Stuntmen, stand-ins and stooges II

Dear fellow Flynn fans,

here is the second standout stuntman who stuck his neck out for Errol. Scotsman and SAS captain Jock Easton, doubled in for Flynn in “Master of Ballantrae”, “Crossed Swords” and “Will Tell 1/2”.

Prior to that he had fought against German field marshal Erwin Rommel in the North African Desert and assisted the French Resistance behind enemy lines. After WWII was over he was awarded a military merit.

With ex-commando Joe Powell he founded the JES- Team and they would perform state of the art stunts for Gregory Peck in “The guns of Navarone” & Sean Connery in “The man who would be king”. Being parachuters they specialised in the perfect plunge. Furthermore Jock would receive the Stunt of the year Award for a “Frankenstein”-  film out of Hammer Studios in England of 1957.

But in January of 1954 he pulled the biggest stunt and it involved our Hollywood hero. All the frustration of the aborted Tell movie led to a blowout between him and Errol. Jock put in the first and then took the second punch. This gentlemen agreement settled the score and ended the argument on the spot. Shelley Winters had a ringside seat.

Enjoy,

— shangheinz