B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping a brief history of stunt performers into the ol’ VCR.

Like many of you, I saw The Fall Guy earlier this year and loved it. 

It also got me interested in the world of stunt performers (which I believe was David Leitch’s intention, as a former stunt performer himself). 

In my humble opinion, stunt performers are some of the unsung heroes of Hollywood who bring so many incredible scenes to life. Not to mention how dangerous this work can be. 

That’s why I thought it would be cool to a) give stunt performers their flowers and b) dive a little bit into the history of stunt performers to educate us both. 

So, friends, that’s exactly what we’re going to do today. 

Stunt performers have been around for ages, getting their roots in traveling circuses. There, they performed stunts like trapeze work, tightrope walking, and other daring aerobics acts. 

However, the term we’re familiar with wouldn’t appear until vaudeville came to the forefront in the 1890s, and with Wild West shows like Buffalo Bill’s, in particular. 

Then, during the late 1800s/early 1900s, the emergence of stage combat would thrust stunt performers further into the spotlight. 

As motion pictures began emerging, stunt performers were needed, but most of the individuals performing these stunts worked for free and/or very small wages and weren’t professionally trained. 

It was honestly really predatory because there was a lot of poverty and desperation for work, and the industry knew this. Yikes. 

Then, in the 1910s, directors finally started to employ stunt performers with some degree of training (i.e., casting former cowboys to perform rodeo-related stunts). 

In 1923, Harold Lloyd’s film Safety First! would become the first motion picture to actually pre-plan stunts, and, y’know, take (some) necessary safety precautions for stunt performers. 

Granted, the precautions included mattresses and safety wire, but I’m assuming it was a step up from…nothing. 

As the taste for action movies grew, stunt performers became more and more commonplace on sets. 

However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that stunt performing as we know it would finally emerge. 

The 1960s saw the appearance of stunt performers like Evel Knievel, the transition of stunt performers like Bruce Lee to actors, and the invention of squibs and other products that increased safety and expanded the limitations of cinema. 

I also want to mention how big of an impact Hong Kong action cinema had on the world of stunt performing, as Sonny Chiba, Jackie Chan, and Michelle Yeoh (to name a few) all either started as stunt performers and then became actors or started as both stunt performers and actors. 

I don’t believe modern stunt performing, or action movies in general, would be shaped how they are without these influences. There are obviously other influences on stunt performing, but I honestly can’t possibly give them their due in a single piece.

The world of stunt performing is also very dangerous, and there have been several casualties within the field, and it’s extremely tragic and heartbreaking. 

There’s also a lot of controversy on whether or not footage of the stunt performer’s work that led to their death should be included in the completed film. 

That’s why I think it’s insane that the Oscars don’t have a category for stunt performing and stunt coordination because, without stunt performers, some of your favorite movies and scenes wouldn’t exist. 

It’s also why I wanted to give stunt performers their spotlight. 

Thank you for everything you do. 🖤