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Hollywood Actor Jumped Out of 3rd Story Window For Stunt But Safety Net Was On Wrong Side of Building
In 1926, the set of one film production suffered through some potentially fatal accidents
In Hollywood, stunts have increasingly become more realistic and death defying in the name of authenticity. However, movies have long taken chances to bring quality action to their productions, even if they don’t always go as planned. Nearly a century ago, a well-known actor named Frank Baker threw himself out of a third-story window during a planned action scene. Unfortunately, the safety net and production crew to make sure things ended safely were set up on the wrong side of the building, sending the thespian crashing to the ground below, suffering significant injuries.
Baker was an Australian-American actor and stuntman. He began his film career in Australia in 1912 before moving to Hollywood in 1923. Notable roles during his lengthy career included A Chump at Oxford (1940), The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935), and Mary of Scotland (1936).
Baker was also a member of the John Ford Stock Company, appearing in 17 of the legendary director’s films. During the Great Depression, he regularly sent monthly checks to 22 families on the behalf of Ford, who didn’t want to directly…
