Stunt Actors or Not?

Lily wrote:

How about in To Live With Fear, when Mary fell backward in the barn, that was Missy Sue herself too.

Yeah, I believe that was Melissa Sue

Here is a little bit of info about the stunts done in season 1-3. I didn't list all of them, because there were many repeats of Hal Burton doing stunts for Michael Landon. In the one mentioned above about MSA getting hurt by the horse in the barn, they do not list a stunt person, but I recall watching that scene and you can see how the hair is a wig and the double is slightly bigger than MSA.


School Mom: Trivia note: Michael hired his good friend and former "Bonanza" stuntman and stand-in, Bob Miles to double Miss Beadle in the scenes where her buggy goes out of control from the kids spooking her horse. The buggy runs away in the field, past the schoolhouse and Bob jumps off, hits the ground hands first in the costume, and falls over head first. Charlotte Stewart as Miss Beadle only does her initial close-up shot in front of the schoolhouse.

The Lord is My Shepherd: Stunt note: Hal Burton doubles Charles on horseback in a few shots at Big Sky Ranch and also at Kennedy Meadows and Iceberg Meadow. Michael was directing and as usual, he would have Hal double him. Victor French does all his horseback shots himself on location with Hal Burton as Charles, with the filmed close-ups with Michael Landon as Charles, all edited in for the final cut.

At the climax when Charles and Mr. Edwards ride their horses in at Donnell's Vista, Michael does his ride in, without any help from his stuntman, then he runs up the trail to the vista point, with Victor French following him.

Hal Burton doubles Charles at Donnell's Vista in the scene when he carries Laura down the rocky slope, with Victor French following him, with Michael directing the shots atop the camera crane.

Money Crop: Trivia note: Hal Burton doubles Charles in bit parts driving the wagon at Baker Ranch. He also doubles Alan Fudge in bit parts when Joe is driving the wagon and then the horses go wild and separate from the wagon. The actors only film their close-ups and medium shots to complete these scenes.

For the wagon's steep plunge down the hillside, a dummy was secured onto the seat of the wagon and filmed from farther back. It was given a good push in order to plummet down the steep hill at Baker Ranch.

The Campout: To film Laura and Nellie floating helplessly downstream without getting hurt was made simple. Stunt coordinator Hal Burton and Michael made a raft disguised as the big bush they fall into with dressed mannequins of Laura and Nellie and sent it down each river for selected shots. Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim did their close-ups safely in the calm parts of the rivers, so when it's all edited in, it's pure magic.

His Father's Son: Trivia note: The livestock company brought up the horses, and along with them, a deer and black bear for location shots at Basin Creek. When the bear seen in the close-ups attacks Mr. Edwards, it's not stunt coordinator Hal Burton in the costume. Michael Landon decided he would wear the bear costume himself for the mauling of Mr. Edwards!!

The Collection: Stunt Trivia: Hal Burton horseback doubles Johnny Cash in bit parts in act one, when Caleb sees Reverend Alden's buggy is in trouble. Johnny Cash only does his filmed close-ups on location in Tuolumne.

Bunny: Trivia note: Alison Arngrim's favorite episode "Bunny" is often referred to as "the wheelchair episode", in honor of the classic comedy scene when Nellie plummets downhill screaming and is pitched headfirst into the pond under the horrified eyes of her mother.

Katherine MacGregor will never forget that moment: "When Laura pushes the wheelchair down the hill, my character was supposed to faint and fall out of the carriage. So they had a great big balloon thing that I was to fall onto, then slide down, and the crew members were supposed to catch me. What happened was that my dress didn't permit me to slide. All I saw was my feet up in the air, my legs up in the air. I laughed my head off. Because of that it took ten minutes before we could resume filming!"

Trivia note: Alison Arngrim is doubled by her stuntwoman riding her horse, in all the fast riding shots including the fall. Alison Arngrim only does her filmed close-ups at Simi Valley.

The Race: Trivia note: Betty Endicott doubles Mrs. Oleson on the horse at the Western Street at Paramount Studios. Betty does the whole ride and falls off the horse in the barn. Katherine MacGregor only does a few close-ups for these scenes in the story.

Trivia note: Laura and Nellie are doubled in the horserace in bit parts, by their stunt doubles. Melissa and Alison manage to do as many riding shots as they safely can on location for the final cut.

Journey in the Spring: Trivia note: Hal Burton doubles Charles driving the wagon in a bit part with Laura at Murphy's Ranch to decide Bunny's fate. Hal also doubles Arthur Hill, when he tries to ride the train and falls off at Jamestown.

Fred: Trivia note: In the scene where Caroline walks up to the barn, Hal Burton doubles Charles when he flies out the door and hits the ground, courtesy of Fred's hijnks!

Trivia note: Don "Red" Barry is doubled by a stuntman as he takes the fall through the barn, courtesy of Fred!

:sillySmiley:

Ah yes... wonderful information Rhonda

In the Campout... there were some shots that you could totally tell it was not Laura & Nellie in that river :haha:

In "To Live With Fear" I would have to agree with Rhonda and say that there was a stunt double. In the episode you can see the double's face if you go slow motion. She is a different build and the hair is different too.

Oooh thanks a lot Rhonda!!! I'm really naive sometimes..........I really thought MSA and CS played the parts themselves...DUH! :haha:

What about the horses that got hurt like in the episodes of The Hunters and Spring Journey Home? or The Werewolves where Mary was hitting one of the wild dogs in the barn?

Lily wrote:

What about the horses that got hurt like in the episodes of The Hunters and Spring Journey Home? or The Werewolves where Mary was hitting one of the wild dogs in the barn?

They have very strict laws and regulations about the cruelty to animals while using them in films. LH never put the disclaimer at the bottom of the screen or anything like most movies will do; "No Animals were hurt during the filming of this movie", but I am sure all the animals were taken care of and safe.....

Excellent. I wish I had a stunt double.

Quote:

Katherine MacGregor will never forget that moment: "When Laura pushes the wheelchair down the hill, my character was supposed to faint and fall out of the carriage. So they had a great big balloon thing that I was to fall onto, then slide down, and the crew members were supposed to catch me. What happened was that my dress didn't permit me to slide. All I saw was my feet up in the air, my legs up in the air. I laughed my head off. Because of that it took ten minutes before we could resume filming!"


Oh, ROFL!!! Gosh, I bet she was such a hoot!

Thanks for the info, Rhonda!

I would imagine Matt was on the wagon going for the ride. Since Michael was the director, he had to get down to direct the cameras and the scenes.......As far as Matt doing something that might hurt himself, like Gambini the Great and when Edwards was drunk and Albert got knocked off the wagon, it had to be a double for him, Michael Landon was not going to put anyone in harms way.....

In The Lord Is My Shepherd, when Laura has run away and is climbing up the mountain, you can tell it's a stunt double wearing a pretty awful wig!

:haha:

Very cool trivia!! :sillySmiley: [b]

LHDaisy wrote:

I'm glad Michael refused to use the tazer gun!

:DittoS: That really was caring of him.

ok this a bit of triva.. the bridge over plumb creek
i watched the dukes of hazzard last week they showed the general lee going through the bridge bo and luke were being chased by rosco... the dukes was moved from conyers ga
to big sky ranch

welcome christina

hey rhonda in little girl lost when carrie falls down the well
was that lindsay that fell in the well? or was that sidney