught the attention of Hollywood, and he starred in ''The Great Air Robbery'' (1919), a scre ...
were killed on 2 August 1920, during filming. Their plane crashed at the DeMille Airfield, along Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, while filming night scenes. * ''Manslaughter'' (1922). Stunt man Leo Noomis was required to crash a police motorcycle into the side of a car at . Noomis suffered six broken ribs and a fractured pelvis while performing the stunt. *''
Trifling Women ''Trifling Women'' is a 1922 American silent romantic drama film directed by Rex Ingram. It is credited with boosting the careers of its leads, Barbara La Marr and Ramon Novarro. It has been described as Ingram's most personal film. The film i ...
'' (1922).
Joe Martin (orangutan) Joe Martin (born between 1911 and 1913 – died after 1931) was a male orangutan who appeared in at least 50 American films of the silent era, including approximately 20 comedy shorts, several serials, two Tarzan movies, Rex Ingram's melodram ...
attacked actor
Edward Connelly Edward Connelly (December 30, 1859 – November 21, 1928) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Connelly had a Broadway theater career going back to the Victorian era. His Broadway credits include ''The Wild Du ...
, biting him, mangling his hand and possibly breaking his arm. * ''Around the World in Eighteen Days'' (1922). Stunt pilot Jean Perkins fell to his death while shooting a scene where he was to hang from a rope ladder off the side of a plane. * ''The Eleventh Hour'' (1923). Stunt pilot Dick Kerwood suffered a severe concussion during filming. He was to parachute from a Standard-J biplane which was loaded with explosives set to go off after he bailed out of the aircraft. However the timer was faulty, causing the explosives to detonate when Kerwood was still on board. He was thrown clear and, although dazed, managed to open his parachute in time. *''
Souls for Sale ''Souls for Sale'' is a 1923 American silent comedy drama film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes, based on the novel of the same name by Hughes. The film stars Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract w ...
'' (1923). Actress
Barbara La Marr Barbara La Marr (born Reatha Dale Watson; July 28, 1896 – January 30, 1926) was an American film actress and screenwriter who appeared in twenty-seven films during her career between 1920 and 1926. La Marr was also noted by the medi ...
injured her ankle during filming and doctors prescribed not only morphine but also cocaine to control the pain and enable her to continue filming. Working on the production left La Marr addicted to drugs, a factor that contributed to her premature death three years later. * ''The Brass Bottle'' (1923). Charlie the elephant attacked long-time trainer Curley Stecker causing rib fractures, lacerations, contusions and a concussion. *''
The Covered Wagon ''The Covered Wagon'' is a 1923 American silent Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a 1922 novel of the same name by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers traveling through the old West ...
'' (1923). Bert Alping was "thrown from a cliff…and severely hurt." *''
The Great Circus Mystery ''The Great Circus Mystery'' is a 1925 American adventure film serial directed by Jay Marchant. Cast Chapter titles # Pact of Peril # A Cry for Help # A Race with Death # The Plunge of Peril # The Ladder of Life # A Leap for Liberty # Harvest ...
'' (1925). Stuntmen Frank Tully and Tony Brack were killed in auto accident. The footage is in the film. *''
The Desert Fiddler ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1924). Stunt swimmer William Harbaugh drowned while filming a water scene in the Colorado River near Laguna Dam. *'' Rex, the King of the Wild Horses'' (1924). An Arabian horse fell on C.P. "Chick" Morrison shortly after filming was complete; Morrison died en route to the hospital. *'' Raffles'' (1924). Veteran actor
Kate Lester Kate Lester (born Sarah Cody, 12 June 1857 – 12 October 1924) was an American theatrical and silent film actress. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in Britain at the time of her birth.Who Was Who on Screen 3rd edition page ...
was killed by a space heater explosion in her dressing room. *''
Sherlock Jr. ''Sherlock Jr.'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez, and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, and Ward Crane. In 1991, ''Sherlock J ...
'' (1924). While hanging from a water tower,
Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
pulled a rope that released water from the tower, knocking him to the ground. In the scene, he stood and ran into the distance. During a routine physical examination 11 years later, an X-ray revealed that Keaton's neck had been fractured. *'' The Warrens of Virginia'' (1924). On 29 November 1923, while working on location in
San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...
,
Martha Mansfield Martha Mansfield (born Martha Ehrlich; July 14, 1899 – November 30, 1923) was an American actress in silent films and vaudeville stage plays. Early life She was born in New York City to Maurice and Harriett Gibson Ehrlich. She had a younger sis ...
was severely burned when a match, tossed by a cast member, ignited her
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
costume of hoopskirts and flimsy ruffles. Mansfield was playing the role of Agatha Warren and had just finished her scenes and retired to a car when her clothing burst into flames. Her neck and face were saved when leading man Wilfred Lytell threw his heavy
overcoat An overcoat is a type of long coat (clothing), coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most commonly used in winter when warmth is more important. They are sometimes confused with ...
over her. The hands of the
chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...
of Mansfield's car were badly burned while he tried to remove the actress's burning clothing. The fire was put out, but she sustained substantial burns to her body and died the following day. *'' Ben-Hur'' (1925). An early filming attempt of the chariot race was done on location at the
Circus Maximus The Circus Maximus (Latin for "largest circus"; Italian: ''Circo Massimo'') is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and lar ...
in Rome. It brought about the death of one stuntman when a wheel of his chariot broke. * ''The General'' (1926). During filming of the epic comedy in Oregon, there were a number of incidents. Several National Guardsmen, employed as extras for the Civil War battle scenes, were injured by mishaps caused by misfired muskets or explosions. Director and star Buster Keaton was knocked unconscious when he stood too close to a cannon firing. Assistant director Harry Barnes was accidentally hit in the face by a blank charge. Train brakeman Fred Lowry sued the production for US$2,900 after his foot was crushed when it was run over by a locomotive wheel during filming of one of the railway scenes. *''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'' (1927). During filming of the World War I aerial combat scenes, stunt pilot
Dick Grace Richard Virgil Grace (October 1, 1898 – June 25, 1965), known as Dick Grace, was an American stunt pilot who specialized in crashing planes for films. Films that he appeared in include ''Sky Bride'', ''The Lost Squadron'', '' Lilac Time'', and '' ...
was required to deliberately crash-land a
Fokker D-VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...
, specially modified to "crumple" on impact. When the Fokker struck the ground, the landing gear failed to crumple, making the impact a heavier one than planned. This caused Grace's safety straps to break, sending his head through the instrument panel, leaving him with four crushed vertebrae and a broken neck. Amazingly, Grace spent only six weeks in the hospital and was again performing stunt work within a year. *'' The King of the Jungle'' (1927). Gordon Standing was mauled by a lion on-set and soon died of his injuries. This serial is considered to be lost, and only a trailer remains. *''
Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in t ...
'' (1928). Three people died, one man lost a leg and a number were injured in a scene where several hundred extras were caught in the "
Great Flood A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primaeval ...
." The deaths were instrumental in the introduction of film safety regulations the following year. *''
The Trail of '98 ''The Trail of '98'' is a 1928 American silent Action film, action-adventure/drama film featuring Harry Carey (actor born 1878), Harry Carey and Dolores del Río about the Klondike Gold Rush. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-li ...
'' (1928). Stunt men Howard Daughters, Jerome Bautin, and Red Thompson killed on Abercrombie Rapids between Miles and Childs Glaciers in Alaska. * ''The Aviator'' (1929). During aerial scouting for locations, an aircraft crashed, killing cameraman Alvin Knechtel and actor and stunt pilot
William Hauber William Hauber (May 20, 1891 – July 17, 1929) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1913 and 1928. He was born in Brownsville, Minnesota, and died in California in a plane crash during aerial scouting for f ...
. *''
The Godless Girl ''The Godless Girl'' (1928) is an American dramatic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, shown for years as his last completely silent film. The cast features Lina Basquette, Marie Prevost, Tom Keene and Noah Beery. Plot This drama feat ...
'' (1929). The filming of one scene required cast members
Lina Basquette Lina Basquette (born Lena Copeland Baskette; April 19, 1907 – September 30, 1994) was an American actress. She is noted for her 75-year career in entertainment, which began during the silent film era. Talented as a dancer, she was paid as a gi ...
and
George Duryea Tom Keene (born George Duryea; December 30, 1896 – August 4, 1963) was an American actor known mostly for his roles in B movie, B Western (genre), Westerns. During his almost 40-year career in motion pictures Tom Keene worked under thr ...
to be trapped in a burning building and both actors had their clothing, hair and exposed skin covered with an asbestos coating. During filming, Duryea, concerned that the pyrotechnic flames were getting too hot and too close, retreated from the set but Basquette, eager to impress director
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
, insisted on remaining until the scene was completed despite the intense heat. The actress suffered serious burns and blistering to her forearms and her eyebrows and lashes were singed. * Unknown film (1929).
Strongheart Etzel von Oeringen (October 1, 1917 – June 24, 1929), better known as Strongheart, was a male German Shepherd who was one of the early canine stars of feature films. Biography Born October 1, 1917, Etzel von Oeringen was a male German Shepherd ...
, a
German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...
film star, was accidentally burned after coming into contact with a hot studio light. The burn became tumorous, leading to his death later that year.


1930s

*'' Hell's Angels'' (1930). Three pilots were killed during the filming. The sole
Sikorsky S-29-A The Sikorsky S-29-A was a twin-engine sesquiplane airliner, first flown in 1924. It was the first aircraft that aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky designed and built after coming to the United States, hence the special "-A" suffix signifying "America ...
, owned by
Roscoe Turner Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion. Early life ...
, which portrayed a German
Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
bomber, crashed during filming on 22 March 1929 when stunt pilot Al Wilson put it in a spin for its final scene and was unable to recover. He was ready to bail out and called back to his mechanic Phil Jones (who was in the rear of the plane dumping lampblack to simulate smoke) to jump, but Jones did not hear him and went down with the plane. Only one brief shot of the spinning Sikorsky was used in the film. Two other stunt pilots, Al Johnson and Clement Phillips, were killed in separate accidents. Producer-director
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
was badly injured when he personally piloted a low-altitude aerial maneuver after the professional stunt men informed him it could not be done safely or successfully. They were proven right when Hughes crashed and suffered severe head injuries. Hughes underwent plastic surgery to undo the damage to his face, but his left cheekbone could not be repaired. * ''
Such Men Are Dangerous ''Such Men Are Dangerous'' (a.k.a. ''The Mask of Love'') is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Kenneth Hawks and written by Ernest Vajda. The film is based on a novella by Elinor Glyn who based her story on the 1928 real-life disapp ...
'' (1930). During aerial filming off the coast of
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
near
Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
on 2 January 1930, two
Stinson Detroiter The Stinson Detroiter was a six-seat cabin airliner for passengers or freight designed and built by the Stinson Aircraft Syndicate, later the ''Stinson Aircraft Corporation''. Two distinct designs used the Detroiter name, a biplane and a monopla ...
aircraft, employed as camera-planes, collided over the ocean. All ten men on board the two planes were killed, including director
Kenneth Hawks Kenneth Neil Hawks (August 12, 1898 – January 2, 1930) was an American film director and producer. Life and career Hawks served in the United States Army Air Service during World War I. He then graduated from Yale University in 1919. He soo ...
(brother of
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...
), assistant-director Max Gold, cinematographer
Conrad Wells Conrad Wells (1892 New York, New York – January 2, 1930 Santa Monica, California) was an American cinematographer and film editor. Biography Wells began his film career as a camera assistant, becoming a full cameraman in 1919. He special ...
, director of photography George Eastman, cameramen Otto Jordan and Ben Frankel, two property men and both pilots. Only five bodies were recovered. As it was one of the final scenes to be filmed, the movie was still completed on schedule. Families of the men who were lost took legal action against
Fox Film Company The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...
but the courts ruled in favour of the latter. * ''The Viking'' (1931). After completion of filming in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, producer, co-director and real-life adventurer
Varick Frissell Lewis Varick Frissell (1903 – March 15, 1931) was an American documentary filmmaker. His last film, '' The Viking'', set in Newfoundland, involved the largest loss of life of the film production crew in film history. This film was also "t ...
decided that more footage of the
Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...
ice floes was required. He and a small film crew joined the real ship ''The Viking'' on a seal-hunting voyage in order to obtain the footage he wanted. On 15 March, the ship became trapped in ice near Horse Isles and dynamite stored on board (intended for breaking up ice floes) accidentally detonated, destroying the vessel and killing 27 men, including Frissell and cameraman Alexander Penrod. * ''The Little Minister'' (1934). John Beal nearly lost his sight when an extra accidentally stabbed him in his eye during the filming of the mob scene. * ''
Four Frightened People ''Four Frightened People'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code adventure film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Claudette Colbert, Herbert Marshall, Mary Boland, and William Gargan. It is based on the 1931 novel by E. Arnot Robertson. Plot The ...
'' (1934). During filming in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, actress
Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...
was required to stand up to her neck in a real swamp. This scene was shot on her first day on set after having undergone an emergency
appendectomy An appendectomy, also termed appendicectomy, is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat complicated acu ...
and Colbert and the director disregarded concerns raised by the on-set nurse. Filming in the unsanitary conditions while not yet fully recovered led to Colbert being hospitalized with a severe fever two days later. * ''The Lost Patrol'' (1934). During filming in high temperatures in Buttercup Valley near
Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...
, Director
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
insisted his cast and crew only work in the early mornings and late afternoons to avoid the most intense heat of each day. Under pressure from RKO to speed up filming, Producer
Cliff Reid Cliff Reid (September 7, 1891 – August 22, 1959), also known as George Clifford Reid, was an American film producer and film production studio founder during the 1930s and 1940s. In addition he also directed film shorts, and was the assistant d ...
insisted that the midday break be shortened. Ford refused, believing that many of the crew would be at risk of heatstroke in the 120-degree F conditions. Reid tried to prove his point by walking around in the open in the midday heat and soon collapsed with heat exhaustion, requiring hospital treatment. * ''The Crusades'' (1935). While filming a battle scene in which horses fall into a moat, four stunt riders sustained serious injuries which required hospitalization. All four of their horses were injured so severely they had to be euthanized. It was recommended that the injured stunt-men receive extra pay but director
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
refused, saying that the riders had "bungled a simple scene". *''
The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to s ...
'' (1936). During the filming of the charge sequence, a stuntman was killed when he fell off his horse and landed on a broken sword that was lying on the field, unfortunately wedged in such a position that its blade was sticking straight up. Dozens of horses were killed in the making of the film, and consequently Hollywood adopted more stringent animal protection guidelines. *'' Saratoga'' (1937).
Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...
broke his hip after tripping on a cable on the set of that film. *''
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...
'' (1939). A horse was killed during the scene where it was ridden off a cliff into a river. This incident led to the
American Humane Association American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...
opening a Hollywood office in 1940 and monitoring the treatment of animals in films. * '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). Margaret Hamilton was badly burned during a scene in which her character, the
Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
, "vanished" in a burst of flame and smoke. An elevator was to lower her under the stage, after which a gout of flame would be released; during one take, the pyrotechnic device went off too soon. Hamilton suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her right hand. The studio physician was called in and Hamilton was saved any further injury. Her
stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
Betty Danko was also injured in a scene involving a smoking broomstick.
Buddy Ebsen Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr., April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS ...
suffered a severe reaction to the aluminum powder which was dusted over his
Tin Woodman Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, also known as the Tin Man or—mistakenly—the "Tin Woodsman," is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book ''The ...
makeup and aggravated a congenital bronchial condition. He was unable to continue working on the production and was replaced by
Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...
. Also, Margaret’s family sued metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the “vanished” incident. * ''Hotel Imperial'' (1939). Actor
Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...
was seriously injured while filming a
cavalry charge A charge is an offensive maneuver in battle in which combatants advance towards their enemy at their best speed in an attempt to engage in a decisive close combat. The charge is the dominant shock attack and has been the key tactic and decisiv ...
scene through a small village. While making a planned jump over an obstacle, the horse's saddle came loose and Milland fell into a pile of masonry. He spent a week in hospital with concussion, a three-inch gash to his forehead and a badly injured left hand.


1940s

*''
Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941). While filming,
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
tripped down a staircase and chipped his anklebone, forcing him to use a wheelchair for the next two weeks. Welles also gashed his own hand during a scene where he destroyed a room. Welles quickly improvised, grabbing a curtain and using it to cover his bleeding hand while he completed the scene, which appears in the film. *''
My Life for Ireland ''My Life for Ireland'' (german: Mein Leben für Irland) is a Nazi propaganda movie from 1941 directed by Max W. Kimmich, telling a story of an Irish nationalist family and their involvement in the Irish struggle of independence over two genera ...
'' (1941). An anti-British propaganda film made by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. During the epic final-battle scene set during the
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
, several extras were killed when one of them stepped on a live
land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
. The footage is said to have been included in the release prints, although no proof of this has been established. *''
They Died with Their Boots On ''They Died with Their Boots On'' is a 1941 American black-and-white Western film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Hal B. Wallis and Robert Fellows, directed by Raoul Walsh, that stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The film's stor ...
'' (1941). Three horsemen perished during the cavalry charge, one of whom was extra Jack Budlong, whose horse tripped as he rode alongside
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...
. As he fell forward, he had the foresight to toss his sword ahead of him. Unfortunately, it landed handle down and stuck in place. Budlong was impaled on his own sword, and died in a Los Angeles hospital a few hours later. * ''
Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Prest ...
'' (1942). According to a biographer, actor
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
suffered a chronic inner-ear condition for the rest of his life after filming under-water scenes in this production. * ''
Lost Canyon ''Lost Canyon'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Harry O. Hoyt. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Lola Lane, Douglas Fowley and Herbert Rawlinson, is a remake of ''Rustlers' Valley'' ...
'' (1942). Charles B. Murphy was mortally injured when a wagon overturned during a location shoot; he later died in the hospital. * ''Signed with Their Honour'' (unfinished, 1943). This was to have been a British war film based on the 1942 novel of the same name by
James Aldridge Harold Edward James Aldridge (10 July 1918 – 23 February 2015) was an Australian-British writer and journalist. His World War II despatches were published worldwide and he was the author of over 30 books, both fiction and non-fiction works, ...
. But during filming in
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
, a pair of
Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
biplanes collided, injuring both pilots who managed to escape by parachute. After this incident, the film project was abandoned. * ''
The Royal Mounted Rides Again ''The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' is a 1945 Universal film serial. Adventure serials of this type were popular in the early days of cinema. The serial, often called cliffhangers, would show one episode per week, with an ending that would hide t ...
'' (1945). Addison "Jack" Randall was killed at
Canoga Park Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and t ...
, California, while riding a horse past the cameras at full speed on 16 July 1945, for a
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
serial, when he fell from the saddle while trying to retrieve his hat which had blown off his head, and struck a tree. He died shortly thereafter. *'' Unconquered'' (1947). During the filming of the historical adventure, nine extras suffered burns including one man who had his hair partially burnt off because director
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
insisted on using real fireballs and flaming arrows for one of the battle scenes. In another incident, stunt woman Polly Burson was filming a scene that required a canoe to go over a waterfall. She missed the tree limb she was supposed to grab onto and fell into the safety net which was below the water's surface. Landing face down in the net, she nearly drowned and was only barely able to struggle upright in time.


1950s

* ''The Cruel Sea'' (1953). During filming of the scene where the crew have to abandon a sinking warship, British actor
Donald Sinden Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor. Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including ''The Cruel Sea (195 ...
nearly drowned in the open air water tank at Denham film studios. Sinden could not swim and also suffered from negative buoyancy. Sinden jumped into where he thought the water would be at its shallowest but immediately went under and sank downwards. Co-star
Jack Hawkins John Edward Hawkins, CBE (14 September 1910 – 18 July 1973) was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of mili ...
quickly noticed that Sinden was missing and dived in and rescued him. The First Assistant Director had asked Sinden if he could swim prior to shooting the scene. When Sinden had replied 'No', the director had assumed the actor was joking. *'' Summertime'' (1955). In one scene, the character of Jane Hudson falls into a canal as she steps backwards while photographing a shop in
Campo San Barnaba Campo San Barnaba is a ''campo'' (square) in the Dorsoduro ''sestiere'' of Venice, Italy. The neighborhood's church is the San Barnaba. The square has been featured in numerous films, including David Lean's '' Summertime'', where Katharine Hepbu ...
. Leading lady
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
, concerned about her health, was disinclined to do the stunt herself, but director
David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...
felt it would be obvious if he replaced her with a stunt double. He filled the water with a disinfectant that caused it to foam, which added to Hepburn's reluctance, then required her to film the scene four times until he was satisfied with the results. That night, Hepburn's eyes began to itch and water. She was eventually diagnosed with a rare form of
conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may ...
that plagued her for the remainder of her life. *'' The Conqueror'' (1956). The exterior scenes were
shot on location Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for exam ...
near
St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the northe ...
, downwind of the United States government's
Nevada Test Site The Nevada National Security Site (N2S2 or NNSS), known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of th ...
. In 1953, extensive above-ground
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s testing had occurred at the test site, as part of
Operation Upshot–Knothole Operation Upshot–Knothole was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site. It followed ''Operation Ivy'' and preceded ''Operation Castle''. Over 21,000 soldiers took part in the ground exercise Desert Roc ...
. Director
Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
died of cancer in January 1963,
Pedro Armendáriz Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars ...
was diagnosed with
kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include spr ...
in 1960, and committed suicide in 1963 after he learned his condition had become terminal.
Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
,
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
and
Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...
all died of cancer in the 1970s. Cast member actor
John Hoyt John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was an American actor. He began his acting career on Broadway, later appearing in numerous films and television series. He is perhaps best known for his film and TV ...
died of lung cancer in 1991. The cast and crew totaled 220 people. By 1981, 91 of them had developed some form of cancer and 46 had died of the disease. Several of Wayne and Hayward's relatives also had cancer scares as well after visiting the set.
Michael Wayne Michael Anthony Morrison (November 23, 1934 – April 2, 2003), better known by his stage name Michael Wayne, was an American film producer and actor. He was the eldest son of actor John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Saenz. Biography Bo ...
developed skin cancer, his brother
Patrick Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), better known by his stage name Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is the second son of movie star John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz. He made over 40 films, including eleven w ...
had a
benign tumor A benign tumor is a mass of cells (tumor) that does not invade neighboring tissue or metastasize (spread throughout the body). Compared to malignant (cancerous) tumors, benign tumors generally have a slower growth rate. Benign tumors have re ...
removed from his breast and Hayward's son Tim Barker had a benign tumor removed from his mouth. It is not clear, however, that the cancer rate for this film crew was significantly higher than in the general population. Further, while the cast members noted developed a wide variety of cancers, according to ''
The New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one. His ...
'',
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
is the only form of cancer known to develop from exposure to fallout radiation. *''
The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...
'' (1956).
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
overcame a minor
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
while climbing down by ladder from the top of the Ancient Egyptian city gate set while filming the "take three" of the
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
sequence. In another incident, during filming of a sand-storm scene, an extra carrying a flaming torch tripped over and the torch set fire to the clothing of a young girl standing next to him. The girl only suffered minor burns thanks to the quick thinking of make-up artist
Frank Westmore Frank Courtney Westmore (April 13, 1923 – May 14, 1985) was a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood make-up artist, part of the Westmore family who were credited with introducing the art of make-up to the Hollywood movie industry.Varan the Unbelievable is a 1958 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it stars Kōzō Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, and Koreya Senda, with Haruo Nakajima as Varan. In the film, ...
'' (1958). Minor injuries, exhaustion and dehydration are common hazards for suit actors of the
kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...
genre, but during the filming of 'Varan' suit actor
Haruo Nakajima was a Japanese actor best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until ''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). He also played various other giant monsters in '' kaiju'' films, including ''Mothra ...
(who also portrayed
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
for 18 years) was severely burned due to a pyrotechnics mishap. This was the only time in his career that his injuries forced him to be replaced for the remainder of the shoot. *'' Ben-Hur'' (1959). Joe Canutt, who was
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
's stunt double, sustained a gash on his chin after being flipped out of his chariot during a chariot race scene. *''
The Horse Soldiers ''The Horse Soldiers'' is a 1959 American adventure war western film set during the American Civil War directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, William Holden and Constance Towers. The screenplay by John Lee Mahin and Martin Rackin was ...
'' (1959). Fred Kennedy, a veteran stuntman and bit player, was killed in a horse fall on location in
Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches ( ; french: link=no, Les Natchitoches) is a small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named ...
. Director
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
was so upset he closed the set and had to film the rest of the scene later in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
, and in a cut-down version. *''
They Came to Cordura ''They Came to Cordura'' is a 1959 American Western film co-written and directed by Robert Rossen and starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Tab Hunter. It was based on a 1958 novel by Glendon Swarthout. Plot In 1916, as U.S. soldi ...
'' (1959).
Dick York Richard Allen York (September 4, 1928 – February 20, 1992) was an American radio, stage, film, and television actor. He was the first actor to play Darrin Stephens on the ABC fantasy sitcom ''Bewitched''. He played teacher Bertram Cates in the ...
suffered a severe back injury during the filming that caused him great pain in his later years, so much so that he was forced to resign from his longtime role of
Darrin Stephens This is a list of characters in ''Bewitched'', an American fantasy television sitcom which aired from 1964 to 1972. Cast Main Recurring Cast notes: Main characters Samantha Stephens Samantha Stephens ( Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch and ...
on the 1960s television program ''
Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...
''. In York's own words, "Gary Cooper and I were propelling a handcar carrying several 'wounded' men down herailroad track. I was on the bottom stroke of this sort of teeter-totter mechanism that made the handcar run. I was just lifting the handle up as the director yelled 'cut!' and one of the 'wounded' cast members reached up and grabbed the handle. I was suddenly, jarringly, lifting his entire weight off the flatbed—one hundred and eighty pounds or so. The muscles along the right side of my back tore. They just snapped and let loose."


1960s

* ''The Alamo'' (1960). Actor
Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to South Africa at an early age, before later settling in th ...
, who played Colonel W. B. Travis, was injured when a cannon recoiled while firing, with one of the wheels rolling over his foot, fracturing it. He did not reveal his injury until filming of the scene was completed. * ''
The Siege of Sidney Street ''The Siege of Sidney Street'' is a 1960 British historical drama film co-directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman. It stars Donald Sinden, Nicole Berger and Kieron Moore. The film dramatises the 1909 Tottenham Outrage - a bungled wages-s ...
'' (1960). British actor
Leonard Sachs Leonard Meyer Sachs (26 September 1909 – 15 June 1990) was a South African-born British actor. Life and career Sachs was born in the town of Roodepoort, in the then Transvaal Colony, present day South Africa. He was Jewish. He emigrated to ...
was injured while filming a scene which took place in a burning building. The room and all the props were coated with fire-proof jelly, as was the actor's shoulders and arms. However the special-effects crew neglected to apply the jelly to Sachs' head because to do so would have taken 20 minutes and the production was on a tight schedule. As a result, Sachs suffered burns to his hair and scalp while filming the scene. * ''Spartacus'' (1960). Actor
Charles McGraw Charles McGraw (born Charles Crisp Butters; May 10, 1914 – July 29, 1980) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Early life McGraw was born to Beatrice (née Crisp) and Francis P. B ...
suffered a
broken jaw Mandibular fracture, also known as fracture of the jaw, is a break through the mandibular bone. In about 60% of cases the break occurs in two places. It may result in a decreased ability to fully open the mouth. Often the teeth will not feel pr ...
on the set of the Roman epic. During the revolt at the Gladiator school, Spartacus (
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
) is seen forcing the head of evil trainer Marcellus (McGraw) into a cauldron of soup, drowning him. McGraw's jaw struck the rim of the pot, sustaining a fracture but he managed to continue the scene nonetheless. * ''The Unforgiven'' (1960). Actress
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...
was thrown off a horse while rehearsing for a scene. Hepburn suffered from two broken vertebrae, and later suffered a miscarriage, which has since been attributed to the accident. Hepburn was flown out of set and spent six weeks recovering at a hospital. When she returned, Hepburn wore a back brace for the rest of production, and her wardrobe was redesigned in order to hide the brace. * ''The Guns of Navarone'' (1961). Actor
David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...
almost drowned during filming of an ocean storm scene inside a large water tank. He sustained a cut lip that led the actor being hospitalized with sepsis, which halted production on the film for a month. He insisted on returning to complete filming of his scenes before he had fully recovered, later causing a relapse of his illness that resulted in another seven weeks in hospital. * ''Cape Fear (1962 film), Cape Fear'' (1962). According to Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck accidentally punched him for real during the final fight scene. Mitchum felt the impact for days afterward. * ''Flower on the Stone'' (1962). Soviet actress :ru:Бурдученко, Инна Георгиевна, Inna Burduchenko suffered Third degree burns, third-degree burns while filming in a burning barracks on 30 July 1960. She died in the hospital on 15 August. Burduchenko was three months pregnant at the time of her death. * ''How the West Was Won (film), How the West Was Won'' (1962). Stuntman Bob Morgan, husband of Yvonne De Carlo, was seriously injured and lost a leg during a break in filming a gunfight on a moving train. Chains holding logs on a flatbed car broke, crushing Morgan as he crouched beside them. *''The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film), The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962). While filming a fight scene with Henry Silva, Frank Sinatra broke his little finger during a movement where he smashed through a table. This resulted in problems with his hand for several years and is said to be one of the reasons why he pulled out of a starring role in ''Dirty Harry'', having to undertake surgery to alleviate pains. * ''The War Lover'' (1962). During aerial filming over the English Channel, Parachuting, parachutists jumped from a vintage B-17 to simulate a bail-out. One of the jumpers, Englishman Mike Reilly, drowned in the sea below. *''Dr. Strangelove'' (1964). Peter Sellers was originally to have portrayed a fourth character, Major "King" Kong, but injured his ankle while filming a take as Kong. As a result, Slim Pickens played the role. Scott Simon claims the titular character is in a wheelchair because of Sellers' ankle injury. *''Goldfinger (film), Goldfinger'' (1964). Harold Sakata burned his hand while filming the fight at Fort Knox, where his character, Oddjob, gets electrocuted, but continued to act as the scene was still being filmed. *''The Horror of Party Beach'' (1964). For the filming of the motorcycle and car chase, members of a local motorcycle club were hired to play a Outlaw motorcycle club, bike gang. Not wanting to be in the back of the field, one of the members sped up to the front and collided with the actor playing the gang leader, triggering a pileup that injured the actor and several bikers. Meanwhile, a police car responding to the incident was involved in its own crash. *''There Is Such a Lad'' (1964). Soviet actor Boris Balakin decided despite suffering fever to proceed with filming. After finishing his scene with Nina Sazonova the crew went on lunch break, while Balakin rested another moment on his chair in the décor. Trying to get up, he died of a heart attack. In order to keep Balakins' part in the film, director Vasily Shukshin rewrote his screenplay. *''The Flight of the Phoenix (1965 film), The Flight of the Phoenix'' (1965). On 8 July 1965, pilot Paul Mantz crashed and was killed on a second take making a low pass. *''Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.'' (1965). Cameraman Robert King Baggot was killed during filming in Kauai when a huge wave hit his boat and washed him overboard. *''Thunderball (film), Thunderball'' (1965). While filming the scene where SPECTRE agent Angelo crashes the Avro Vulcan into the ocean near The Bahamas, the stunt double for Angelo nearly drowned when the stunt double for Emilio Largo accidentally disconnected both the prop oxygen line and the double's actual oxygen line underneath.''James Bond in the Bahamas'' featurette, ''Casino Royale (2006 film), Casino Royale'' Blu-ray, 2006 *''High Jungle'' (1966). On 28 September 1966, ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'' star Eric Fleming was filming in Peru. During the final stages of shooting, Fleming's dugout canoe overturned in the Huallaga River. Actor Nico Minardos managed to swim to safety, but Fleming was swept away by the current and drowned. Fleming was 41 when he died. His body was recovered three days later. *''You Only Live Twice (film), You Only Live Twice'' (1967). While filming an autogyro flight scene in Miyazaki Prefecture, cameraman John Jordan, who was standing on the landing strut of the camera helicopter, was struck in the foot by the autogyro's blade. Although doctors in the area were able to reattach the foot, he had it amputated when he returned to the UK. A few years later Jordan was killed during the filming of ''Catch-22 (film), Catch-22''. * Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac commercial (1967). Cameraman Raffael John Esposito and actress Brenda Lee Meinsenheimer were killed in Thousand Oaks, California, when a camera boom suspended from an oncoming camera car crashed through the windshield of their car. * ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek'' (1967). During the filming of the "Arena (Star Trek: The Original Series), Arena" episode, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were too close to an explosion. They both developed tinnitus as a result. *''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968). Crew member Gary Streiner accidentally caught himself on fire while attempting to ignite a prop with gasoline. Actor Bill Hinzman managed to put out the fire, saving Streiner's life. *''The Lion in Winter'' (1968). Peter O'Toole cut off the tip of his finger in a boating accident during the production of this film. He dropped it in brandy before placing it back on top of his finger and wrapping the digit in bandages. When he removed the bandages weeks later, he found that he had put the fingertip back on the wrong way around. *''Where Eagles Dare'' (1968). Derren Nesbitt was injured on set whilst filming the scene in which his character is killed. The blood squib attached to Nesbitt exploded with such force that he was temporarily blinded, though he made a quick recovery. *''Battle of Britain (film), Battle of Britain'' (1969). Spanish Air Force pilot Don Federico Eglesias Lanzo was killed in a crash at Seville Airport, Tablada, Seville. * '':ru:Директор (фильм, 1969), Director'' (1969). Soviet actor Yevgeni Urbansky died in an accident while performing a stunt during filming on 5 November 1965. * ''Shark!'' (1969). A stuntman, Jose Marco, was killed when a shark bit through protective netting and mauled him to death on camera. The film was retitled as ''Shark!'' to cash in on the controversy that followed.


1970s

* ''Barquero'' (1970). On 28 August 1969, Director Robert Sparr was killed in a plane crash while scouting filming locations with cameraman Gerald Finnerman. The single-engine plane they were riding in went down near the Brush Hollow Reservoir outside of Penrose, Colorado. The pilot was also killed in the crash, but Finnerman survived. One of the film's stars, Lee Van Cleef, was scheduled to accompany Sparr and Finnerman on the scouting trip, but he backed out at the last minute. * ''Catch-22_(film)#Death_on_the_set, Catch-22'' (1970). Second-unit director John Jordan was killed when he was sucked out of a B-25 Mitchell while filming a bombing scene. He refused to wear a safety harness while the plane was in flight. * ''Golden Eagle (film), Golden Eagle'' (1970). Thai star Mitr Chaibancha was killed while starring as his popular character, the masked crime-fighter Insee Daeng (Red Eagle). On the final day of shooting, Mitr was required to grab a rope ladder hanging from a helicopter. However, he only managed to grab the lowest rung. Unaware of this, the helicopter pilot took off and Mitr finally lost his grip and fell to the ground. The accident was caught on film and appeared in the final theatrical release. The fall was removed from the DVD release version. * ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' (1970). During aerial rehearsals prior to shooting in Oahu, Hawaii, a Vultee BT-13, modified to resemble a Japanese Aichi D3A, Val dive-bomber, crashed in a sugar-cane field in Ewa District, Hawaii, Ewa, killing pilot Guy Thomas Strong. * Zeppelin (film), ''Zeppelin'' (1970). During aerial filming over the Irish Sea, a replica Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, SE5 biplane and an Aérospatiale SA 318C Alouette II, Alouette helicopter camera-ship collided in mid-air. Assistant-director Burch Williams (brother of producer Elmo Williams), cameraman Skeets Kelly and pilots Jim Liddy and Gilbert Chomat were all killed. * ''A Clockwork Orange (film), A Clockwork Orange'' (1971). During the film's pivotal brainwashing scene, Malcolm McDowell suffered a Corneal abrasion, scratched cornea and temporary blindness from having his eyes propped open for so long. McDowell also suffered a broken rib in the scene in which an actor taunts and attacks him to demonstrate his rehabilitation. * ''Kamen Rider'' (1971). During a scene for Episode 9 ("The Terrifying Cobra-Man"), lead actor Hiroshi Fujioka fractured his thighbone in a motorcycle stunt when he rode into a telephone pole at , forcing him out of action. Producers had to use stock and unused footage, which was dubbed by Rokurô Naya, for the next four episodes, causing a dip in the ratings. Producers eventually had no choice but to substitute him with a second character played by Takeshi Sasaki. Fujioka made a return in Episode 53 ("Monster Jaguarman – Deathmatch by Motorcycle Fight"). As neither actor could be axed, the show ended up having two heroes. *''Von Richthofen and Brown'' (1971). Stunt pilot Charles Boddington was killed during filming when the vintage biplane he was flying crashed at Weston Airport near Dublin. The following day, another aircraft crashed, injuring pilot Lynn Garrison and actor Don Stroud. *''Matlock Police'' (1971). During the filming of a pursuit-sequence for episode 36 ("End Of The Road"), a vehicle driven by a cast member struck and killed a member of the camera crew after losing control while negotiating a gravel bend. *''Deliverance'' (1972). Burt Reynolds injured his coccyx while canoeing. *''The Godfather'' (1972). Gianni Russo broke two ribs and cracked his elbow after James Caan threw him over a fence and slammed a garbage can on him during a fight scene. *''The Last Lion'' (1972). Sound technician James Chapman was mauled to death by a lion during production on this South African film. *''Napoleon and Samantha'' (1972). Jodie Foster (in her movie debut, as a young child) was mauled by a lion on the set. The event has since caused Foster to suffer from ailurophobia. *''The Bell from Hell'' (1973). On the final day of shooting of this Spanish/French horror film, director Claudio Guerrin Hill died after falling from the bell tower for which he named his film. It is inconclusive whether he jumped or fell accidentally. Juan Antonio Bardem came in to take care of the post-production duties after Hill's death. *''La Cloche Tibétaine'' (1973). On 18 June, during the filming of episode 4, "L'escadron d'or" ("The Golden Squadron"), of this French mini-series, actor Roger Delgado and two Turkish film technicians were killed when their car went off of the road and fell into a ravine. Delgado, who was known for his role as the Master (Doctor Who), the Master in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', was 55 at the time of his death. *''Enter the Dragon'' (1973). During a fight-scene, Robert Wall accidentally slashed Bruce Lee in the arm with a broken bottle. In an unrelated incident Lee legitimately kicked Wall during the re-shoot with such force that an extra broke his arm trying to catch Wall. *''The Exorcist'' (1973). Linda Blair suffered a spinal fracture due to a mechanical failure while filming a scene where her character Regan MacNeil levitates and thrashes violently. The fracture later developed into scoliosis years later after Blair reinjured her back during a motorcycle scene in another film. In addition, actress Ellen Burstyn seriously injured her back while filming a scene where she falls over backwards after her possessed daughter backhands her. The scene was left in the film. In other accidents, carpenter on set lost a thumb and a lighting technician a toe. *X-Factor(1973) Stuntman Patrick Madsen was seriously injured with broken vertebrae resulting in paralysis while doing a motorcycle stunt doubling William Shatner in Moses Lake, Washington. *''Earthquake (1974 film), Earthquake'' (1974). Stuntman Bennie Dobbins suffered a concussion when knocked off his feet during the filming of a flood scene (which was used in the film). Multiple stunt people suffered minor injuries during filming of a crashing elevator. *''Primal Man'' (1974). Actor and stunt performer Janos Prohaska, his son Robert, and 34 others died in an airplane crash while filming this television series. *''The Eiger Sanction (film), The Eiger Sanction'' (1975). A number of accidents occurred during the filming of ''The Eiger Sanction''. A 27-year-old English climber, David Knowles, who was a body double and photographer, was killed during a rock fall, and mountaineer Mike Hoover narrowly escaped with his life.Eliot (2009), p.161 * ''The Great Waldo Pepper'' (1975). During filming of the aerial scenes, experienced stunt pilot Frank Tallman managed to perform two planned crashes without injury. However, a third, accidental crash occurred while landing a Nieuport 28, Nieuport biplane, when a rudder bar broke at 400 feet, sending his aircraft nose-diving into a hill. Tallman survived, but suffered two cracked vertebrae, required 58 stitches. He took a two week hiatus from filming. * ''Carrie (1976 film), Carrie'' (1976). Actress P. J. Soles, P.J. Soles, who played Norma in the film, ended up with a ruptured eardrum after pressurized water from a hose sprayed her directly in the ear during the filming of the prom scene. She made a full recovery and director Brian de Palma decided to leave the shot in the movie. * ''Hand of Death (1976 film), Hand of Death'' (1976). According to his book ''I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action'', Jackie Chan was knocked unconscious when he did one of the stunts on this film. * ''No Deposit, No Return'' (1976). Dale Van Sickel, first President of the Stuntmen Association, was driving a car that was supposed to go off the end of a wharf in the Disney film. Oil had been applied to the wharf to facilitate the stunt, but too much was put down. The car went out of control and hit an abutment. Van Sickel suffered brain damage, and remained disabled for the rest of his life. Before the accident, he had been semi-retired, only taking a few jobs a year "to keep from getting stale". His family sued Walt Disney productions. Disney settled out of court and fired van Sickel for the incident. * ''The Omen'' (1976). Gregory Peck accidentally slammed a car door on the hand of Guglielmo Spoletini, who portrayed the Italian taxi driver. According to Bloody Disgusting, Spoletini's finger was almost amputated. * ''A Bridge Too Far (film), A Bridge Too Far'' (1977). Stuntman Alf Joint was seriously injured while performing a stunt in which he jumped off a roof. Joint said of the experience that he felt he was being "pushed." In addition, special effects director John Richardson (special effects designer), John Richardson and his assistant Liz Moore were involved in a car crash which killed Moore. Both the crash and Joint's injury are alleged to have been attributed by the "curse" of the 1976 film ''The Omen'', which Joint and Richardson also participated in. * ''Hi-Riders'' (1977). Stuntman Vic Rivers was killed when he drove his vehicle off a ramp into a pond on the Paramount ranch. He drowned before assistance reached him. * ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'' (1978). The Hiller UH-12 helicopter crash involving Jack Riley (actor), Jack Riley and George Wilson was entirely unintentional, but having not been seriously injured, both actors continued by ad-libbing the rest of the scene, and ultimately it was included in the film. * ''Comes a Horseman'' (1978). Filming the scene where Jason Robards' character is dragged (presumably) to his death, his stunt double Jim Sheppard was killed when a horse that was dragging him veered from its course and caused him to hit his head on a fence post. The scene made it into the film, although it was cut right before the horse passed through the gate that killed Sheppard. * ''Grease (film), Grease'' (1978). During the filming of the "prom" scene several cast members, involving Michael Tucci, came down with heat related illnesses during filming in the gym, which lacked windows in a room that reportedly reached up to . Another incident during the "Greased Lightnin' (song), Grease Lightning" scene left Jeff Conaway on opioids after falling and injuring his back mildly. * ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 film), Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' (1978). While filming a scene of his character running, Donald Sutherland was struck by a car. * ''Snake in the Eagle's Shadow'' (1978). Actor Hwang Jang Lee knocked off one of Jackie Chan's teeth after kicking him in the face during a fight scene. Chan's arm was also slashed by a sword that was supposed to be blunt, but the camera kept rolling as he was screaming in pain. * ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979). In the film's opening scene, Martin Sheen cut his hand after smashing a mirror; he was too drunk to realize that his hand was streaming in blood. During filming on 5 March 1977, Sheen suffered a heart attack. He returned to the set six weeks later. * ''Charlie's Angels'' (1979). While filming the episode "Angel in a Box" at Indian Dunes in Valencia, California on 3 January 1979, stuntman Bobby Bass was high on cocaine and drove a car that the stuntwomen Julie Ann Johnson and Jeannie Coultar were supposed to jump out of, faster than instructed. Coultar suffered multiple injuries and a concussion. Johnson sustained more serious injuries; though unconscious, Johnson was writhing on the ground. Stunt coordinator Ronnie Rondell had to pin her down to stop the chance of her further injuring herself. * ''CHiPs'' (1979). While filming an episode, Erik Estrada lost control of his motorcycle and was hurled into a parked car before the vehicle landed on him. Estrada sustained fractured ribs, partially collapsed lungs, a fractured right wrist, and a cracked sternum and clavicle. * ''Revenge'' (1979). Director Gordon Parks, Jr., cameraman Peter Gilfillian, and two others were killed in a plane crash while filming in Kenya. * ''Steel'' (1979). A.J. Bakunas died doubling for George Kennedy in a fall from the Kincaid Towers in Lexington, Kentucky. Bakunas had successfully performed a fall from the ninth floor of the construction site, but when he learned that Dar Robinson had broken his record high fall for a non-film-related publicity stunt, Bakunas returned to perform the fall from the top of the construction site. Bakunas performed the fall expertly, but the airbag split and he was killed.


1980s

*''The Dukes of Hazzard'' (1980). Assistant cameraman Rodney Mitchell was killed and eight other crew members were injured when their camera truck flipped while rehearsing a chase scene. *''Kolilakkam'' (1980). Indian actor Jayan was killed during a stunt scene when the helicopter he was boarding crashed. *''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980). Cameraman Rob Van Der Kar was killed in a helicopter crash while filming an episode. *''That's Incredible!'' (1980). On 6 July, stunt motorcyclist Steve Lewis suffered extensive foot and knee injuries while attempting to jump over two cars speeding toward him at over . On 15 September, while performing a jump over the fountains of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, stunt motorcyclist Gary Wells (motorcyclist), Gary Wells missed the landing ramp and crashed into a parking lot wall. He sustained a tear in the main artery of his heart, along with broken legs, a fractured pelvis, and a concussion. In addition, six spectators were injured when a section of the wall gave way upon impact. *''Das Boot'' (1981). While filming a scene in which the is caught in a storm, actor Jan Fedder lost his footing and was nearly swept off the conning tower set. Actor Bernd Tauber noticed Fedder was suddenly missing and cried out, ''"Mann-über-Bord!"'' ("Man overboard!"). With the cameras still rolling, Tauber helped him to the conning tower hatch. Director Wolfgang Petersen did not realize at first that it was an accident and said, "Good idea, Jan. We'll do that one more time!" before it came upon him. Fedder was hospitalized and his role was partially rewritten so that he was bed-ridden for a short portion of the film. The footage was developed and the scene in which Fedder's character is nearly swept off the submarine is one of the most memorable moments in the film. *''The Cannonball Run#Accident, The Cannonball Run'' (1981). Stuntwoman Heidi von Beltz was left a quadriplegic after being thrown from her car during a crash. She died in October 2015, 35 years after the accident, aged 59. *''The Five of Me'' (1981). Camera assistant Jack Tandberg was killed when he was struck by a driverless stunt car during the filming of this made-for-television film. *''For Your Eyes Only (film), For Your Eyes Only'' (1981). While filming a high-speed chase in the bobsleigh run, the four-man bobsled came out of the run at the wrong place and hit a tree. One of its occupants, a young stuntman named Paolo Rigon, was killed. In the scene where James Bond and Judy Havelock, Melina Havelock are dragged across the ocean, the stunt doubles for both characters suffered cuts and lacerations when their backs scraped against the coral reef in the Bahamas. *''Roar (1981 film), Roar'' (1981). A film about a wildlife preservationist whose family comes to visit him only to be met with his co-habitats, his vast collection of wild animals, which attacked the film crew and actors who had to work alongside them, leaving over 70 of them injured on set including cinematographer Jan de Bont, who had his scalp lifted by a lion, resulting in 220 stitches. Lead actress Tippi Hedren fractured her leg and also had scalp wounds after being bucked off by an elephant while she was riding it in addition to being also bitten in the neck by a lion and required 38 stitches. Melanie Griffith (Hedren's daughter) was also attacked, receiving 50 stitches to her face. Because of the injuries on set, crew turnover was high as many never returned to the set. John Marshall was bitten by one of the lions and required 56 stitches. *''The Sword and the Sorcerer'' (1981). Stuntman Jack Tyree was killed while doing a high-fall stunt at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. While performing a fall in heavy costume and makeup, Tyree fell short of his airbag, resulting in a fatal impact. *''Blade Runner'' (1982). Daryl Hannah chipped her elbow in eight places during a scene where she accidentally slipped on the pavement and smashed the window of a parked car. *''Conan the Barbarian''. (1982) Actress Sandahl Bergman was filming a sword fight when her finger was almost severed; Bergman was rushed to hospital, where the finger was successfully reattached. *''First Blood'' (1982). Sylvester Stallone suffered numerous serious injuries during filming. For example, in the scene where John Rambo escapes being pursued from Deputy Art Galt (Jack Starrett) by jumping off a cliff and into a mass of tree branches. Stallone performed the stunt himself and broke several ribs after filming the scene three times. He suffered bruises to his back after filming 19 takes of the jail scene where Galt clubbed Rambo with a nightstick. Also, while filming for the scene where Rambo first runs into the abandoned mine shaft to elude the guards firing at him, Stallone seriously injured his hand after failing to realize that his hand was on the top of a gunfire squib that went off after. The injury was so severe that Stallone almost lost his thumb. After performing for a stunt in a deleted scene, the stunt driver for Brian Dennehy, Bennie Dobbins, suffered a lumbar compression fracture. Dobbins would later pass away from a heart attack in 1988 while filming ''Red Heat (1988 film), Red Heat''. *''Fitzcarraldo'' (1982). The production of this West German film was affected by the numerous injuries and deaths of several indigenous extras who were hired as laborers, as well as two plane crashes that resulted in five critical injuries and one paralysis. A Peruvian logger was forced to amputate his own foot after being bitten by a venomous snake. *''Pink Floyd – The Wall'' (1982). During the filming of the scene for the song "One of My Turns", in which the main character tears apart his hotel room, Bob Geldof injured his left hand while ripping off pieces of a wooden closet door; he can be seen briefly looking at his hand. Later in the scene, he is then seen with a shirt wrapped around his hand. *''World War III (TV miniseries), World War III'' (1982). During filming for this made-for-TV movie, director Boris Sagal was fatally injured when his skull was fractured as he walked into the Tail rotor, tail rotor blade of a helicopter. *Untitled Australian TV commercial (1982). Cameraman Garry Hansen and two others were killed in a helicopter crash. *''Coolie (1983 Hindi film), Coolie'' (1983). While filming a fight scene with Puneet Issar, Amitabh Bachchan was critically injured when he jumped over a table and the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture and blood loss. Filming was delayed for several months for Bachchan to recover from his injury. *''High Road to China (film), High Road to China'' (1983). During filming in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia, a helicopter crashed en route to location. All three on board–copter pilot Nigel Thornton, stunt pilot David Perrin and mechanic Jaron Anderson–were killed in the crash. *''Midnite Spares'' (1983). Focus-puller David Brostoff was killed when, during filming of a motor-race scene at Granville, New South Wales, Granville, Australia, one of the sprint-cars swerved off the track and struck him, driving his body through two fences. The filmmakers were criticized for a lack of a proper stunt coordinator at the scene and for allowing non-stunt drivers to drive at race-speed. *Peterborough Jump (1983). On 5 September 1983, Canadian stuntman Ken Carter (stuntman), Ken Carter attempted to jump a pond in Peterborough, Ontario, with a rocket-powered Pontiac Firebird. He overshot the target landing ramp and was killed when his car crashed on its roof. *''The Right Stuff (film), The Right Stuff'' (1983). Stuntman Joseph Leonard Svec died while performing a parachute jump that recreated Chuck Yeager's escape from a stalling NF-104. In real life, Yeager's flight helmet had caught fire on colliding with the ejection seat's heated exhaust in mid-air. Svec carried a smoke canister during his freefall to simulate such fire. However, this may have intoxicated the stuntman, causing him to lose consciousness. He failed to open his parachute and fell to his death. *''Scarface (1983 film), Scarface'' (1983). Production was stalled for two weeks because Al Pacino accidentally burned his hand by holding a barrel of a gun that had been fired. *''Twilight Zone: The Movie'' (1983). On 23 July 1982, two children, Myca Dinh Le (aged 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (aged 6), and actor Vic Morrow were Twilight Zone accident, killed by a helicopter during production when pyrotechnics struck the tail rotor, causing the helicopter to spin out of control. Morrow and Le were struck by the main rotor and Chen was crushed under the helicopter. The accident led to director John Landis's trial on involuntary manslaughter charges, of which he was acquitted, one of the most prolonged lawsuits in film history and some major changes in filming codes. *''City Heat'' (1984). Burt Reynolds suffered a Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, broken jaw after being hit on the face with a metal chair while filming a fight scene. The injury left him restricted to a liquid diet; he lost by the time filming wrapped. *''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (1984). In June 1983, while filming in London, Harrison Ford herniated a disc in his back, forcing him to fly back to Los Angeles for an operation. He returned six weeks later. *''Cover Up (TV series), Cover Up'' (1984). While waiting for an episode filming to resume, actor Jon-Erik Hexum played Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum loaded with a Blank (cartridge), blank. The gunshot fractured his skull and caused massive Intracerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhaging when bone fragments were forced through his brain. He was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he was pronounced brain dead. *''Dune (1984 film), Dune'' (1984). Jürgen Prochnow suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face while filming a scene where his character lay unconscious and spewed green gas from his torn cheek. To achieve this effect, a tube connected to a pump was attached to a prosthetic cheek over Prochnow's face. However, a malfunction caused heat to build up inside the fake cheek and spill near molten goo on Prochnow's face once it was torn open. * Pepsi commercial (1984). While Michael Jackson was filming a television commercial with his The Jackson 5, siblings at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, a faulty pyrotechnic went off too early and set his hair on fire, inflicting second- and third-degree burns to his scalp and body. Jackson sued PepsiCo for damages and received a US$1.5 million settlement, which he donated to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, to establish the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children. This accident resulted in Jackson's addiction to painkillers and obsession with plastic surgery until his death in 2009. *''Airwolf'' (1985). Stuntman Reid Rondell was killed in a helicopter crash. *''Police Story (1985 film), Police Story'' (1985). During the film's famous pole-sliding scene, Jackie Chan suffered third-degree burns on his hands, nearly broke the seventh and eighth vertebrae on his spine, dislocated his pelvis, and was nearly paralyzed. Also, in the scene where Jackie Chan stops a double-decker bus, the actors were supposed to be thrown through the front window of the second level and land on a car below, but instead they landed right on the hard surface of the road, missing the car. The scene still went into the film. *''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985). During filming in Mexico, FX man Cliff Wenger, Jr. was accidentally killed by one of the film's explosions. *''Rocky IV'' (1985). Demanding a sense of realism in the boxing match between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren agreed to legitimately spar with each other. Stallone was airlifted from Canada to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, and placed on intensive care for eight days after Lundgren delivered a hard punch to his chest, causing his heart to swell and his blood pressure to exceed 200. *''Runaway Train (film), Runaway Train'' (1985). During filming in Alaska, a helicopter en route to location struck power lines and crashed, killing pilot Rick Holley. *''Armour of God (film), Armour of God'' (1986). During the filming of a scene in which Jackie Chan jumped from a wall to a tree branch, the branch snapped off and Chan fell 15 feet to the ground below. He hit his head on a rock, causing part of his skull to crack and a fragment to lodge in his brain. He now has a plastic plug in a permanent hole in his skull and hearing-loss in the right ear and has since called this stunt "the closest (he) had ever come to death." *''Vendetta dal futuro'' (''Hands of Steel'', 1986). During filming of the Italian sci-fi action film in Arizona, a helicopter attempted to fly beneath the Navajo Bridge but crashed, killing the pilot Dan Nasca and Italian actor Claudio Cassinelli. *''Maximum Overdrive'' (1986). Director of photography Armando Nannuzzi was seriously injured when a radio-controlled lawnmower used in a scene went out of control and struck a block of wood used as a camera support, shooting out wood splinters. The splinters were fired at Nannuzzi's face, resulting in him losing an eye. Nannuzzi sued Stephen King on 18 February 1987, for $18 million in damages due to unsafe working practices. The suit was settled out of court. *''Top Gun'' (1986). On 16 September 1985, aerobatic pilot Art Scholl crashed his Pitts S-2 camera-plane off the southern Californian coast near Carlsbad, California, Carlsbad. Neither the aircraft nor Scholl's body were ever recovered. *''The Wraith'' (1986). During filming of a car-chase scene in the low-budget sci-fi action film in Arizona, assistant cameraman Bruce Ingram was killed when an overloaded camera car crashed on a mountain road. *Full Metal Jacket (film), ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987). Actor Vincent D'Onofrio, who had deliberately increased his weight to in order to play the overweight United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Corps recruit Leonard Lawrence (Pvt. Pyle), twisted his knee during filming of the boot-camp scenes, injuring it severely. D'Onofrio required surgical reconstruction. *''Million Dollar Mystery'' (1987). Stuntman Dar Robinson died in a motorcycle accident after a dangerous stunt had been filmed and the medics on the set had been dismissed. Robinson, famous for his jumps off Toronto's CN Tower, drove his motorcycle off a cliff. *''The Squeeze (1987 film), The Squeeze'' (1987). Veteran stuntman Victor Magnotta drowned while performing a car stunt in which he drove the vehicle off a Hoboken pier and plunged into the Hudson River. He was pinned in the car, and could not escape before drowning. *''The Untouchables (film), The Untouchables'' (1987). While filming the first take of the scene when his character is riddled with bullets from Frank Nitti (Billy Drago)'s tommy gun, Sean Connery caught dust in his eye and had to be hospitalized. Film director Brian De Palma recalled having to beg Connery to do a second take of the scene. *''Braddock: Missing in Action III'' (1988). On location in the Philippines, a helicopter hired by the Cannon Group crashed into Manila Bay, killing four Filipino soldiers (who were working as extras) and wounding five other people on the ground. This helicopter accident occurred the same day the "not guilty" ''Twilight Zone'' verdict was handed down in a Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles Superior Court. *''Die Hard'' (1988). Bruce Willis lost two-thirds of his hearing in his left ear after firing a gun loaded with extra-loud blanks from underneath a table. *''Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers'' (1988). While filming a rooftop scene, Ellie Cornell accidentally slipped and her torso was cut by a large nail. She lost a large amount of blood but recovered, going on to continue on with the film. *''Red Heat (1988 film), Red Heat'' (1988). Stuntman and director Bennie Dobbins suffered a fatal heart attack while filming a fight scene in freezing conditions outdoors in Austria. The scene required Arnold Schwarzenegger and another actor to fight near-naked in deep snow. Dobbins over-exerted himself trying to install fan heaters in the snow to prevent the actors suffering hypothermia. *''The Abyss (film), The Abyss'' (1989). Actor Ed Harris almost drowned during an underwater sequence. Despite him yelling "Cut" when he ran out of air, the production crew did not give him oxygen until he passed out. The trauma caused him to break down in his car on the way home. *''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989). During a "hoverboard" stunt scene, stuntwoman Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon was accidentally bounced off a pillar before falling thirty feet onto concrete, sustaining serious facial and wrist injuries. *''Cyborg (film), Cyborg'' (1989). While filming, Jackson "Rock" Pinckney lost an eye during filming when Jean-Claude Van Damme accidentally struck him in the eye with a prop knife. Pinckney sued Van Damme in a North Carolina court and was awarded $487,500. *''H. B. Halicki#Marriage, the 1989 reboot of Gone In 60 Seconds 2 and death, Gone in 60 Seconds 2'' (1989, unfinished). Director/actor H. B. Halicki was killed in Buffalo, New York, when a water tower he was planning to topple fell prematurely, hitting a Utility pole, telephone pole that then struck him in the head. The film was scrapped as a result of the accident. *''Hired to Kill'' (1989). Stuntman Clint Carpenter was killed and three others and the pilot were injured in a helicopter crash in Corfu, Greece. *''The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989). Actor Sean Kanan suffered internal bleeding after doing 20 takes of being thrown out a door and landing on his stomach. He collapsed at a Las Vegas hotel four days after shooting the scene and was discovered to have two quarts of blood pooled in his abdomen. *''The Return of the Musketeers'' (1989). On 20 September 1988, Roy Kinnear suffered a broken pelvis in a horseback riding accident and died of a heart attack the following day. *''The Sword of Tipu Sultan'' (1989). The largest number of on-set deaths in film history took place during the filming of this Indian made-for-TV movie. A total of 62 extras and crew members died after a fire broke out and they were trapped inside the burning film studio. Director and star Sanjay Khan suffered major burns and spent 13 months in hospital undergoing 72 operations.


1990s

*''Back to the Future Part III'' (1990). In the scene where List of Back to the Future characters#Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and his gang roped and hanged Marty McFly, Michael J. Fox lost consciousness for a few seconds from being hanged before an extra realized he was legitimately being asphyxiated and the noose was lowered. He recounted this event in his autobiography, ''Lucky Man''. *''Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection'' (1990). Five people were killed in a helicopter crash during filming in the Philippines. The fatalities here were: Jojo Imperiale (pilot), Geoff Brewer (actor), Gadi Danzig (cameraman), Mike Graham (key grip) and Don Marshall (gaffer). *''Bikini Island (film), Bikini Island'' (1991). Stuntman Jay C. Currin was killed on the first day of filming when a stunt fall off a cliff went wrong and he landed on some rocks instead of the airbag that had been placed to break his fall. *''Highlander II: The Quickening'' (1991). Christopher Lambert and Michael Ironside both suffered injuries during filming. Lambert chipped one of Ironside's teeth during a fight scene, while Ironside inadvertently severed part of Lambert's finger during a sword-fight scene. *''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991). Linda Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage in one ear during filming when she fired a gun inside an elevator without using her ear plugs. She also injured her knees from falling on the ground during multiple re-shoots of her character being hit with a nightstick by actor Ken Gibbel. Frustrated by Gibbel's refusal to hit her properly, Hamilton legitimately knocked him out with a broom handle during the escape scene. Arnold Schwarzenegger nearly broke some fingers while twirling his shotgun with one hand. While there was a shotgun with a lever loop lengthened to fit Schwarzenegger's hand, he mistakenly picked up a standard-sized unit and injured his hand while attempting the stunt. *''The Bodyguard (1992 film), The Bodyguard'' (1992). A worker died when he was crushed between two lighting-equipment cranes during filming. *''Patriot Games (film), Patriot Games'' (1992). While filming the climactic speedboat fight scene, Sean Bean sustained a gash above his left eyebrow after Harrison Ford struck him with a metal hook. * Wind (1992 film), ''Wind'' (1992). Australian stuntman Chris Anderson had to have a leg amputated below the knee after he was severely injured when a yacht collided with the jet-boat on which Anderson was eating his lunch during a break in filming. *''999 (British TV series), 999'' (1993). While recreating a real-life near-fatal parachute incident in which a parachutist tangled his equipment with the aircraft's landing gear before freeing himself, veteran stuntman Tip Tipping leapt out of a Cessna and crashed into woods near Ellingham, Northumberland, he was pronounced dead when medical staff arrived. *''Super Mario Bros. (film), Super Mario Bros.'' (1993). Bob Hoskins was stabbed four times, electrocuted, and was nearly drowned. During one scene, Hoskins broke a finger when the door of a van slammed on his hand. *''Crime Story (1993 film), Crime Story'' (1993). Jackie Chan's legs were crushed between two cars during a dangerous stunt scene. * ''The Fugitive (1993 film), The Fugitive'' (1993). Harrison Ford damaged some ligaments in his leg while filming a chase scene in the woods. Because he refused to have surgery until filming was wrapped, his character Dr. Richard Kimble walked with a limp throughout the film. * ''Gettysburg (1993 film), Gettysburg'' (1993). During filming of the battle scenes on Little Round Top, Bradley Egen, an extra playing a Union soldier, was unintentionally struck in the head by the butt of a musket and suffered a mild concussion. *''Sliver (film), Sliver'' (1993). Cameraman Michael Benson suffered lung injuries after a helicopter crash left him trapped for two days inside a Hawaiian volcano crater. The crew aboard the helicopter was flying over an active volcano to shoot the film's original opening sequence, but the footage was lost in the crash, requiring that the film's ending be rewritten. *''The Crow (1994 film), The Crow'' (1994). On 31 March 1993, American actor and martial artist Brandon Lee was accidentally shot and killed in North Carolina with a .44 magnum gun that was intended to fire blanks but contained a bullet left behind after a dummy round had been inserted and removed. Also, on 1 February 1993 on the opening day of filming, a carpenter was severely shocked and burned when his scissor lift struck power lines. *''Friends'' (1994). In the Season 3 episode "The One Where No One's Ready", Matt LeBlanc dislocated his shoulder leaping into a chair. The injury required LeBlanc to wear a sling, temporarily postponing production of the episode and requiring the injury to be written into the show for the following two episodes. * ''L.A. Heat (TV series), L.A. Heat'' (1995). Stuntman Paul Dallas died when he missed the airbag for a 53-foot fall. *''Mortal Kombat (1995 film), Mortal Kombat'' (1995). There were a few injuries to the lead actors when filming commenced. During filming of the battle between Liu Kang and Reptile, actor Robin Shou fractured his ribs after multiple takes of hitting the pillar. Actress Bridgette Wilson also got injured, dislocating her shoulder while performing a stunt; she was quickly able to continue working when paramedics put it back into place. Actor Linden Ashby recalled urinating blood after being kicked in the kidney. *''Rumble in the Bronx'' (1995). Jackie Chan injured his right leg while performing a stunt where he jumps onto a boat. He spent much of the remaining shooting time with one leg in a cast. When it came to the film's climax, the crew colored a sock to resemble the shoe on his good foot, which Chan wore over his cast. The lead actress, Françoise Yip, and several stunt doubles were also injured during the shooting of a motorcycle stunt, with several people suffering broken limbs and ankles. *''Seven (1995 film), Seven'' (1995). In a scene where Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) chased John Doe in the rain, Pitt fell and his arm went through a car windshield, requiring surgery. This accident was written into the script to explain Pitt wearing a cast over his arm. Coincidentally, the original script did call for Pitt's character to be injured during this sequence but not to his hand. *''Vampire in Brooklyn'' (1995). Angela Bassett's stunt-double Sonja Davis fell to her death in a stunt gone wrong. Her death led to a $50 million wrongful-death lawsuit against Paramount Pictures. *''Waterworld'' (1995). During production, actresses Jeanne Tripplehorn and Tina Majorino were thrown overboard from the trimaran they were on when its bowsprit snapped. Nearly a dozen rescue divers jumped in and brought them back on board. Kevin Costner nearly died when he was caught in a squall while tied to the mast of his trimaran. In addition, several cast and crew members suffered from seasickness and jellyfish stings. Costner's stunt double, Laird Hamilton, was lost at sea for a few hours when his jet ski ran out of fuel after the filming of a jet ski scene. *''Ah Kam'' (1996). In October 1995, actress Michelle Yeoh, who usually performs her own stunts, was seriously injured during shooting of the film about the life of a stuntwoman, when she misjudged an jump off a bridge onto a truck. She fractured a vertebra and was in traction for a month. The sequence can be seen at the end of the film. *Black+Decker, Black & Decker commercial (1996). Veteran pilot Michael Tamburro died after suffering a broken neck and head injuries in a helicopter crash caused by hitting a main rotor blade on a rock on the side of a desert butte. Co-pilot Alan Purwin suffered a broken arm, and flying debris from the crash injured a crew member. Producers Propaganda Films had not obtained a permit to use a helicopter when filming, which the firm claimed was due to an unintentional oversight. *''Love Serenade'' (1996). During the filming of a scene on a grain silo, stuntman Collin Dragsbaek (doubling actor George Shetsov) died when he fell onto a faulty airbag. *''Gone Fishin' (film), Gone Fishin''' (1997). Janet Wilder was killed and four other people, including her husband, were injured when a speedboat driver misjudged a ramp and the speedboat landed in a crowd. *''Pleasantville (film), Pleasantville'' (1997). Cameraman Brent Hershman died when he fell asleep driving home after a 19-hour workday on the set of the film. Hershman's death resulted in a wrongful-death suit, claiming that New Line Cinema, New Line Productions and Juno Pix Inc. were responsible for the death as a result of the lengthy work hours imposed on the set, and spurred a call to limit filming hours. *''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic'' (1997). Several extras were injured during the film's climactic sinking scene where passengers fell and hit parts of the ship. Injuries ranged from a broken ankle to cracked ribs, a fractured cheekbone, and a ruptured spleen. Kate Winslet suffered hypothermia from filming the water scenes after she refused to wear a wetsuit under her dress. During the scene where Jack and Rose were running away from an ocean wave in the hallways, Winslet's coat snagged on a gate, pulling her down and nearly drowning her. On the final night of shooting in Nova Scotia, 80 cast and crew members were hospitalized after the clam chowder at the catering area was spiked with Phencyclidine, PCP. *''Blues Brothers 2000'' (1998). While filming a stunt scene, a car rolled onto two crew members, one of whom needed a leg amputation. Three months later, during filming for a car-crash sequence, stuntman Bob Minor suffered severe injuries to his head. *''The Crow: Stairway to Heaven'' (1998). A special-effects explosion went wrong during filming on 15 August 1998, when stuntman Marc Akerstream was struck on the head and killed by flying debris. *''Galápagos: The Enchanted Voyage'' (1998). Noel Archambault, the film's camera operator/stereographer, was killed in an ultralight aircraft crash along with the pilot, William Raisner Jr., while filming in the Galápagos Islands. The men were found at an elevation of 3,000 feet on Cerro Azul (Ecuador volcano), Cerro Azul, one of the two most active volcanoes in the archipelago. *''Mighty Joe Young (1998 film), Mighty Joe Young'' (1998). Director of photography Don Peterman and camera operator Ray de la Motte were injured while preparing a crane shot in July 1997 in Thousand Oaks, California. Both suffered extensive neck and head injuries. *''Walker, Texas Ranger'' (1999). Stuntman William Charles Skeen suffered a fatal heart attack when the GMC Suburban in which he was riding in made a rough landing after hurtling 140 feet through the air in a state park. The landing of the vehicle broke all the axles.


2000s

*''Cast Away'' (2000). While filming, Tom Hanks cut his leg. Two weeks later, the swelling on his leg persisted, and Hanks was confined to a hospital for three weeks to treat a Staphylococcus, staph infection that could have killed him from Sepsis, blood poisoning. *''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' (2000). During a fight scene, Michelle Yeoh tore an Anterior cruciate ligament, ACL on her knee after a bad landing and had to be flown from China to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for surgery. *''Dinosaur (2000 film), Dinosaur'' (2000). A crew member was killed and another seriously wounded when a camera boom struck a cross-country power line. *''I Dare You: The Ultimate Challenge'' (2000). Stuntman Michael Brady died while preparing his stunt equipment in Benson, Arizona. He accidentally slipped off a train boxcar and hit his head on the rocks below. Brady was in a coma for several days and finally was taken off life support. *''Proof of Life'' (2000). David Morse (actor), David Morse's stand-in, Will Gaffney, was killed while riding on a truck that drove off a mountain road. * ''Taxi 2'' (2000). A Peugeot 406 was supposed to land in a pile of cardboard after a stunt, but missed and hit several crew. Cameraman Alain Dutartre later died of internal injuries while his assistant Jean-Michel Bar broke both legs. * ''The X-Files'' (2000) Crew member Jim Engh was killed by electrocution when the scaffolding he was standing on came into contact with a high-tension power line. Six other crew members were injured in the accident, one critically. *''Exit Wounds'' (2001). During filming in Hamilton, Ontario, a van was being towed along a street upside-down as part of a chase scene; stuntman Chris Lamon and another man were supposed to roll safely out, but Chris struck his head, dying six days later. *''Pearl Harbor (film), Pearl Harbor'' (2001). A stunt plane dressed like a Japanese fighter crashed during a flight over the movie set. The pilot survived the crash escaping serious injuries. *'':ru:Связной (фильм, 2002), The Messenger'' (2002). Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov, Jr. and 42 film crew members were killed in the Kolka–Karmadon rock ice slide after finishing the second day of shooting on 20 September. *''Mr. Deeds'' (2002). Winona Ryder broke her arm in three places while filming the scene in which she and Adam Sandler ride bikes down a set of stairs. *''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' (2002). Viggo Mortensen broke two toes kicking a helmet; the take is used in the film. Orlando Bloom fell off a horse and broke three ribs. John Rhys-Davies' stunt double also dislocated one of his knees in another accident. Mortensen also chipped a tooth, and Bernard Hill got his ear slashed, while filming a battle sequence. *''XXX (2002 film), XXX'' (2002). On 4 April 2002, Vin Diesel's stunt double, Harry L. O'Connor, was killed during filming, in a scene where he was supposed to rappel down a parasailing line and land on a submarine. Instead, he struck a bridge at high speed and died immediately. *''Ripley's Believe It or Not! (TV series), Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' (2003). While filming an episode near Kingman, Arizona, a filming-helicopter flew into a power line. David Gibbs, the helicopter pilot, had his pilot's license suspended for the accident. His family sued the company that made the show. He would later on be involved in another helicopter accident in 2013 that killed him and two passengers. *''The Osbournes'' (2003). Ozzy Osbourne was seriously injured at his home after an accident whilst riding a quad bike. Ozzy broke his collarbone, eight ribs, neck vertebra. Ozzy had to be resuscitated at the scene. He was rushed to a hospital where he had his collarbone lifted to release a major artery. This left the future of the show uncertain. *''Video Option'' (2003). Whilst competing in the Silver State Classic Challenge, managed to walk away with hip pain after his modified 800 bhp Nissan 350Z left the road and rolled over seven times following a Blowout (tire), tire blowout at about . In addition to misaligned tire setup which contributed to the blowout, he tried to downshift dropping into 3rd gear at which caused the accident. *''CrossBones (film), CrossBones'' (2004). Cinematographer Neal Fredericks was killed when the Cessna from which he was filming crashed near the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida on 14 August 2004. Although the director, pilot, and two other crew members were able to escape, Fredericks could not free himself from his harness and drowned. *''Kill Bill: Volume 2'' (2004). While filming a driving scene in Mexico, Uma Thurman sustained a concussion and injured her knees when she lost control of the car and crashed into a palm tree. *''The Passion of the Christ'' (2004). In playing the role of Jesus Christ, Jim Caviezel sustained gashes to his back from multiple whippings, hypothermia, and a separated shoulder from carrying a giant cross. He was also struck by lightning before filming the Sermon of the Mount scene. *''The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film), The Phantom of the Opera'' (2004). A worker suffered severe injuries when he was thrown from scaffolding that was not properly secured on the set of the film. Actor Patrick Wilson (American actor), Patrick Wilson fell off his horse approximately three times while filming his own stunt scene, riding the horse bareback. He also nearly drowned while filming the water scenes in the lake. *''Troy (film), Troy'' (2004). Brad Pitt, who played Achilles in the film, tore his left Achilles tendon during production. George Camilleri, a bodybuilding extra, broke his leg while filming an action sequence at Għajn Tuffieħa. He was operated on the following day but suffered complications and died two weeks later. *''Æon Flux (film), Æon Flux'' (2005). Charlize Theron was performing backflips during filming and landed on her neck, herniating a disc close to her spinal cord. Production was shut down for eight weeks. *''Syriana'' (2005). During a torture scene where he was tied to a chair, George Clooney suffered head and spinal injuries and memory loss when he hit his head on the floor after the torturer knocked his chair over. The impact ruptured his dura mater, resulting in loss of cerebrospinal fluid. The injury was so painful that he contemplated committing suicide while recovering. *''Casino Royale (2006 film), Casino Royale'' (2006). While filming the Madagascar fight-scene in Barbados, Daniel Craig knocked out two of his front teeth. The damage was so severe that Craig's dentist had to be flown in from London to fix caps into his mouth. *''Jackass Number Two'' (2006). During filming of the closing scene Ryan Dunn was performing a stunt with Bam Margera in which both of them are pulled out of shot by a running horse with a rope tied around their feet. Dunn dropped straight onto his shoulder, causing damage to the muscles and leading to a life-threatening blood clot near his heart and brain. While recovering from that injury and lyme disease, Dunn fell into depression and reclusion, isolating himself for two years before returning to ''Jackass.'' *''Ocean's Deadliest'' (2006). On 4 September 2006, Steve Irwin was Death of Steve Irwin, fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine while snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, at Batt Reef, which is located off the coast of Port Douglas, Queensland, Port Douglas in north Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming the documentary, but weather had stalled filming. He decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting when the ray suddenly turned and lashed out at him with the spine on its tail. *''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' (2006). While filming a challenge for Top Gear (series 9), Series 9 Episode 1 in Yorkshire, Richard Hammond crashed a dragster at , seriously injuring his brain. His front-right tire failed on the seventh run that caused him to hit the grass and roll the Vampire (car), Vampire he was driving. During the roll, Hammond's helmet had embedded itself into the ground, flipping the visor up and forcing dirt into his mouth and left eye, damaging the eye. Rescuers felt a pulse and heard the unconscious Hammond breathing before the car was turned upright. Hammond also hurt his neck in the "Cheap Car Challenge" of Top Gear (series 8), Series 8 Episode 8 when his Suzuki Carry#Eighth generation (1985–1991), Suzuki Super Carry rolled over. *''Wowowee'' (2006). A PhilSports Stadium stampede, stampede occurred at PhilSports Football and Athletics Stadium, where the Philippine game show was filming its first anniversary episode. The stampede killed 73 people and injured 392 others. The incident is cited in the 2007 Guinness World Records as "the greatest death toll in a game show." *''Past Tense'' (2006). During the production of this Lifetime (TV network), Lifetime film, Gabrielle Carteris suffered from partial facial paralysis and a speech impediment from a scene where her character was choked and dragged down a flight of stairs by actor Adrian Hughes. She sued the film's producers for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and various damages. *''Charlie Wilson's War (film), Charlie Wilson's War'' (2007). A special-effects assistant was critically injured when a prop missile exploded. *''Fifth Gear'' (2007). During the filming of Series 12, episode 7, presenter Tom Ford (presenter), Tom Ford broke his foot and several toes when he crashed a modified Bedford Rascal van while recording a piece about Drifting (motorsport), drifting. British Touring Car Championship, BTCC driver Jason Plato suffered multiple burns when a Caparo T1 he was driving at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Bruntingthorpe proving ground burst into flames. *''The Final Season'' (2007). Cameraman Roland Schlotzhauer was killed during filming when the helicopter he was on hit power lines and crashed into a field. The helicopter pilot and one of the film's producers were seriously injured. *''Live Free or Die Hard'' (2007). Bruce Willis was injured during a fight scene when he was kicked above his right eye by Maggie Q's stunt double, who was wearing stiletto heels. Willis was hospitalized and received seven stitches that ran through his right eyebrow and down into the corner of his eye. Willis' stunt double Larry Rippenkroeger was knocked unconscious when he fell from a fire escape to the pavement. Rippenkroeger suffered broken bones in his face, several broken ribs, a punctured lung, and fractures in both wrists. Owing to his injuries, production was temporarily shut down. Willis personally paid the hotel bills for Rippenkroeger's parents and visited him a number of times at the hospital. *''Time Team'' (2007). Reenactor Paul Allen, 54, died in a jousting accident after a splinter from a broken lance penetrated his eye socket and lodged in his brain. *''The Dark Knight (film), The Dark Knight'' (2008). Cameraman Conway Wickliffe was killed in 2007 on the set of ''The Dark Knight'', as he rode in a pickup truck driving parallel to a stunt car; the pickup missed a 90-degree turn and crashed into a tree. *''Jumper (2008 film), Jumper'' (2008). Set dresser David Ritchie was crushed to death by frozen debris as an exterior set was being dismantled. *''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2008). While filming an action scene, Mariska Hargitay suffered a collapsed lung after landing wrongly, requiring multiple surgeries to correct the injury. *''Red Cliff (film), Red Cliff'' (2008/2009). While filming a scene in which a small boat was set on fire and was to ram a larger boat, the fire spread quickly out of control, killing stuntman Lu Yanqing and injuring six others. *Valkyrie (film), ''Valkyrie'' (2008). During filming, the side of a vintage truck detached as the vehicle turned a sharp corner, causing a number of extras on board to fall out. One man was seriously injured and ten more suffered minor injuries. The extras involved later filed a lawsuit against the production. *63rd Tony Awards (2009). After performing the opening number with his band Poison (American band), Poison, lead vocalist Bret Michaels was struck in the head by a descending set and knocked to the floor. He suffered a fractured nose and a split lip that required three stitches. Michaels subsequently sued the event's organizers, claiming that the collision led to his 2010 brain hemorrhage. The suit was settled in May 2012 for an undisclosed amount. *''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' (2009). During an explosion-effects misfire, Sienna Miller's suit caught fire, igniting the area between her breasts. *''Nitro Circus'' (2009). Johnny Knoxville was attempting to do a back flip on a Moto X bike. He was halfway into the rotation when disaster struck. He bailed, hit the ground hard and the bike landed on top of him. The handlebars hit his crotch, leaving him with serious genitalia injuries (tearing his urethra). As a result, he had to flush his bladder periodically by means of a catheter. Knoxville said the process prevented Granulation tissue, scar tissue from forming. Motocross racer Jolene Van Vugt broke her wrist after coming short of a triple jump. She needed a metal plate attached with seven screws on her wrist and had to wear an arm-cast throughout the second season. *''The Tournament (2009 film), The Tournament'' (2009). In a botched attempt to turn over a semi-trailer truck with an air cannon for a chase scene, a piece of iron debris flew toward the production crew and hit assistant director Shero Rauf. Rauf broke both legs in that accident; he took almost two years to walk normally again.


2010s

* ''The Expendables (2010 film), The Expendables'' (2010). Sylvester Stallone injured his neck while filming a fight scene with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Steve Austin. He required a metal plate inserted into his neck during surgery. * ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' (2010/2011). During production at Leavesden Film Studios, Leavesden, Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes (actor), David Holmes suffered a serious spinal injury during the filming of an aerial sequence, which left him a paraplegic. Holmes fell to the ground following an explosion that was part of the stunt. * ''Lost (TV series), Lost'' (2010). While filming a fight scene for the series finale "The End (Lost), The End", Terry O'Quinn mistakenly stabbed Matthew Fox with a real knife instead of a collapsible one. Fox's life was saved by the kevlar vest underneath his shirt. * ''Wetten, dass..?#Samuel_Koch_incident, Wetten, dass..?'' (2010). In the 4 December episode of this German entertainment series, stuntman Samuel Koch attempted to Powerbocking, powerbock over five moving cars in succession when his head hit the windshield of the fourth car (driven by his father), causing him to crash to the ground head-first, fracturing two vertebrae and rendering him Tetraplegia, quadriplegic. * ''Campus PD'' (2011). Cameraman Greg Jacobsen was killed in a helicopter crash while filming at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. * ''The Eagle (2011 film), The Eagle'' (2011). When filming in a freezing river, actors have a mixture of boiling hot water and river water poured down their suits to stay warm. A crew member forgot to mix the hot water with the river water during filming; as a result, Channing Tatum was scalded with boiling water that burned the skin off the tip of his penis. * ''The Hangover Part II'' (2011). Australian stuntman Scott McLean suffered critical brain damage while filming in Bangkok after a taxi he was leaning out of the window of failed to dodge another vehicle, causing McLean's head to collide with it. Warner Bros. then issued a statement stating McLean was put into a medically induced coma, and were reportedly paying his hospital bills. McLean soon recovered, stating he had suffered "likely permanent brain and physical injuries" before suing the studio for unspecified damages. * ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' (2011). An extra was seriously injured during a stunt in Hammond, Indiana. Owing to a failed weld, a steel cable snapped from a car being towed and hit the extra's car, damaging her skull. The extra, identified as Gabriela Cédillo, had to undergo brain surgery. The injury has left her permanently brain-damaged, paralyzed on her left side and her left eye stitched shut. In May 2012, it was revealed that a $18 million settlement had been reached between Paramount and the Cedillo family. As a result of this accident, recycled footage from one of Michael Bay's previous movies, ''The Island (2005 film), The Island'', was used instead, with CG robots inserted into the footage. *''Agneepath (2012 film), Agneepath'' (2012). Hrithik Roshan suffered numerous injuries during production. He sustained burns on his hands when Priyanka Chopra's Gagra choli, ''lehenga'' caught fire. He suffered an eye injury from ''Holi'' colors thrown to his face during a musical scene. He also sustained a major back injury from lifting a man during an action scene. *''The Avengers (2012 film), The Avengers'' (2012). While performing a fall from a building, stuntman Jeremy Fitzgerald slammed into a pile of bricks and tore off a chunk of his scalp. *''Django Unchained'' (2012). During a tense argument scene Leonardo DiCaprio smashed his hand on a table, inadvertently slicing his hand on a crystal cordial glass. Though the slice would require stitches after shooting the take, the actor managed to continue on in character and even used the profuse bleeding as a prop. Director Quentin Tarantino chose to include this scene take in the final cut of the film. * ''The Expendables 2'' (2012). While filming in Elin Pelin (town), Elin Pelin, Bulgaria, a stuntman was killed and another was left in critical condition during a staged explosion on a rubber boat. The surviving stuntman underwent a five-hour operation that reportedly left him in stable condition. In addition, both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger required shoulder surgery after filming. * ''The Good Wife'' (2012). Kristin Chenoweth sustained a skull fracture, broken nose, spinal and rib injuries, and cracked teeth after a piece of the lighting rig fell on her, forcing her to require years of physical therapy. * ''The Hobbit (film series), The Hobbit'' (2012–2014). As many as 27 animals were killed during the production of this film, mainly from the hazardous conditions of the farm they were housed in. Several goats and sheep fell into a sinkhole under the farm. One horse was Hobble (device), hobbled and left on the ground for three hours. Another horse was killed after falling off an embankment of an overcrowded paddock. One horse had the skin and muscles of her leg torn off by wire fencing. Several chickens were mauled to death by unsupervised dogs or trampled by larger animals. This led to a global protest against the film by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). * ''Nitro Circus: The Movie'' (2012). Mountain-biker and freestyle rider Jim DeChamp sustained a broken vertebra and severe head trauma as a result of a car stunt gone wrong. *''Premium Rush'' (2012). While filming in the streets of New York City, Joseph Gordon-Levitt lost control of his bicycle and collided with the back of a taxicab before flying towards its rear windscreen. He required 31 stitches after his right forearm was slashed by the impact. *''The Sessions (2012 film), The Sessions'' (2012). John Hawkes (actor), John Hawkes suffered a severe disc injury on his back. Hawkes has confirmed that his "spine now has not enough movement." *''Poseidon Rex'' (2013). In January 2013, actor Corin Nemec was involved in a boating accident while being transported to set by the Belizean Coast Guard. The boat ran into a semi-submerged barge, shattering the right side of his body. He required multiple blood transfusions to save his life, and underwent five surgeries. *''Dangerous Flights'' (2013). On 24 February 2013, cameraman/director John Driftmier and conservationist Dr. Anthony King were killed in a plane crash in Kenya. Driftmier was shooting footage for the documentary when the plane, an Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat, Aeroprakt A-22L ultralight aviation, ultralight (registration 5Y-LWF) crashed into the east face of Mount Kenya. Although only a preliminary report has been published thus far, it is believed that a large downdraft forced the ultralight into an unrecoverable descent into the mountain. Driftmier and King were the only occupants. *''G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' (2013). A crew member was killed while dismantling a set in New Orleans, Louisiana, when the Aerial work platform#Scissor lift, scissor lift he was on tipped over, causing him to fall to his death. *''The Green Inferno (film), The Green Inferno'' (2013). Lorenza Izzo nearly drowned while filming the escape attempt sequence, where her character runs into the river near the village and is pushed downstream before being recaptured. It was not until one of the crew realized that her screams for help were real, that she was rescued. Some footage of this scene was kept in the film. *''Kick-Ass 2 (film), Kick-Ass 2'' (2013). While filming a fight scene, Chloë Grace Moretz's stunt double suffered a head injury when she was thrown into a wall by Olga Kurkulina. *''Lone Operator'' (2013, unaired). During filming of this planned Discovery Channel series, cameraman Darren Rydstrom, cast member Michael Donatelli, and pilot David Gibbs were killed in a helicopter crash in Acton, California. Gibbs was not authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA to fly during the morning hours, and he had his pilot's license suspended twice prior to the accident. *''The Lone Ranger (2013 film), The Lone Ranger'' (2013). Crew member Michael Bridger drowned while cleaning a water tank to be used in the film's underwater scene. *''Now You See Me (film), Now You See Me'' (2013). While filming the water-chamber escape scene, Isla Fisher nearly drowned when her shackles got stuck in the grate below and she was stuck in the chamber for over two minutes. *''Nurse 3D'' (2013). During filming in Toronto, Paz de la Huerta was struck by a reckless ambulance driver. She suffered a broken tailbone and spinal fracture, which required more than 20 surgeries. *''Thor: The Dark World'' (2013). Jaimie Alexander suffered severe injuries when she slipped off a metal staircase during a rainy morning on the set. The fall caused her to slip a Invertebral disc, disc in her thoracic spine and chip 11 of her vertebrae, as well as dislocate her left shoulder and tear a Rhomboid major muscle, rhomboid on her right side. The injuries took her out of filming for a month. *''Cops (TV series), Cops'' (2014). While filming a shooting incident at a Wendy's in Omaha, Nebraska, audio technician Bryce Dion was accidentally shot by Omaha Police Department gunfire. He and the suspect were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. *''The Expendables 3'' (2014). Sylvester Stallone suffered a serious back injury from a bad fall, requiring surgery that involved adding metal plates to his spine. In a separate scene, Antonio Banderas sustained a knee injury. While filming in Varna, Bulgaria, a truck driven by Jason Statham lost its brakes and fell into the Black Sea. Statham was able to swim out of the accident unharmed. * Fury (2014 film), ''Fury'' (2014). During filming in Oxfordshire, a stuntman was accidentally stabbed in the shoulder by a bayonet during rehearsals. *''Midnight Rider (film), Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story'' (2014, unfinished). Second camera assistant Sarah Jones was struck and killed by a freight train, and several crew members were injured, on 20 February 2014 when they attempted to shoot a scene with a hospital bed on an active railroad trestle at a location outside of Savannah, Georgia. The railroad company responsible for the tracks has claimed that the production crew did not have permission to film there. As a consequence, the Safety for Sarah movement was launched to campaign and demand for increased safety in future film productions. *''Top Gear'' (2014). During the Myanmar, Burma special in Top Gear (series 21), Series 21 Episode 6, Richard Hammond fell off a horse and had to be rushed to a hospital. In the Top Gear: Patagonia Special, Patagonia Special, James May cracked three ribs while attempting to mount a horse. *''1864 (TV series), 1864'' (2015). During filming of the battles of the series, 18 extras collapsed due to wearing large woollen winter coats in the middle of summer where temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius. *''Dropped (TV series), Dropped'' (2015). During the shooting of the French reality TV series on 9 March, 2015 Villa Castelli mid-air collision, two helicopters collided, killing ten people. The helicopters were reported to be heading to a gorge in northwestern Argentina for the French broadcaster TF1. Eight French passengers and the choppers' two Argentinian pilots died in the midair crash near the town of Villa Castelli, Argentina, Villa Castelli in La Rioja Province, Argentina, La Rioja province, Argentina's state news agency Telam reported, citing local authorities. The dead included the famed sailor Florence Arthaud, who in 1990 broke the record for crossing the North Atlantic alone; the swimmer Camille Muffat, who won three medals at the 2012 Olympics in London; and the boxer Alexis Vastine, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. *''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015). On 12 June 2014, Harrison Ford fractured a bone in his leg while filming at Pinewood Studios after a hydraulic door fell on him, and was subsequently taken to a hospital to receive treatment. Filming was initially expected to continue as planned as Ford received treatment, though it was later revealed that production was suspended for two weeks to accommodate Ford's injury. Ford's son Ben released details on his father's injury saying that his ankle will likely need a plate and screws and that filming could be altered slightly with the crew needing to shoot Ford from the waist up for a short time until he recovered. Director J. J. Abrams also injured his back while helping lift the hydraulic door off Ford's leg. *''Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru'' (2016). G. V. Prakash Kumar and RJ Balaji were injured in a car crash during the filming of an action sequence near Tindivanam. *''Masti Gudi'' (2016). On 7 November 2016, actors Anil Kumar and Raghava Uday drowned in Thippagondanahalli Reservoir near Bangalore, when they took a plunge from a chopper while shooting the film's climax scene. A rescue motorboat scheduled to pull the actors out of the water did not start, resulting in immediate drowning of both the actors. *''Shooter (TV series), Shooter'' (2016). On 6 July 2016, while filming a scene at Agua Dulce Airpark, actor Tom Sizemore accidentally ran over a stuntman. Sizemore was supposed to enter the Cadillac Escalade and stay there until the scene ended. The stunt coordinator told him not to pull out, but he did so regardless, not realizing that the stuntman was behind him. *''Silence (2016 film), Silence'' (2016). On 30 January 2015, a brick and wood house on the film's set in Taiwan suddenly collapsed on three construction workers who had been reinforcing the structure. One of the workers, Chen Yu-lung, was pronounced dead in the hospital while the other two sustained head and leg injuries. *''Skiptrace (film), Skiptrace'' (2016). On 17 December 2014, cinematographer Chan Kwok-Hung drowned when a motorized sampan he was on capsized during filming in Ta Shui Wan, Sunny Bay off Lantau Island in Hong Kong. * American Made (film), ''American Made'' (2017). Stunt pilot Alan Purwin, Alan D. Purwin and Venezuelan co-pilot Carlos Berl were killed when their aircraft crashed during filming in Medellín, Colombia. A third person on board the aircraft survived. *''Blade Runner 2049'' (2017). On 25 August 2016, a construction worker was killed while dismantling one of the film's sets at Origo Studios in Budapest, Hungary. *''A Dog's Purpose (film), A Dog's Purpose'' (2017). In 2017, a video was released of filming in 2015, where a
German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...
named Hercules was submerged under a rushing current while the crew rushed towards him. This was also the subject of controversy as the video shown by TMZ also features a man holding Hercules by the collar and leading him into the water, this leading to accusations of animal abuse, manhandling. Amblin Entertainment released a statement in regards to the incident, saying that "on the day of the shoot, Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot", and that "Hercules is happy and healthy". On 4 February 2017, the American Humane Association reported that an independent third-party animal-cruelty expert had concluded that safety measures on the set of the film were in place and the video had been deliberately edited to mislead the public. *''The Fate of the Furious'' (2017). During principal photography in Mývatn, Iceland, on 14 March 2016, strong winds sent a plastic iceberg prop flying into a paddock and striking two horses. One was wounded and the other mortally injured; it was later euthanized. *''The Grand Tour (TV series), The Grand Tour'' (2017). While filming in Mozambique for the series' second season, Richard Hammond was seriously injured after falling off his motorbike. While filming another segment on 10 June 2017, Hammond was hospitalized after crashing a Rimac Concept One during a hillclimbing event in Switzerland. Hammond was able to escape the accident with a fractured knee, despite the car flipping and catching fire shortly afterwards. The crash footage was shown in the first episode of the second season. *''Prison Break (season 5), Prison Break'' (2017). On 1 June 2016, Dominic Purcell suffered a broken nose and a head injury on set in Morocco after an iron bar used as a set piece had fallen onto his head. Purcell was immediately airlifted from Marrakesh to Casablanca for treatment where he recovered. *''Resident Evil: The Final Chapter'' (2017). Stunt double Olivia Jackson was severely injured in a motorcycle accident on set in South Africa in September 2015, leaving her in a medically-induced coma for two weeks. During a high-speed motorcycle chase, she collided with a camera arm. Among Jackson's injuries were cerebral trauma, a crushed and Degloving, degloved face, a severed artery in her neck, a paralyzed arm, several broken ribs, a shattered scapula, a broken clavicle, torn fingers with a thumb that needed to be amputated, and five nerves torn out of her spinal cord. Her paralyzed left arm was amputated in June 2016. Days after Jackson's accident, crew member Ricardo Cornelius was crushed to death by a Hummer H1 that slid off a platform he was operating. *''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'' (2017). On 13 July 2017, stuntman John Bernecker suffered a head injury after falling more than off a balcony onto a concrete floor while filming a stunt for the show. He died the following day. *''Deadpool 2'' (2018). On 14 August 2017, stuntwoman Joi Harris, Joi "SJ" Harris was killed during filming after losing control of a motorcycle while turning a corner and crashing through a glass window. *''Ghostland'' (2018). In December 2016, actress Taylor Hickson crashed through a glass door while filming a scene, causing massive injuries to her face and requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries. She now has a permanent facial scar as a result of the incident. *''Maze Runner: The Death Cure'' (2018). On 17 March 2016, actor Dylan O'Brien suffered multiple injuries on set after being run over by a car in a scene gone wrong and was taken to hospital in Vancouver. Production was stopped after the accident. *''Mission: Impossible – Fallout'' (2018).In August 2017, actor Tom Cruise broke his right ankle, when performing a stunt, on the London set Following the accident, production was halted for at nine weeks for the actor to heal. The footage of the failed stunt was later released. *''S.W.A.T. (2017 TV series), S.W.A.T.'' (2018). On July 18, 2018, Kenny Johnson suffered unspecified injuries while filming the premiere episode of the second season. The scene involved Johnson simulating his character, Domenic Luca, hanging from the landing gear of a helicopter while the helicopter flies away. Johnson later sued the production company, Sony Pictures Television Studios, Sony, over the incident, the case, as of July 2022, is still pending. *''9-1-1 (TV series), 9-1-1'' (2019). During filming for Season 3 on 20 August 2019, Ronda Rousey injured two fingers after her left hand was jammed in a boat door. *''A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'' (2019). Sound mixer James Emswiller suffered a heart attack and fell from an apartment-building balcony during filming in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on 11 October 2018. He died in hospital an hour after the incident. *''Chase Me (TV series), Chase Me'' (2019). On 27 November 2019, actor Godfrey Gao collapsed at about 1:45 am while filming. He was taken to a hospital, where after attempts at resuscitation for nearly three hours, he was pronounced dead. *''The Dirt (film), The Dirt'' (2019). On 11 March 2018, crew member Louis DiVincenti suffered an electric shock while de-rigging a set during the New Orleans shoot. He sustained second- and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body, which required numerous surgeries, skin grafts, and the amputation of his right foot. On 1 March 2019, DiVincenti sued Netflix and Mötley Crüe for $1.8 million to compensate for his medical bills. *''Ilyinskye Frontier'' (2019). Russian stuntman Oleg Shilkin, 31, was run over and killed by a vintage tank during filming of the movie set in World War II. The incident happened on the set located outside Moscow. The tank was meant to halt a short distance from where Shilkin was but the tank failed to stop in time. *''L.A.'s Finest'' (2019). On 21 February 2019, executive producer and showrunner Brandon Sonnier was seriously injured during the shooting of a car stunt at the Port of Los Angeles when the vehicle accidentally crashed into the video village area of the set, which led to a partial amputation on his right leg. *The Masked Singer (American TV series), ''The Masked Singer'' (2019). During a dress rehearsal in The Masked Singer (American season 2), season two, Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams, performing as The Butterfly, suffered an electric shock when a set piece short-circuited during a CO2 effect. Williams was reportedly fine but noted that the shock caused one of the boots she was wearing to split open. *''Motherless Brooklyn (film), Motherless Brooklyn'' (2019). On 22 March 2018, a fire broke out on one of the film's sets in New York City. The resulting blaze killed firefighter Lieutenant Michael Davidson. *''The Story of Taiwan'' (2019). Director Chi Po-lin, his assistant Chen Kuan-chi, and pilot Chang Chi-kuang were killed in a helicopter crash on 10 June 2017 while shooting aerial footage in a mountainous area in Hualien County's Fengbin, Hualien, Fengbin Township.


2020s

*''Cowboy Bebop (2021 TV series), Cowboy Bebop'' (2021). During the series' filming in New Zealand in October 2019, John Cho suffered a knee injury, forcing the production to halt for seven to nine months. *''F9 (film), F9'' (2021). In July 2019, stuntman Joe Watts, who doubled for Vin Diesel, sustained a serious head injury after a major fall during filming at the Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. The stunt involved the stunt double jumping from a balcony using safety wiring. The stunt double had to be airlifted to the hospital where he was placed in induced coma following the event. *''Love You Rachchu'' (2021). While filming a fight scene in Jogenahalli near Bidadi, Karnataka, stuntman Vivek stepped on an electric wire and died on the spot. *''No Time to Die'' (2021). Daniel Craig sustained an ankle injury while filming in Jamaica and subsequently underwent minor surgery. In a separate filming accident, a controlled explosion caused exterior damage to the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios and left a crew member with minor injuries. *''Rust (upcoming film), Rust'' (TBA). While filming in New Mexico, Alec Baldwin Rust shooting incident, fired a live round from a prop gun on the set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. A few weeks later, lamp operator and pipe rigger Jason Miller was bitten in the arm by a brown recluse spider; Miller suffered necrosis and sepsis, requiring multiple surgeries to avoid amputation of his arm. *''Indian 2'' (TBA). On 19 February 2020, during the shooting of the film, a crane carrying a heavy flash light fell on the sets, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, including an assistant director and leaving ten more injured. Director S. Shankar and actors Kamal Haasan and Kajal Aggarwal had narrow escapes. *''Street Outlaws#Fastest in America (2022), Street Outlaws: Fastest in America'' (2022). Actor Ryan Fellows died in a car crash in Las Vegas while participating in a race for the show. He lost control of his vehicle, which flipped over and caught fire. *''Project K (film), Project K'' (2024). Actor Amitabh Bachchan tore a muscle and cartilage in his ribs while filming an action scene in Hyderabad.


References


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Film accidents Accidental deaths Film-related lists, Accidents Death-related lists Lists of films and television series