"An actor would be foolish to do something that might hold up the picture, or more importantly incapacitate him. If an actor does do a stunt he needs to make sure a stunt man stands by to see that it's done correctly"
About this Quote
Glenn Ford speaks from the trenches of studio-era Hollywood, where schedules were unforgiving, budgets tight, and stars were both artists and investments. Calling it foolish for an actor to risk injury is not cowardice, but a practical ethic rooted in how films are made. If the lead is hurt, the production stalls, money bleeds away, and dozens or hundreds of livelihoods are affected. Even more, the actor’s body is his instrument. To incapacitate it for the sake of bravado undermines the very craft he is hired to deliver.
His counsel respects a crucial division of labor. Stunt performers and coordinators exist because they have specialized knowledge about danger, camera angles, and how to design the illusion of risk. Legends like Yakima Canutt built techniques that let audiences feel peril without gambling lives. Having a stunt man stand by is less about ceding glory and more about honoring expertise. The professional thing is not to insist on doing everything, but to make sure that whatever is done is done correctly and safely.
Ford also checks the pull of ego. Publicity often rewards the story of the fearless star. Yet film is a collaborative illusion; authenticity on screen rarely comes from reckless reality, but from careful choreography, rehearsals, pads just out of frame, and a second unit planning every beat. Even modern daredevils rely on armies of safety experts. The bravery worth admiring is the humility to trust the team.
There is a moral dimension here too. Risk taken by a star ripples through a crew. A delayed day is rent unpaid, a postponed release, a production threatened. Ford’s view aligns art with responsibility: sustain the picture, protect the people, and let each craft do its work. The goal is not to prove toughness, but to tell the story, and to walk away healthy enough to tell the next one.
His counsel respects a crucial division of labor. Stunt performers and coordinators exist because they have specialized knowledge about danger, camera angles, and how to design the illusion of risk. Legends like Yakima Canutt built techniques that let audiences feel peril without gambling lives. Having a stunt man stand by is less about ceding glory and more about honoring expertise. The professional thing is not to insist on doing everything, but to make sure that whatever is done is done correctly and safely.
Ford also checks the pull of ego. Publicity often rewards the story of the fearless star. Yet film is a collaborative illusion; authenticity on screen rarely comes from reckless reality, but from careful choreography, rehearsals, pads just out of frame, and a second unit planning every beat. Even modern daredevils rely on armies of safety experts. The bravery worth admiring is the humility to trust the team.
There is a moral dimension here too. Risk taken by a star ripples through a crew. A delayed day is rent unpaid, a postponed release, a production threatened. Ford’s view aligns art with responsibility: sustain the picture, protect the people, and let each craft do its work. The goal is not to prove toughness, but to tell the story, and to walk away healthy enough to tell the next one.
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| Topic | Movie |
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