Film actors and crews are often put in to highly dangerous situations in order to give a more authentic result to their films. This has, sadly, on many occasions lead to tragedy on the set. This is a list of the top 10 tragic movie related deaths.
10. Twilight Zone: The Movie – 1983 Wikipedia
Deaths: Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le (age 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6)
The making of the movie had consequences which overshadowed the film itself. During the filming of a segment directed by John Landis on July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le (age 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6) died in an accident involving a helicopter being used on the set. The helicopter was flying at an altitude of only 25 feet (8 meters), too low to avoid the explosions of the pyrotechnics used on set. When the blasts severed the tail rotor, it spun out of control and crashed, decapitating Morrow and Le with its blades. Chen was crushed to death as the helicopter crashed. Everyone inside the helicopter survived sustaining minor injuries.
The accident led to legal action against the filmmakers which lasted nearly a decade, and changed the regulations involving children working on movie sets at night and during special effects-heavy scenes. Hollywood also avoided helicopter-related stunts for many years, until the CGI revolution of the 1990s made it possible to use digital versions. As a result of the accident, one second assistant director had his name removed from the credits and replaced with the pseudonymous Alan Smithee. The incident also ended the friendship between director Landis and producer Spielberg, who was already angered before the accident that Landis had violated many codes, including using live ammunition on the set.
9. The Crow Wikipedia
Death: Brandon Lee
On March 31, 1993 at the North Carolina Film Studios in Wilmington NC, there were eight days left before shooting of the film was to be completed. The scene being filmed involved Lee’s character Eric Draven walking into his apartment and witnessing the brutal rape of his fiancée by thugs. Lee’s character would then have been shot and killed along with his fiancée by the thugs.
As the scene was being filmed, Brandon Lee was killed after Michael Massee (who played the villain Funboy) fired the gun at Lee as intended. The bullet unseated from a dummy round was lodged in the barrel of the handgun. The bullet was not noticed and the gun was loaded with a blank cartridge. When the blank was fired, the bullet shot out and hit Lee in the abdomen.
After Lee’s death, a stunt double, Chad Stahelski replaced Lee in some scenes to complete the film. Special effects were used for digitally compositing Lee’s face onto the double. The original footage featuring Lee’s actual death is the source of some controversy. Some accounts claim it was destroyed immediately, without even being developed while others suggest it was later given to Lee’s family. The bullet lodged in the dummy gun due was handed over to law enforcement officials as evidence by the Special Effects department. A display was shown to prove that dummy guns were intentionally built to be unable to fire actual bullets. The bullet was still lodged in the dummy gun when the scene was filmed.
8. Top Gun Wikipedia
Death: Art Scholl
Renowned aerobatic pilot Art Scholl, 53, was hired to do in-flight camera work for the film. The original script called for a flat spin, which he was to perform and capture on an onboard camera. Scholl entered the spin, but was unable to recover from it and crashed his Pitts S-2 in to the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast. The cause of the accident remains unknown. Top Gun was dedicated to the memory of Art Scholl.
7. The Return of the Musketeers Wikipedia
Death: Roy Kinnear
In September 20th 1988, Madrid, Spain, actor Roy Kinnear broke his pelvis after falling from a horse and subsequently bled to death!
6. The Flight of the Phoenix Wikipedia
Death: Paul Mantz
In the Dennis Quaid remake of this movie a cameraman broke his leg on the set, however the original 1965 film used real planes with disastrous results. Paul Mantz was killed doing a risky take off maneuver.
5. Jumper IMDB
Death: David Ritchie
A sci-fi thriller starring Samuel Jackson, was using a mixture of frozen sand, earth, and ice for special effects in exterior set pieces. Set dresser David Ritchie was pronounced dead on the scene after a large piece of frozen sand and gravel fell from the top of a wall at an outdoor set that he and three crew members were dismantling in frigid winter temperatures.
4. xXx Wikipedia
Death: Harry L. O’Conner
Harry L. O’Connor, Diesel’s stunt double, was killed in an accident during filming, in a scene in which he was supposed to rappel down a parasailing line and land on a submarine. When O’Connor failed to rappel down the line fast enough, he hit a bridge at high speed and was killed instantly. His death was caught on camera, but director Rob Cohen decided to include the footage of the scene – with the final moments edited out – out of respect for the stuntman’s final act.
3. The Final Season IMDB
Death: Roland Schlotzhauer
In October, 2007, camera man Roland Schlotzhauer was killed while filming parade sequences for this film. Roland was well-known for his ability to capture shots from helicopters and he was filming from a Bell 206 when it hit power lines. The helicopter then crashed into a field seriously injuring the pilot and a producer on board, while ending Roland’s life.
2. Troy IMDB
Death: George Camilleri
In a twist of irony, Brad Pitt tore his left Achilles tendon during shooting. Tragically, actor George Camilleri, a bodybuilding extra, severely broke his leg in a scene. He was treated at the hospital, but days later suffered a heart attack from a blood clot in his leg. He was treated once again and released only to have another heart attack which lead to his death.
1. Enter the Dragon Wikipedia
Death: Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was doing dubbing work in Hong Kong on May 10, 1973, for Enter the Dragon at Golden Harvest studios. He collapsed in the bathroom and was rushed to the Hong Kong Baptist Hospital. Doctors who treated him said he died of cerebral edema. Much controversy exists over Lee’s death over speculation that cannabis may have been part of the cause of his death.
Contributor: Samehrocks
This article is licensed under the GFDL. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles cited above.
I don't know if its true, but have heard about the person that killed themselves during the making of The Wizard of Oz, supposedly you can see them hanging in the background. Urban Myth I'd say:P
Urban myth, yes. But the reason for this tale is because, in the scene after Dorothy and Scarecrow meet Tin Man, when they all are skipping down the road singing “We’re Off…”, in the very ORIGINAL VHS tapes (1980′s first version, of which few were released after the rumor started), there IS something dark and shadowy, resembling a body, hanging from the catwalks in the forest background. It is most likely a sand bag or other inanimate object that fell into the scene accidentally, and NOT actually a body; in all seriousness, what director would let a dead body go into a children’s film?? It is NOT, however, the crane which WAS later added to the VHS and DVD versions. That was added to quell the rumors, which were giving the film a bad name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8YVeMwhDNI&feature=channel_video_title <— Please view that link, and other videos on the individuals channel, for the original VHS copy.
I’d heard about a couple of them, but most I hadn’t. You would think a death on the set of a big film like ‘Troy’ would have gained a lot of publicity.
“When O’Connor failed to rappel down the line fast enough, he hit a bridge at high speed and was killed instantly” – is this right? He rappelled too slowly and died?
first!
darn, denied!. i think the worst of the deaths is #10. i found the footage of the deaths of these 3 ppl online and i will always regret watching it.
dangorironhide – he was parasailing while doing it – so presumably if he had been faster he would have reached his target before the bridge and survived.
Gr8flDdFn: wow – I can’t believe that footage made it to the net. I definitely could not watch it.
dangorironhide: Actually, that would be bad publicity for the filmmakers.
Aah right, I didnt realise he was parasailing. That makes sense now
Patrask: I know it would be bad, but I would have thought the media would have said something about it.
Wow. I never realized how often this has happened. The only ones I have heard about is number 9 and 1.
wow so troy had two tragedies- the death and the movie itself..go figure…
the worst tragedy is brandon lee, he would have been a real superstar and saved us from many Jet Li/Van Damme movies
You forgot the one in “Ben-Hur” (actually shown in the film). When they are in the great cart race, you can see a roman falling down and getting hit in the head. He actually did, and broke his neck in the accident.
Myth. Nobody died during Ben Hur
Wow. Left out some major ones, like when Dar Robinson’s motorcycle skidded off the highway and Dar was impaled on sagebrush(?). Bled to death waiting for medevac. (Million Dollar Mystery). A.J. Bakunis dies doing a 232ft(?) high fall on ‘Steel’. Allegedly, the airbag was of his own design and the bag split at the seam.
BTW, SAG prohibits the inclusion of an actor’s death (includes Stunt people) in a film. I think, that was the result of Twilight Zone (it may have been earlier)….
Zubair: haha
Morgaine: the Ben Hur Chariot Race death is an urban legend. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben-Hur_%281959_film%29#The_chariot_race
And they say that being an actor is the safest job in the world.
Chuckl: Dar Robinson’s death was a major hit to the stunt world. Some (including myself) consider Dar the “Worlds Greatest Stuntman”. His work with High Falls was amazing i.e. “High Point”(1,200 feet (366 metres)), “Sharky’s Machine”(record jump) and “Stick” (inventing the Decelerator Cable). It was ironic that he died in a crash falling off a cliff that was only about 20 ft.
Well I liked xXx to begin with…but this just makes it seem….more…. I don’t know…
just wow on the list over all
Some thousands of people actually watched an accidental film death in Lexington KY in 1978 (I think). AJ Bakunis, a stunt man in the Lee Majors/Jennifer O’Neill film “Steel” did a 20 story freefall from a Lexington skyscraper under construction. The airbag failed. I was there. It was my birthday.
Some of it doesn’t make the press because it’s not, well, spectacular. The death of Stunt Person #12 isn’t news in the way that the death of the Star is. Plus, there is the point of view that stuntwork is dangerous, and that the higher pay is in part of the risk of injury and death.
There was also a recent accident on the new batman film The Dark Knight. A stunt driver (I believe) was killed in an accident with the batmobile while testing a scene.
I think #10 needs to be much higher than that…As there were children involved…it really sad.
Wow, Bruce Lee was a pot-head! I did not know that!
This is really sad tho. Its kinda sad to have watched a few of those movies and not even know someone died making them.
Wow….sad. And the death of Bruce Lee will NEVER be forgotten by neogoths the world over. These are so tragic, and I hadn’t heard of a lot of them. =/ I agree with Harsha, 10 should be higher as it sounds really horrific.
Also noteworthy was H.B. Halicki shooting the sequel to the original “Gone in 60 seconds” when his car crashed into a water tower. Known as “The Car Crash King” after his first movie, this tragically ended the life of one of Hollywood’s more unique individuals.
Does anybody remember Jon-Erik Hexum when he accidently killed himself with a prop gun on the set of Cover up?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum
By the way I agree # 10 should be #1
Very sad list… I agree number 10 should be moved up. More people died, including children.
Definitely urban myth, JMurf.
http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/ozsuicide.asp
Here is the youtube clip with the footage of Vic Morrow’s death:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iM7WqxTyg5s
it’s not graphic but very hard/disturbing to watch
The discription of Bruce Lee’s death is not accurate.
Amazing List! Twilight Zone: The Movie’s was really horrible
Brandon Lee’s too! that’s weird that the father (Bruce Lee) and his son die in the movie sets!
deedee – how is a clip of two people getting decapitated and another child being crushed to death not graphic? I just want to clarify because I am afraid to watch it.
just watched the video and agree that it is #1. it just looks like the copter comes down on them, you don’t see heads flying around or blood or anything.
wow…you can actually see Vic and the child being struck by the blade if you look to the right of the chopper going down. the other child isnt visible, but if you watch you see Vic and Mycas torsos being severed and flying away. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach. The camera is a fair ways away however, there is no gore.
disturbing none the less.
CK: It’s not graphic because the camera is set so far away and it’s blurry since it seems that someone is filming the clip while it’s playing on another screen. It’s so quick too, I had a hard time telling what happened the first time I watched it.
Thanks for clarifying, I think I’ll skip it nonetheless… sad, sad story..
The weirdest thing with the deaths of Bruce and Brandon Lee, is that Bruce died while in the midst of making “Game of Death”, in which he played an actor who fakes his own death by being accidentally shot while filming a scene in a movie. Strangely similar to what really happened to his son some 20 years later. Also Bruce didn’t die on the movie set, wasn’t he at an actresses house when he died and was later found to have traces of amphetemines and ***** in his system? Thats what I remember.
Chris I agree on Bruce Lee death. The actress was his mistress. His brain might have an allergic reation to poy or hashish. He was very exhausted and I think he was sick with migranes.
my spelling is bad – reaction instead reation and
pot of course instead of poy.
I knew someone would post the video, and I knew I’d watch it… leaving aside that people are really dying and it is very sad, there is nothing disturbing that you can see. The film is over exposed, so the light from the explosions conceal anything graphic. Which is good I guess (again, not downplaying that it is disturbing), since when I think I shouldn’t watch a link but I do it anyway, it often turns out awful. I would mention some of those, but I know from experience that saying what they are just makes people want to look them up.
my friends dad was the stuntman that died in XXX, he was a really great guy to be around…R.I.P.
NSEW, very sad. I wondered if this one would make the list, since I remembered hearing about it.
Also, my last comment sounds awkward. the “which is good I guess” part doesn’t mean I wish I was more graphic, it means that it is cold comfort since the situation is so sad.
You can’t see anything.
The pyros flash as the chopper falls.
It sucks really bad that there’s a guy and 2 kids dying as the flash goes off, but you really can’t see anything.
Oh, and there’s no heads or torsos flying around either.
Big flash of light.
People talking…
Landis being a little too happy about a not-guilty verdict.
I watched a near miss when I was a movie extra. The camera shot was of a car doing a 180 (spinning around) from near ground level, fairly close. After several takes, the stunt driver was too close to the cameraman. The rear bumper came within inches of hitting the cameramans head. The bumper destroyed the camera, sending parts flying all over the place. The cameraman flew backwards, he had minor injuries to his hand. (I think the name of the movie was “Finnegan’s Wake”)
Drogo: they made a movie of Finnegan’s Wake? I presume that it was based on the James Joyce story right?
The movie was about a woman cop whose father was a cop that had been falsely accused of illegal activity. After he died she was trying to clear his name by catching the real criminals. – They change the names of movies while they’re in production. It might have been called “Backstreet Justice” it starred Linda Koslawski(sp?) and it was for cable. I didn’t even see it. They didn’t use my scene anyway.
p.s. Their name was Finnegan
I agree with some earlier posts, that’s its kind of a shame that when a behind the scenes guy dies its hardly ever mentioned, as opposed to when an actor dies. If you watch the In Memoriam on the Academy Awards there are always a lot of behind the scenes people, but the audience hardly ever applauds for them.
jfrater: Finnegan’s Wake was a story? I thought Joyce just let his cat walk on the typewriter
What is withthe ludicrous assertions that weed had something to do with Bruce Lee’s death? Even if you smoke an epic amount of pot, you’ll be fine.
i agree 100% demibrob. amphetamines will kill ya though.
demibrob: some people can have an allergic reaction to pot and die or get very sick
but for normal people it is all good
No one has ever thought that Bruce Lee is the one guy who died from pot. Since many people have died from the use of speed and 0 from the use of maryjane(overdoses)logically you have to assume it wasnt the pot. If his brain couldnt handle ***** he would most likely died the first time he smoked it
That footage of Vic Morrow and the 2 child actors was very frightening.
Um…. Where are the Poltergeist movies?
What about the guy that went to film himself and his girlfriend in Alaska with those Grizzly bears and they were both mauled.
Dragonfish – You don’t know that 0 people have ever died from pot. You just don’t know OF anyone.
There are allergic reactions to just about everything so you don’t know. And how do you know it wasn’t the first time he tried it? You don’t.
Just had to point that out.
forgot to mention – all this debate is beside the point. The point is he died and none of us really knows why. You’re probably right that it wasn’t an adverse reaction to pot. But I hate seeing people making general assumptions.
I understand your aversion to general assumptions, sad, but assuming someone died from smoking pot is a lot more absurd than assuming no one has, in my mind. I’m sure pot has contributed to many deaths, but not caused it by itself. I would assume (uh oh; here we go again!) that at the very least, no one has ever even suspected that such an allergic reaction has occurred, or the anti-pot forces would surely have pounded this into our brains by now.
But you’re wrong… someone HAS suspected it or we wouldn’t be having this discussion…
lol None of this is meant to offend either – I just like a good debate!
I’m sure you’re right, if anyone with any actual knowledge of said problem were to say it was even likely we’d be hearing ALL about it! But I’m a ***** disturber.
Can anyone name someone they know of who has died as the result of overdose with *****? I have done extensive study on this suject and have only uncovered evidence that supports that it is physically impossible to overdose on smoking ***** by itself. However, I acknowledge that pot might have contributed to an overall situation (i.e. drinking and driving while also high, etc.). I can confidently say it has never been a sole factor.
I think #10 should be #1… ’cause that was a pretty gruesome accident, that even involved children. I wouldn’t consider Bruce Lee’s death very ‘tragic’, sure he was an awesome martial artist and all, but his death wasn’t violent or gruesome. AND if he was in fact baked at the time ( don’t know if he was or not ), it would be even less tragic because any health related incidences in that regard should have been expected.
felicia1renee: It is technically possible to overdose using *****/*****, but the amount neccessary to do so would cause a person’s lungs to collapse before the chemicals could cause the death. I believe the amount needed would be around half a kilo, smoked within a half hour.
I did read somewhere that one person was able to extract the main psychoactive chemical THC into an injectable form, so that would make it (in theory) to O.D. on *****.
***** is the only “drug” that cannot kill a person who is using it in any traditional sense, unlike alcohol or aspirin.