MovieChat Forums > Forty Guns (1957) Discussion > Did Stanwyck do her own stunt?

Did Stanwyck do her own stunt?

posted 18 years ago by lazer86
7 replies | jump to latest

During the scene in the heavy storm Stanwyck falls from her horse, but she's still got 1 foot in the saddle.
The horse keeps running, dragging along Stanwyck. The horse then stops, the guy picks up Stanwyck, the camera moves in a little bit and there is this little dialogue between the two.
This is all done in 1 shot, but was it really Stanwyck hanging from the horse or was it a stunt actress and was there some trick photography?
It seems strange if it was indeed Stanwyck, but maybe she was an adventurous type. Like I said, this is done in 1 shot, so it kept me wondering.
Has anyone got some more information on this or something?

Thanks.

[–] sonny_1963 18 years ago

Yes, she did. I just saw a special of her bio on TCM. And she was 50, too.

[–] JGREAD 17 years ago

I was at a 100th birthday tribute for Ms. Stanwyck at the motion picture academy last night,and one of the things discussed was that indeed she performed the stunt herself. They first tried it with a (small) stuntman, then a female stunt player, but the results were not convincing. Stanwyck finally volunteered to do the shot herself, saying later she afterwards had no skin left on her a__ for a month.

Quite the pro.

[–] cajones52 15 years ago

In Sam Fuller's memoir he recounts how she wanted to do the stunt and he was fine with that. His editor reminded him they only had half the film shot and if she were injured they were screwed. Fuller allowed her to do the stunt anyway--hoping it would only need one take. It took four, Stanwyck tackling each one as a total professional without a word of complaint.

[–] toshguy 13 years ago

I just rewatched that particular scene and don't know what "1 shot" the OP was raving about! There were at least three intercut shots and it was hard to distinguish a the face since image was obscured by debris. However, upon multiple playback I could definitely see it's Stanwyck herself.

I'm here, Mr. Man, I can not tell no lie and I'll be right here 'till the day I die

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tmcdaniel1 11 years ago

Miss Stanwyck had hurt herself more than once doing her own stunts. She would do just about anything for what she considered her duty to acting.

[–] Jjacky79 11 years ago

I worked on that movie and it is true that Stanwyck did her own drag. Once she finished, she promply fired the stuntgirl. She told the girl that is she was going to work in stunts, she needed to do the stunts.