In the history of film and television, accidents have occurred during shooting. From 1980 to 1990, there were 37 deaths relating to accidents during stunts; 24 of these deaths involved the use of helicopters. Equestrianism has also been a perennial cause. There have been at least 194 serious accidents on American television and film sets from 1990 to 2014, and at least 43 deaths, according to the Associated Press.
indicates accidents and/or incidents resulting in death.
1900s indicates accidents and/or incidents resulting in death. Untitled Clarendon short film (1907). On 17 April 1907, cycle builder Wilhelm Valdemar Zeitz was working on a short film produced by the Clarendon Film Company, which was to also feature the heroic feats of Zeitz's pet dog, a Great Dane named Felix. Zeitz was lying on a train track at Stoat's Nest station when an approaching train hit a sleeper and fatally struck Zeitz in the back and punctured one of his lungs. Untitled French film (1909). M. Otreps was a professional acrobat who was performing a stunt near the Seine on 14 June 1909. He jumped from a Bellevue pontoon into the river and drowned when he struggled to stay upright in the raging current, and observers neglected to rush to his aid.15th June 1909 issue of Le Figaro providing a comprehensive report on Otreps' death and that it was probably going to being publicly screened (article in French, found on RetroNews, p.g. 5). Retrieved 16th Oct '2417th June 1909 issue of Kinematograph Weekly reporting on the incident and the theory that Otreps suffered from cramp while in the water (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 17). Retrieved 16th Oct '24
1910s indicates accidents and/or incidents resulting in death. Across the Border (1914). On July 1, 1914, while filming on location in Cañon City, Colorado, cast member Grace McHugh was filming a scene where her character was crossing the Arkansas River in a boat. When the boat capsized, camera operator Owen Carter immediately jumped into the river to save her. Carter dragged McHugh onto a sandbar that was reported to be quicksand, resulting in both drowning. Carter received a posthumous Carnegie Hero Award for his rescue efforts. The Birth of a Nation (1915). Future film director Erich von Stroheim fell off a roof and broke two ribs in one scene as an extra. The Girl of the Golden West (1915). Actor House Peters suffered serious burns to his face and hands when a prop pistol exploded upon being fired.Katchmer, George A. Eighty Silent Film Stars: Biographies and Filmographies of the Obscure to the Well Known. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. p-785. 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 then ordered the extras to reload with blanks 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.DeMille, Cecil B., and Donald Hayne, ed. The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille. London: W.H. Allen, 1960. p-116-117. The Woman God Forgot (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.Fountain, Leatrice G., and John R. Maxim 1985: Dark Star. London: Sidgwick & Jackson. p-198. The Valley of the Giants (1919). Silent-era star Wallace Reid was badly injured in a train crash during filming in Oregon. His injuries caused him severe pain and the studio supplied him with increasing quantities of morphine so he could keep working. Addicted to morphine and also suffering from alcoholism, Reid died in 1923 at the age of 31. Wet and Warmer (1919). Comedian Billie Ritchie, while working on a short comedy film, was kicked in the stomach by an ostrich.
1920s indicates accidents and/or incidents resulting in death. Haunted Spooks (1920). On the set of a publicity shoot that took place while filming, actor and comedian Harold Lloyd 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. (Lloyd's brother would lose one eye in a separate movie accident in 1932). For the rest of his career, Lloyd concealed his missing fingers with a prosthetic glove. The Skywayman (1920). Pilots Milton Elliott and Ormer Locklear were killed on August 2, 1920, during filming of a nighttime stunt spin at the DeMille Airfield, along Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, when their plane crashed into the sludge pool of an oil well during a climactic dive. The lighting team was said to have failed to douse the lights on cue, blinding the flight crew. The film was released, exploiting publicity surrounding the deaths. 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.Wise, Arthur, and Derek Ware. Stunting in the Cinema. London: Constable, 1973. p-43. Trifling Women (1922). An orangutan called Joe Martin attacked actor Edward Connelly, biting him, mangling his hand and possibly breaking his arm. Around the World in Eighteen Days or The Eagle's Talons (unknown episode of 1922/3 serial). Stunt pilot Gene (Jean) Edward Perkins fell to his death while shooting a scene where he was to hang from a rope ladder off the side of a plane while attempting to transfer to a moving train. The Eleventh Hour (1923). Stunt pilot Dick Kerwood (or Curwood) 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.Carlson, Mark. Flying on Film: A Century of Aviation in the Movies 1912-2012. Bearmanor Media, 2012 p35. He died in another stunt a year later. Souls for Sale (1923). Actress Barbara La Marr 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. After a public debate, the often-escaping elephant was subsequently put down. The Covered Wagon (1923). Bert Alping was "thrown from a cliff...and severely hurt." Hearts Aflame (1923). Lead actress Anna Q. Nilsson was seriously burned while filming a scene in which she drove a locomotive through a staged forest fire in British Columbia. She required a week to recuperate; however, the accident did not impede her career. Her costar and a cameraman were also injured. The Great Circus Mystery (1925). Stuntmen Frank Tully and Tony Brack were killed in an auto accident. The footage is in the film. The Desert Fiddler (1924). Stunt swimmer William Harbaugh drowned while filming a water scene in the Colorado River near Laguna Dam. † The King of 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, the Amateur Cracksman (1925). Veteran actor Kate Lester was killed by a space heater explosion in her dressing room. Sherlock Jr. (1924). While hanging from a water tower, Buster Keaton 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 November 29, 1923, while working on location in San Antonio, Texas, Martha Mansfield was severely burned when a match, tossed by a cast member, ignited her Civil War 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 over her. The hands of the chauffeur 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.New York Times, "Martha Mansfield, Film Star, Dies of Burns Caused by Costume Fired by Smoker's Match", 1 December 1923, page 1. America (1924). During the filming by D. W. Griffith of a recreation of the Battle of Bunker Hill at Somers, New York, a 19-year-old soldier's arm was blown off while reloading a cannon. As Charles Emmett Mack recalled, "Neil Hamilton and I went to neighboring towns and raised a fund for him—I doing a song and dance and Neil collecting a coin." The Air Hawk (unknown episode 1924) or The Cloud Rider (1925). In October 1924, pilot and wing-walker Dick Kerwood (or Curwood) fell unseen to his death while performing a flying rope ladder stunt for an Al Wilson aerial serial. He had suffered a serious spinal injury from an earlier stunt that may not have fully recovered (see above The Eleventh Hour). Ben-Hur (1925). An early filming attempt of the chariot race was done on location at the Circus Maximus in Rome. It brought about the death of one stuntman when a wheel of his chariot broke. quoted in 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 (1927). During filming of the World War I aerial combat scenes, stunt pilot Dick Grace was required to deliberately crash-land a Fokker D-VII, 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. 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 (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." The deaths were instrumental in the introduction of film safety regulations the following year. The Trail of '98 (1928). Stunt men Howard Daughters, Jerome Bautin, and Red Thompson were 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.