Ultimate Stuntman

April 26, 2007 9:13 AM

I stumbled across this incredible photograph and discovered Dar Robinson. One of his first professional stunts was jumping 100 feet into the ocean for Papillon. He jumped from one plane and into another in free fall over the Mojave desert. He jumped 1200 feet attached to only an 1/8-inch cable from Toronto's CN Tower. He set the world record (one of the 20+ he ultimately held) for free fall from a helicopter (music warning) in 1979. His unique falling stunts (1:56 & 2:36 in, Charles Durning in a wig & Hawaiian shirt warning) used a decelerator instead of air bags which allowed for camera angles that showed the ground, unique for pre-cgi days. He never broke a bone in his body during his 19-year career, making his untimely death from a non-stunt motorcyle accident on location all the more ironic, although lack of adequate medical services contributed (scroll down to filming hazards). Commemorated with a tv documentary and given an honorary Oscar in 1995, there is surprisingly little on the internet about him or his work.
posted by ambulance blues (16 comments total)

I could do that


I just don't want to.
posted by Mister_A at 9:20 AM on April 26, 2007

IIRC Dar Robinson was regularly performing all kinds of crazy stunts on the show "That's Incredible!" I also remember him being the go-to guy on Burt Reynolds movies like Sharkey's Machine. Pretty fearless, until irony decided to smack him down for keeps.
posted by pardonyou? at 9:28 AM on April 26, 2007

(eponysterical)
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2007

hadn't even noticed that, ahfU.
posted by ambulance blues at 10:12 AM on April 26, 2007

I saw that running suit and my first thought was...

STUNTROCK!
posted by smallerdemon at 10:40 AM on April 26, 2007

Check out "Stick" for a trademark Dar Fall. He played the bad guy's henchman, "Moke - Scary-Assed Albino "

Backwards out of an apartment building firing 6 shots at Burt Reynolds with a look of feral hate. In this Matrix-CGI flavored world, this clearly shows why stuntpeople rock.
posted by djrock3k at 11:35 AM on April 26, 2007

I remember that documentary. In particular, I recall the stunt in Sharky's Machine - impressive because after letting go of the railing, he also managed to fire off a few shots on the way down! Dar was the man.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 11:38 AM on April 26, 2007

Gah! djrock3k - are you sure that was Stick, not Sharky's Machine? (Now that I think if it, you're probably right. Color me antonysterical...)
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 11:40 AM on April 26, 2007

djrock3k/orm, check out the "falling stunts" link in my post. that's the scene from Stick.
posted by ambulance blues at 11:42 AM on April 26, 2007

I would, but no YouTube at work. But thanks for the correction/confirmation!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:39 PM on April 26, 2007

Balls of steel.
I hate heights.
Makes me
posted by Dizzy at 1:45 PM on April 26, 2007

Oh, sure, no one takes a picture of me when I jump the Grand Canyon on my way to work every morning.

I remember “That's Incredible!” that John what’s-his-name guy seemed to have a non-sexual crush on Dar.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:09 PM on April 26, 2007

Dar was awesome.

I recall when Super Dave Osborne attempted to copy Dar's CN Tower stunt, only to be accidentally knocked off for a long fall to the parking lot. Then he was run over and dragged by the ambulance.

Comedy gold.
posted by bwg at 7:23 PM on April 26, 2007

More stunt goodness.
posted by bwg at 7:42 PM on April 26, 2007

It was John Davidson.
It was definitely sexual.
posted by Dizzy at 8:41 PM on April 26, 2007

I don't know that it could have been sexual. His teeth were hyper white. I think he was an android.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:00 PM on April 27, 2007