 Introducing South Hollywood! Are you ready for me, Mr. Taylor? Yes. Now look, Parker, you're doubling the star, and you're supposed to race the train to the crossing. You see, you can't make it, so you jump out of the car before the crash. Yes, sir. I understand. I'll jump just before she crashes. Now watch yourself, Jim, and don't get hurt. We'll be right behind you in a camera car. Pull out when the train starts. Yes, sir. On your toes, everybody! This is it! 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 privileged to have as our guest another of the leading stuntman of Hollywood, Gordon Carvath. 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. Gordon Carvath is here in the studio right now, and later in the program we will bring him to the microphone. But first, let us learn something of the work which is a part of his daily routine. Let's turn back the calendar a few years. In Hollywood, MGM is filming a motion picture entitled Strike Me Pink with Eddie Cantor. A sequence in that picture involves some very dangerous work on a fast-moving rollercoaster. Several stuntmen have been called, among whom is Gordon Carvath. The scene is a pleasure pier in Long Beach, California. How's your life, Gordon? Not feeling so good, Hicks. Plenty. Well, what happened yesterday, anyway? Oh, that big guy fell right on top of me in that netball. Didn't hurt so badly then, but now, boy, it's giving me fits. Well, Gordon, why don't you go down and let the doc look it over? Yeah, why don't you? We probably won't be ready to shoot until late this afternoon, anyway. I don't want to hold up production, and maybe it'll be all right after a while. Well, there's the director now. I'll ask him if it's okay. Mr. Black? Mr. Black? Oh, yes. Hello, Bob. What's on your mind? Gordon here is a bum leg. You know, he had a tough fall yesterday. We were trying to get him to get out of the dock. Why certainly, Gordon. Take all the time you need. We won't be ready to shoot here until about 3 o'clock, anyway. Okay, then, Mr. Black. Thanks. I'll be back as soon as the doc's through. Okay, Gordon, but take it easy now. Gordon Carveth goes to the doctor's office, where he finds that one of the bones in his leg is broken. By the time he returns to the location set, his broken leg in a partial cast, further preparations have been made for the making of this most spectacular scene. A dummy representing Eddie Cantor has been attached by piano wire at a dangerous spot on this roller coaster. The story calls for Carveth and two other stuntmen to jump onto the roller coaster, just as it leaves its starting place. As the coaster speeds crazily along, these men at designated spots are instructed to work their way from car to car toward the front section. Timing will be imperative in their attempt to accomplish these maneuvers. A slip on the dipping, swerving treacherous flying cars would mean serious injury or death. Tests have been completed, and now the actual scene is to be photographed. Tenseness builds the air. Seemingly nonchalant, the stuntmen await their final instruction. Well, you've got a time straight now, haven't you boys? By the time you get up into that front car, the train will hit the dummy. It'll probably flop over into the car, but watch out for those piano wires attached to it, or they'll be swinging in all direction and keep your gloves on. Yeah, we're ready. All right, we'll take it. We'll be right behind you in another car with a camera. Okay, operator, shove them off! Camera! Here's the first spot. Let's go! And it is our pleasure to present the courageous young man who, with a broken leg, made that scene and so narrowly escaped death. Gordon Carvette, interviewed by Glenn Hardy. Well, Gordon, that's just about tops anything I ever heard. You certainly had plenty of, well, whatever it takes. Well, I figured I couldn't afford to go to bed with that leg. There was too much money involved. And about that wire, that was a close one, wasn't it? It couldn't have been a lot closer. If the loose end had caught on something, it would have taken my head right off. It's a funny feeling, all right. Well, what did you finally do about that leg? Well, I didn't do anything. I just kept right on working. The doctor put another cast on it a few days later. Didn't it bother you and your work? Sure, but I got along all right. I guess luck was with you, old man. Well, speaking of luck, some of the other stuntmen told me that ever since that picture, you've been carrying a key ring made out of the wire that almost cost you your life. Yes, I have it here. Here it is. Say, that is a most unusual key ring. It's very handy, I'd say. Yes, it's one of my most prized possessions. Let's hope it always brings you good luck. Tell me, Gordon, what is your favorite stunt? What would you rather do more than anything else? If I have any preference, I guess it's turning over automobiles. Why's that? Get more kick out of it, I guess. But even then, sometimes things go wrong, don't they? Oh, sure. You can never tell when something will happen. But ordinarily, you'll do any kind of a stunt, won't you? Yeah, I've done just about all of them. Well, I'm sure our audience would like to hear about another one of your escapades. Let me see now. I remember one that was kind of funny. I was supposed to be on top of a 45-foot derrick doubling Tom Mix. And according to the story, a bandit was to pull the derrick over with a rope attached to a horse. I was to leave the tower as it fell and jump through the shingle roof of a ranch house. It was in 1926. Fox was making the picture. Everything was about ready. Oh, pardon me, Gordon. I shouldn't have asked you for that story just yet. We'll hear about the derrick stunt in just a moment. But first, if you don't mind, a word from our sponsor. All right, Gordon. Now, what about that 45-foot derrick? Well, it was a western way of the Tony Merino and Tom Mix. They had this derrick mounted on giant rocker so it would tip over easily. There was a big hole in the roof of this ranch house that I was supposed to go through as I fell from the derrick and a platform was built there with hay and mattresses on it. The idea, of course, was to land on that. Gene Ford, the director, was in a hurry to get started. Okay, boys. Come on, let's get going. Is that derrick ready yet? Are you all set, Gordon? Yeah, I've got a couple of boys in there on the platform to catch me if I miss it. If you can manage to get through that hole in the roof, I think everything will be all right. I think I'll make it. All right, Mr. Ford, let's finish with the derrick. All right, here we go. Get up there, Gordon, and get ready to jump. All right, men. This is it. Now, Tony, when you start pulling on that rope, keep a steady tension until the derrick starts to fall. Yeah, and when she tips over, scram. I haven't lost anything under that, Derrick. Okay. How about it, Gordon? You all set? This is a take. Quiet, please. Ready, everybody. What happened there, Gordon? I left the derrick as it fell. The momentum threw me clear, and I went through the hole in the roof. But I barely made it. In fact, the edge of the hole scraped some hair off the back of my head. Well, that's what you might call a close shave, eh? A close shave. A close haircut. I imagine that that particular stunt required some very accurate timing. It certainly did. I had to leave that derrick at an exact split second. It was like shooting yourself at something, you know, and being a true egg. Well, how long has it been doing stunts for the movie, Gordon? About 16 years. And all that time, I'd suppose you've been banged up a few times. Oh, I've never been seriously hurt. Had my ankle sprained about 15 times, and I was paralyzed from the waist down twice, but just temporarily. Then a few other minor injuries. Oh, just a few minor injuries, eh? Well, Gordon, I understand you used to be a swimming and diving champion. What about that? That was in 1917. I held the championship for the Central State. Well, just one more question. How do you like the stunt business? I like it fine, as long as I can keep coming home at night. Well, that's a pretty good place to be at the end of one of your busy days. Gordon, we certainly have enjoyed your stories. On behalf of our listeners, I want to thank you sincerely for coming here. I know that everyone joins me in the hope that we may have you on this program again very soon. Goodbye, old chap, and the best of luck.