Movie |
Small Town | Parachute
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Experienced, but amateur skydivers, most with several thousand jumps to their credit, were brought in from California to double for the actors. During one take, an unexpected gust of wind pulled the chute and caused one of the skydivers to be slammed into the ground, breaking his collarbone and dislocating his shoulder. Even though in great pain, he stayed in character and managed to get up and finish the scene. He was retained by Director John Frankenheimer as a consultant.
During filming at the airfield in Benton, Kansas, Director John Frankenheimer wanted to get a real, horrified reaction from the extras playing the audience, so he had a mannequin dressed like a skydiver and tied it under a helicopter, which ascended several hundred feet, then released the dummy. Most of the people hadn't noticed what had been rigged up, so when it fell, they thought it was a real person hitting the ground and he got the reaction he was looking for. One minor problem was that the pilot didn't gauge the wind accurately and the "skydiver" fell into some parked cars, narrowly missing some people and caving in the roof of an extra's car. The studio bought the car for several times what it was worth and the damaged vehicle spent the rest of the shooting behind one of the hangars.
John Phillip Law was cast as Malcolm Webson, the youngest of the three skydiving barnstormers, but had to be replaced by Scott Wilson because Law injured his wrist while filming a scene. Director John Frankenheimer wanted a close-up of him landing after a parachute jump and while in harness he was raised just out of camera range by a crane, then released to float into the shot. When he landed he fell and broke his wrist badly when he put his hand out to break his fall.
This film is one of John Frankenheimer's two favorites of the films he has directed.
Thr parade scene featured in the movie was filmed in Abilene, Kansas and used the Abilene High School Band for the marching band. The railroad scene at the end was also filmed at the Union Pacific depot in Abilene, Kansas.
"Allen Brandon: What I don't understand is, why you do this thing at all. Joe Browdy: To me, it's a business. Allen Brandon: And you Mr. Rettig? What's it to you? If you don't mind my asking. Mike Rettig: I had a friend in the Army, a sergeant, a parachutist for about 20 years. He used to say that jumping was not only a way to live, but also a way to die. Damn few things are."
"Mike Rettig: [Softly] Tomorrow, when we leave here, I want you to come with me. Elizabeth Brandon: [Clearly surprised at the request] Come with you? Mike Rettig: Yes. Elizabeth Brandon: [She makes some low sounds, and he moves toward her] Do you always offer more than you're asked for? Mike Rettig: Only to those who ask so much less than they want."
