| One evening famed
movie director Stanley Kramer was leaving the Watercress restaurant in Hollywood
with stunt supervisor Carey Loftin. They were having a business dinner to
discuss the preliminaries for the comedy classic It's a Mad, Mad, Mad,
Mad, World. What they didn't know was that a few tables over Dean was
having an argument with his date over his involvement with another woman.
She stormed out with his car keys and said she was going home. Dean paid
the check and then walked outside to try and find her. He was about twenty
yards away from the departing Kramer and Loftin when his Plymouth Fury came
barreling around the corner of the parking lot. Dean's date was behind the
wheel and heading straight towards him. He jumped out of the way and rolled
right back on to his feet. Kramer and Loftin came to his aid as the car sped
away. Both men introduced themselves and Loftin praised Dean on his jump
and roll. He asked Dean if he would be interested in some stunt work for
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Dean categorized
his movie stunt work as "the guy who got out of the way of something dangerous".
Click on the pictures above to see what he meant. He also appeared as an extra
in a scene with his old Vegas buddy, Joe E. Brown. The last picture is one
of Dean doing a car jump while he body-doubled for one of his best friends,
Dick Shawn. It was the only car stunt he ever did.
|
