This is a transcript of an article printed in a magazine called
"Airflow" published in Ceylon in June 1945.
"Wrestling is more dangerous than stunting for the films", is the
verdict of Vic Coleman, well-known free-style wrestler. We had a very interesting chat with Vic,
a Royal Air Force Physical Training Instructor, stationed here in Ceylon, recently.
"Young Bull Coleman", as Vic is known in the wrestling world,
followed in his father's footsteps where that noble sport is concerned. His father was seven
times heavyweight 'catch-as-catch-can' champion of Great Britain and represented Britain at the
Olympic games at White City in 1908. He obtained the name "Bull Coleman" because he often
used to use his head and shoulders during bouts thereby throwing this opponent.
When Vic came into the game he was immediately styled as "Young Bull".
He went into the wrestling game before he was eighteen years old and had to secure special permission from school to wrestle both in
Great Britain and the Continent, and it later transpired that the same permission had to be
granted for his film stunting. The latter began this way: - "Young Bull" was wrestling at a
well-known London wrestling academy, Lane's Club, Baker Street, and had just won the Club's
middleweight championship. An executive of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer was present and asked Vic if with
'his experience with difficult falls in wrestling' that he would like to do a stunt in George
Formby's film "Keep Fit". Vic acquiesced and this was the start of his life as a stuntman.
Afterwards he appeared in such films as "A Yank at Oxford", "The
Drum", "The Rat", "Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday", "Divorce of Lady X", and "Trouble Brewing".
That is just a few, and during his work he has performed stunts in films starring with Robert Taylor,
Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh, Lionel Barrymore, Sabu, Raymond Massey, Kay Walsh, Googie
Withers, Anton Walbrook, Gordon Harker, Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier.
Those who have seen "Keep Fit" will remember that in the film George
Formby was showing off in the gymnasium before Kay Walsh did a standing jump from a springboard
on to some high horizontal bars. His rival puts the maximum tension on the springboard and after
flying up in the air Formby comes to rest standing on the bars. He followed that with a somersault
onto a trapeze and after a number of other complicated tricks he finished up hanging from some
wall-bars minus his trousers. The height of the jump and the manner in which it was required to
be done was an impossible feat for a human being. At the commencement of the trick George was
shown flying upwards towards the bars. This was done by means of a very strong piano wire attached
to a harness on his back under a singlet to his feet and pulled from above for a short distance.
The film was then cut and a distance shot was taken with Vic Coleman standing on the bars at a
safe height. The camera was at such a distance that his features were not discernible and Vic
went through the remaining evolutions in comparative safety.
Don't get the idea from that last remark that the stunt man always
operates with reasonable safety. He does not, and a few words about car smashes will explain that.
A stunt man works by contract and is not insured for his work. That contract entails that he will
be paid for the specified stunt. But if it does not work out correctly the first time there is no
specification as to the number of times it will have to be done. Highly paid work! (Vic says not),
but highly dangerous as we shall see in a moment.
First there is the scene in "Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday" where a
car is driven over a cliff. A suitable cliff is found and the idea is that the car should career
madly along parallel to it and with a sudden swerve shoot over the edge. Experience in this
direction has shown that a car going over a cliff edge will have the tendency to topple over and
over on its way down. What the film people need is a good clean dive and so it is the duty of the
stunt-man to place a piece of wood a little wider than the wheelbase of the car, on the cliff
edge and drive the car over it. The wood will on striking the front wheels cause the car to
rebound into the air and make a clean dive. As it strikes the wood it breaks a trip wire, setting
a camera, placed at the foot of the cliff in motion. The stunt man does not remain in the car
while all this is going on. The side of the car furthest from the camera is cut away and a dummy
slumped over the steering column. Using this dummy as a shield from the camera the stunt man
crouches on the running board and with a hand underneath the dummy grips the column and steers
the car. As it strikes the wood on the cliff edge he leaps clear. It's all a matter of timing so
Vic says, but we'll stick to this job!
Overturning a car in rapid motion seems to be far more dangerous.
The camera is set on the road and the spot where the accident is to occur is marked with a small
patch of oil or wood. The cameras are "rolling," and with Vic at the wheel the car moves forward,
downhill and at some distance away from there. Before coming into vision of the lens the driver
must initiate a body sway on the car. When a speed of between thirty-five to forty miles an hour
is registered he does this by throwing the car from side to side on the road. As soon as the car
enters the vision of the camera the wheel is steadied and that body sway is present it is not
visible to the camera. "All that remains is to twist the wheel and the car will turn over on the
required spot." That sounds easy, as Vic put it to us. But what happens to the driver? He has to
bunch himself up, hands behind his head and avoid the steering column, which will rebound with
tremendous force. He has been very lucky and all his crashes have worked first time, and without
serious injury. An old car is always used for this work and if the stunt does not work 'first
time' it is painted with glycerine and clear oil and to the camera it will shine like a new car.
We could go on giving the inside gen on stunts for a long time but
it really is not fair give away trade secrets.
Stocky and well-built, Vic is twenty-five years old, weighs around
twelve and a half stone and is single - at present. Majority of his film work has been with M.G.M.
but he has been loaned out to other companies. The outbreak of war cancelled a contract for a
six-months wrestling tour of South Africa, which was to have been followed by a further six
months in America. He is hoping that this contract will stand after the war.
During his time in the service he was a P.t.i. at an R.A.F. station
near London and had first-hand experience of the London blitzes. This has come in handy because
he has used his experience in one of his spare-time interests. He does impersonations, and
recently appeared as guest artiste with the local show, Beau Belles. His concluding item, "a
London Air Raid" is extremely realistic and with the setting of a blacked-out hall and stage it
conjures up many memories.
His other peacetime activities have included two appearances in
television, and a broadcast in that popular feature "In Town To-night." So the next time you
visit the films remember that you probably only go to see the stars. A number of people like Vic
are risking their lives to provide you with thrilling entertainment. We wish him the best of luck
and hope that it will not be long before we shall see many more of his stunts.
Written by: - G.W.G.