Reducing Risks to Terms of Cash

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 696, 22 June 1929, Page 25

Reducing Risks to Terms of Cash

Judge Hears Evidence of Movie Daredevils FALLS: TEN DOLLARS EACH

were reduced to * terms of cash in a Hollywood court last month when, as the result of an unusual movie case, a judge was ashed, in effect, to decide what it toas worth to rish breaking one’s neck. j i A MOVIE "stunt” man, Jack Case, submitted a bill covering risks taken while making “The California

Mail Express.” ? Charles Rogers >. Productions, and jj First National ProI ductions, the deI fendants, claimed I that, it was far too 1 high. I The bill sub- | mitted by Case, a I cowboy, was as ■ follows: i To being thrown to the ground

while riding two bucking horses at the same time, 75 dollars. To seven falls from running horses at 10 dollars a fall, 70 dollars. To riding a horse off a 20ft rocky cliff into a running river, 100 dollars. To 24 stage coach runs, driving six 1 horses down a steep incline and crawl-

ing out on tongue of coach while horses are at full speed, at 25 dollars a run, 600 dollars.

The story of the death plunge of the giant Gotha, two motored bomber, in which the machine was wrecked, the mechanic killed, and A 1 Wilson, stunt flyer, injured after jumping out in a parachute was told to the judge. The prediction of Hollywood’s stunt men that the giant plane could never be righted after taking such a plunge as the story described turned out correct. Wilson is still hobbling about on crutches. He received 3,500 dollars for his hazardous experience, and Howard Hughes, producer, paid all funeral bills for the dead mechanic. Hughes, also tendered a cheque to the mechanic’s surviving sister. The case has yet to be completed.