The fatal shooting, presumably by accident, of American actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico (United States) is not the only tragedy that has occurred on set.
“The Crow”: Bruce Lee’s son Brandon fatally affected
In March 1993, actor Brandon Lee died on the set of the film The Crow in North Carolina (United States) after being shot in the stomach.
The weapon used to fire during a scene at the then 27-year-old son of martial arts star Bruce Lee was believed to contain only blank bullets. But the autopsy revealed that he had been hit by a 44 caliber projectile which got stuck in the barrel and dislodged by the detonation of the blank cartridge.
The investigating prosecutor concluded that the “negligence”.
“The Captive”, in the days of silent cinema
Iconic American director and producer Cecil B. DeMille shot a western in 1915, The Captive, where his concern for realism leads him to use real bullets in a scene to break down a door. In the next scene, an extra who forgot to remove the actual bullet from his rifle shoots another extra and kills him.
“Twilight Zone”: a helicopter crash
There are many stunts that go wrong to the detriment of stuntmen in the history of cinema. In some cases, stunt accidents involve members of the set, sometimes actors.
In 1982, actor Vic Morrow, 53, and two children aged seven and six were killed by a fall from a helicopter in a war scene in the film. Twilight Zone, by American director John Landis, shot in Los Angeles. In the scene supposed to take place in Vietnam, Vic Morrow, carrying the young boy and the girl, had to cross a river amid the explosions under strafing from a helicopter. But the device is accidentally hit by an explosive, goes down and beheads the actor and the boy, crushing the little girl.
A trial held in 1987 in Los Angeles resulted in the acquittal of director John Landis and four of his collaborators.
“The Dark Knight”: a technician killed while filming the Batmobile
In 2007, a special effects technician, Conway Wickliffe, died in England on the set of The dark knight, second opus in the film series Batman by Briton Christopher Nolan.
The car he is in crashes into a tree during the rehearsal of a scene with the Batmobile, the superhero’s vehicle. The technician died in the accident.
“Taxi 2”: a cameraman broke during a stunt
In 1999, in Paris, on the set of a car stunt scene from the film Taxi 2 director Gérard Krawczyk, cameraman Alain Dutartre, 41, is hit by a car that jumps farther than expected. He died soon after.
In 2009, the production company Europacorp, of director-producer Luc Besson, was found liable on appeal as well as the stuntman Rémy Julienne, fined for the first, 100,000 euros and, for the second (died in January 2021), a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 2,000 euros. Judgment became final after rejection of an appeal in cassation.
“Jumper”: a decorator killed by a landslide
56-year-old set designer David Ritchie dies after accidental landslide in Toronto in January 2007 on outdoor stage in American-Canadian fantasy film jumper of Doug Liman, engulfed under a mixture of ice, sand and earth.