 Introducing the Daredevil of Hollywood. What's up, Mr. Lang? What's up, George? Now look, here's what I want you and Bill to do. Where's Bill? Right here, right here. All right, now listen, boys. When you two start fighting, make it look good. And after you exchange the two slugs, George takes one on a chin that sends him to the plate gas window. I see. Bill knocks me through the window. That's it. Now can you make it good for me? Sure, let's go. All right, everybody. Here we go. It's a take. Quiet, please, quiet. Take your places, everybody. Very quiet. Turn them over. That's a fight, boys. There you go. Good. Now, here goes the big one. Bill's squaring off. 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 stuntmen, the daredevils of Hollywood. Ladies and gentlemen, in presenting this copyrighted radio feature, we are again privileged to have as our guests one of the top-notch stuntmen of Hollywood, Kansas Mooring. It is through his cooperation that we are able to reenact some of the highlights of his dangerous profession. The thrilling scenes you are about to hear are his own actual experiences. Kansas Mooring is here in the studio right now. And later in the program, we will, of course, bring him to the microphone. But first, let us take you on a movie location set and show you one stuntman's job. It is in the late afternoon. A studio truck loaded with large lights and other motion picture equipment pulls up beside the warehouse and backs into the dock. The driver jumps out and walks briskly into the office. What do you say, Jack? Give me 50 bucks as a snowflake. Try and step on it. I'm doing Los Angeles with this load in 30 minutes. Hey, wait a minute. You're going crazy. Well, man, that's enough soap to clean up the whole studio. I don't know anything about that. All I know is... Have you got a requisition? Sure, right here. And that's what it says, 50 bucks. It doesn't make sense. I guess they know what they're doing. Hey, Johnny, fill this order, will you? All right. Where are they shooting tonight, Jack? At Tencent Main, downtown. Sweet scene, I think. 50 bucks is a soap. I just can't figure it out. Well, why should you? Listen, Troy, when you've been around this place as long as I have, you'll never be surprised at anything. For as I'm concerned as that does a business. Ain't it the truth? Three hours have passed. The scene is a street intersection in downtown Los Angeles. Great throngs of people mill about the Rope-Dolph area hoping for a glimpse of a picture salad. The streets have been closed for a block in each direction and several policemen are on guard. The entire section is bathed in a flood of light. As workmen finish setting up the equipment, we find seated in portable chairs, the director and two of Hollywood stuntmen, Kansas, Moorling, and Jerry Black. The director speaks. Well, boys, it won't be long now. We'll have this scene be away from here within an hour. Can't be too soon for me, Mr. Barnett. But which one of those cars am I supposed to use, Mr. Barnett? You'll drive the sedan, Jerry. Kansas drives the open car. By the way, do you boys understand the scene? Is everything clear? Well, yes. Make it a good idea to go over it again. I believe you're right, Kansas. At least it won't hurt anything. You're supposed to come into the scene first. I'm in the lead, huh? That's right. And, Jerry, you're driving about 50 yards behind him. Yeah, and we're both going about the same speed. That's the idea. Now, when you come into the scene, that'll be right along here, you put the car into a turning skid, you make a complete turn, and continue the runners before. Is that clear? Sure. I got it. What happens next? Jerry follows you right on in, but he doesn't skid. Yours is just a straight run, Jerry. Yeah, that's easy enough to run it. That street's going to be plenty wet, isn't it? It'll be wet, all right, Kansas. And we'll have a lot of soap on it, too. They're wanting it down now, and we'll put 50 boxes of soap right in that one spot. It ought to be slick as ice. This is going to be a cinch. That is everything. Look, Mr. Barnett. Looks good, Jimmy. Are you all set? Yes, sir, everything, including the soap and water. You'll line up the shop from the high parallel? Yes, sir. Everything's ready to shoot. Well, that'll be right here. Well, boys, let's take it. What do you say? I'll get the cars. I'll give you the signal and we'll have to be pretty fast to look all right. Now, you make that skid at about 55. All right, Mr. Barnett. I'll be coming fast enough. Take it away, boys. Good luck. All right, everybody. Here we go. This is a take. Quiet. Haces! Everyone take your places. Quiet. This is it. If they got that street, couldn't flick, Jimmy. I'll say they have. All right. Now watch it, everybody. Here we go. Give them the signal, Jimmy. No trouble. They're coming like two bullets. Kansas in the lead, all right. And is he making not? Yes. And there's space about right, too. Mr. Barnett, what's that speak car doing out there? Hey, stop that speak car, man. Stop it! It's pulling right out of that path. Lay it down on the cars. Stop him. Stop him. There comes Kansas. He can't see the speak car. The lights are blinding him. Hey, if he gets out of that spot, he's good. Oh, boy, look at that skid. Keep blinding those cameras no matter what happens. Good night. He missed that car by an instant. What a skid. That's perfect so far. And here comes Jerry. Get him in. Stop that car. He's in a crash. Look out. Watch it. He can't get through. This is awful. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our pleasure to present one of the courageous men who made that scene, who so narrowly escaped death only to watch his friend and co-worker become trapped in that fatal crash. Kansas Moorings. Interviewed by Hal Stiles. So Jerry was killed in that scene. Yes, they did a thing that could for him, but he was too far gone. Well, that was certainly unfortunate. Yes, we all felt very badly about it. Now, how do you suppose that streetcar happened to get in the way? No one seemed to know. That thing happened sometimes. We just didn't see it sometimes. Well, how did you manage to miss it? That's something else I'll never know. It just happened. That's all. I suppose you believe in luck then. I'll say I do. Old Dame Luck has been my pal many times. I see. Now, how long have you been doing stunts for the movies? About four, about 19 years. 19 years? Let's see. That ought to make you about... 41 years old. 41. Well, tell me, Kansas, who are some of the stars you've doubled for? That is, doing stunts. Well, I doubled for Hoot Gibson exclusively for six years. Then, let me see. John Barrymore in two pictures. Frank Fay in Under a Texas Moon. Al Jolson. Oh, a lot of them. And have you also doubled for women? Sure, many times. Now, Kansas, don't you experience the feeling of, well, something like dread or fright just before you do one of these dangerous stunts? No, truthfully I don't. A stuntman is not afraid to do a stunt. If he is, he just better not do it. It's the after effects that get you. You mean when the stunt is over? Yeah, that's it. It's the letdown. Oh, I see what you mean. Take the time, for instance, when I did that train gag for Universal. I didn't do that much to it, but it sure got me down. That is, when it was all over. It was way back in 1920, and I was doubling for Hoot Gibson. Our location was up at Catworth. Oh, I beg your pardon, Kansas, but I see our announcer standing over there, and I'm sure he has something important to say. So we'll hear about that train stunt in just a moment, but first, a word from our sponsor. Okay, Kansas, now, what about that train stunt? Well, we're in a little cabin where the director, Edward Sedgewick, was explaining my part in the scene. All right, Kansas, now, what about ready for you? Now, look, here's the idea. You're having a fight with your sweetheart father. You've been drinking, you knock him down, and you think you've killed him. You see the point? Yeah. Then what happened? You rush out and grab a kid's bicycle, let's out here, and head for the train tracks. Now, a freight train will be coming along just at that time. All you have to do is ride up alongside and make a transfer to the train. The train will be going. Or do we step in right along? About 40 or 45, I should say. That's good enough for me. Okay, Mr. Sedgewick, you're ready. We're all set to time. Here we go. All right, everybody, it's a take. Quiet. Have you got all the cameras set up, Phil? Yes, sir. One here, two outside, and two on the train. That's great. All right. Ready? Okay, roll them. That's the action, boys. All right, Kansas, now, the knockout punch. All right, run outside. Grab the bicycle and head for the train. All right, there it comes. Where's the other camera, Phil? Hey, he can really pedal that bicycle. Yes, and that train is moving right along. They're having trouble in catching up with us. Those cars are passing in pretty fast. The train's going too fast. He'll never make it. He's going to try it anyway. Look, he's going to jump. Look, get that. He barely made it. What a jump. Watch him. He can't hold on. Oh, boy, his hands slipped off the ladder. He caught the next one. Oh, it's a good thing he made it. Oh, what a speed. Well, Kansas, that was another close call. Oh, you bet it was. The speed of the train almost jerked my hands off. It was all I could do to hang on. And if you let go, just where would you have fallen? Right under the wheel. And it was doing about 55 miles an hour. What a profession. Now, look, Kansas, how did you happen to get into this stunt business? Well, I guess I just got foolish. I was playing parts in pictures years ago, and occasionally things would come up, dunce, I mean. And one thing just led to another until I was doing all kind of stunts. Then you do anything the script calls for, is that right? Everything but airplane stuff. I don't like airplanes. Well, just why is that? Do you consider airplanes too dangerous? No, in a way, other stunts can be much more dangerous than airplane gags. But, well, I just don't like airplanes. And besides, I'd rather leave that to a few of the boys who are real experts and that sort of thing. Now, tell me, you're married, aren't you? I'm guilty. And what does your good wife think of your profession? Oh, she always worries until I get home. Frankly, she doesn't like it. Well, I don't know as I blame the little lady. But at any rate, Kansas, your experiences have been extremely interesting, and we certainly enjoyed your visit. On behalf of our listeners, I want to thank you sincerely 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, old fellow, and the best of luck. Music