 Introducing the Devils of Hollywood. Okay, boys, let's get set up. Come on, step on it. Hey, Dick, take up your mic boom a little. Okay, I guess we're ready to go. Now, look, Bill, here's your scene. There's supposed to be a fruit pattern. Just push the apple card across the street. When you get about halfway, Joe will swing around the corner in a car and smash it up. You got it? Yeah, he takes it right out of my hand. That's it, but watch yourself. Stay out of the way of that car. Okay, Mr. Wagner, we're all set. Everybody, here we go. This is it. It's a take. Quiet, please. Quiet. Okay, turn him over. Go ahead, Bill. Here comes the car. He's going to take that corner on two wheels. Now, watch it, Bill. Watch that car. This is perfect. From Hollywood, the motion picture capital of the world, we bring you the thrilling true life experiences of those men behind the scenes. Those daring unsung heroes whose breathtaking adventures on the screen have thrilled millions. Whose daily jobs bring them face to face with death. Those men who comprise the strangest fraternity on earth. The Suicide Squad. The movie Stuntman. The Daredevil of Hollywood. Ladies and gentlemen, in bringing you this copyrighted radio feature, we are again privileged to have as our guest one of Hollywood's top-notch stuntmen, Matt Gilman. It is through his cooperation that we are able to reenact some of the highlights of his dangerous profession. The thrilling scenes you will shortly hear are his own actual experiences. And Matt Gilman is here in the studio right now, and later in the program, we will bring him, of course, to the microphone. But first, let us learn something of his job. We go back to a summer day in 1932. The scene is a large public park in Pasadena, California. It is dotted with benches and tables which are frequently used for picnics and outings. Right now, this section of the park is deserted, save for three men who sit at one of the tables. They are Norman Tolrog, a motion picture director, his assistant Bill Cunningham, and Matt Gilman. We find them in earnest conversation. Let's listen. Well, this is the spot the locations are selected for that park scene. Pretty good, eh? Looks like what the writer had in mind when he wrote the script. It's perfect. Well, at least there's plenty of room out here for a car stunt, whatever the stunt is. By the way, just what is that scene all about, Mr. Tolrog? Well, it goes something like this, Matt. You ought to be driving a car along that road there. When you get to the fence, you turn and head right into a gate. What gate? I don't see any gate. Well, there isn't any gate yet. We're having one built in the morning. Here, it'll be right there between those two trees where the opening is in the fence. Now, here's the idea. You hit that gate at about 45 miles an hour and break it up. It's supposed to scatter like toothpicks. And then you head between the two trees. You might squeeze through there, but you'll get through and make for a bunch of these tables. I get it. Crash through the gate, wiggle between the trees and head for the table. Yeah, that's right, Matt. Now, there'll be a lot of people around those tables eating their lunch. What happened to them? Well, they see you coming and they scatter in all directions. Yeah, and then you plow right into the tables and stuff. Well, that's good enough for me, but about that gate, you're going to have them put up a breakaway gate, aren't you? Balsamwood? Oh, sure. We'll take care of that all right, Matt. You see to that, will you, Bill? I sure will. That makes it a sense. When do we shoot it? We'll start setting it up at daylight. We ought to be able to shoot. Let's see you around nine o'clock. I'll see you then. I've got to do a little gag-all at Warners this afternoon. Okay, Matt. See you in the morning. So long, Matt. And so another scene is planned for the picture of the Phantom President starring Jimmy Durante and George M. Cohan. A day has passed. It is now nine o'clock in the morning. The park is filled with actors and extras, and the big job of setting up equipment is almost finished. The crew and the director have just made an inspection of the gate. Say, it's going to take a tractor to smash that gate. It's made out of two before. Yeah, I see it is. The group's made a mistake on that. Well, it'll only take a couple of hours to make a change. Oh, well, don't bother. I guess it'll be okay. Just haven't saw the timbers almost through. I'll hit it hard enough to smash through. Well, maybe so, but you'll have to be hitting it about 60 or 70. Well, that's all right. I don't mind that part of it. But getting between those two trees at that speed is... like threading a needle in one jab. Yeah, I know. Now, look here, Matt. Perhaps you'd better wait until we haven't changed that gate. You'll never get between those trees after a crash like that at the speed you'll be making. Man, it's almost suicide. Oh, I don't know, Mr. Cork. I think I can manage it all right. I don't promise to save the car, but I'm not worried about myself. Well, all right, Matt. If that's the way you feel about it, after all, I don't like to hold up production. Well, as far as I'm concerned, we can shoot it anytime. Well, I think that all about ready. Well, how about it, men? All set? Yes, sir. Everything's ready to go. Okay, that's great. Then we'll take it. Okay, everybody. Take your places. Take your places, everybody. Places. Hey, you can go up that road and wait. Matt, I'll give you the signal when you start. Okay, Mr. Cork. Well, all right. Here we go. On your toes, everybody. Quiet, please. Quiet. This is a take. It's a picture. Now, you expert at the table there. Watch out for that car. It's going to be coming plenty fast. And be sure you get out of the way. All right. Okay, Roland. Action. All right. Give Matt the signal. Man, that guy's really kicking that bus along. Yeah, he said he'd bring that get hard, and I'm beginning to believe he meant it. Now, watch your cameras on this. It's almost to the gate. There it is. Look at him at that gate. Good heavens, he's heading for the trees. Look at him zigzag. That crash almost kept him over. If he gets between those trees, he's a magician. Well, we don't know that. There he goes. Oh, look at him. I still don't believe it. He got through all right. He's headed straight for the table. Watch it, everybody. Run. Look out. Look, the man fell off one of the tables. He can't get out of the way in time. Man, what a scene. What a scene. Boy, that car would have crushed that man to death. Come on. Let's get over there. Let's get over there. You know that guy can do stunts for me any day. Boy, that was a clutch. There's Matt. Pick up the fellow up. He's not hurt, but he's almost scared to death. Why does he cheat? Say, Matt, that was a great shot. You'll certainly use your head. That fellow owes you his life. Well, he got a tough break when he slipped and fell, but I had my eye on him. Say, that scene was worth a million. When you shot between those trees, I had palpitation of the heart. Yeah, so did I. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our pleasure to present the courageous man who made that scene, whose job it is to make such dangerous scenes for motion pictures. Matt Gilman, interviewed by Hal Stiles. Say, Matt, that was plenty exciting, and I'll bet that fellow was glad when you stopped when you did. Yeah, he sure was. He'd have been a goner if I hadn't. And have you'd hit one of those trees? Well, if I'd hit one of those trees, I'd have been the goner. I'll bet you would have. By the way, who are you doubling for in that picture? Jimmy Durante. Oh, yes, I remember the Phantom President. It was good. Yeah, it turned out okay. Look, Matt, I've interviewed quite a number of stuntmen on this program, and I've noticed their attitude toward danger is, well, they don't seem to worry much about it. How do you account for that? Well, I've noticed quite a few radio announcers. They don't seem to worry about what they're going to say, and it's that way in the stunt business. Self-confidence, I guess, you'd call it. Oh, yes, I see what you mean. Sort of like a nature. They get used to doing dangerous stunts much like an announcer gets used to speaking over a microphone. Yeah, that's it. Just to show you how a stuntman's mind works, you take the time to three of us, ran a car into a tree. I was driving, and the other two boys were in the back seat. You see, I was supposed to hit this tree at high speed. The picture was called Two Flaming Youths with W.C. Fields, you remember to guess. Location was out on Lancashire Boulevard in Los Angeles. These other two stuntmen were kind of kiddin' me along. Well, just a minute, Matt. Suppose you hold that for a while while we have just a word from our sponsor. Okay, Matt, now what about running the car into that tree? Well, as I said, the boys were kiddin' me. They said I wouldn't hit the tree at 60 miles an hour. They knew I would, of course, but they were just tryin' to get them to go. Oh, he's up on that tree. He won't really smack it. Yeah, I know. Maybe we better get out and push just before he gets to it. Oh, so I won't smack into it, eh? Say, you guys better get a couple of parachutes. We're gonna fail out into space like seagulls. You hear that, George? He says we'll take all. I'll be surprised to be even, George. Yeah, okay, boys, we're all set. How about it? You ready to go? Yeah, sure, we're ready. But I'm telling you, Mr. Waters, we're really gonna hit that tree. I don't let him kid you, Mr. Waters. He won't hit it very hard. You don't want to bet on that, do you, Bill? I imagine Matt hitting a tree. That's a laugh, ain't it, George? Yeah. You'll probably be in low gear all the way. Here we go, boys. Now, make it look good now. I'll give you a whistle to serve. Okay, Mr. Waters. I don't believe this freight will make over 25. Did it have to run downhill to do that? There it was. Well, there she is, Matt. Now do your stuff. Hey, look, Bill. Look at it. It will make 25. Well, what do you know about things? Watch that speedometer. Yes, sir, it'll even make 35. There, you haven't seen anything yet. Well, look at that, George. 45. I never thought it. But he'll slow down before he hits the tree. Well, he'll have to do it pretty quick. There's a tree right down there. And look, Bill. 60 miles an hour. Get set, boys. Here we go. He's going through with it, George. It sure is. Here we go. And what happened there, Matt? Well, those two guys sailed out just like I said they would. They went up in the air about 20 feet and kept on talking and kidding all the time. You mean they were still kidding? They sailed through the air? Yeah, they were telling each other they didn't think I'd do it. Well, what do you know about that? It just kills you what a stuntman's attitude is. They knew how to keep from getting hurt, and they're just having a little fun. Yes, I can easily understand that. Well, Matt, we'd like to hear more about it, but I'm a bit afraid that our time's about up. However, I have one more question I'd like to ask. Crashing automobiles is your specialty, isn't it? Yes, I do everything. But, well, I've done more car stuff than anything else because there's more of it to be done, you know. Oh, yes. Well, I want you to know, Matt, that we've certainly enjoyed your visit. And on behalf of our listeners, I want to sincerely thank you for coming here. I know that everyone joins me in hoping that we may have you on this program again very soon. In the meantime, goodbye and, of course, good luck. Thank you very much.