Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1919)

90 Photoplay Magazine Till hefjinninf! of hi» dive from the (op of a 125 -foot {jrain elevator. He i« shown just straightening' out his body preparatory to hitting the water with the wedjje formed by his hands. tilk slunl man' or not, but it is true that I figure out my 'stunts,' whenever it is possible, by the natural laws which govern moving bodies. The average 'stunt' man probably does the same thing intuitively. "There are several factors that enter into successful 'stunt' work. In the first place, physical strength is necessary. This must be developed and liept up to its highest point by constant and systematic exercise so arranged as to prevent over-development, for a man who is muscle-bound is badly handi\ capped when it comes to action. Proper training is of equal importance. This means no late hours and no mtoxicants. The 'stunt' man must be in perfect trim all the time, mentally and physically, and his nervous system must be as correctly attuned as it is possible for him to get it. Nothing else is really necessary, — physical strength, mental alertness and steady nerves are all that is required. "The matter of courage, or bravery, or daring, or whatever you choose to call it, will take care of itself. When you get right down to the facts in the case, it isn't nerve or daring that is required in diving from a tremendous height or leaping across a deep precipice where the slightest mistake in judgment will kill the performer or maim him for life. It's self-confidence, — the quality of knowing yourself, knowing what you can do, knowing that you are physically and nervously in condition to do it. "The actual accomplishment of the feat, how ever, requires something in addition, and that is a knowledge of the natural forces that will be exerted on the body the .noment it is removed from its natural element, such as the surface of the earth, the floor, or anything that provides a solid foundation beneath the feet. "It isn't exactly easy to explain what I mean in this connection, so I had better give an example. Man is essentially a land-going animal; he was't constructed to navigate the air like a bird without some sort of mechanical assistance. When he is standing on his two feet on a solid surface, there is normally but one natural force being exerted on him, and that is the force of gravity. He has learned to overcome that force automatically and the result is that he can walk or run or jump without giving any heed to the fact that his body is being pulled toward the center of the earth by a force which is in direct proportion to his own weight. "Now let us assume that the man is required to jump across a wide chasm or an alley, or to dive from a great height. He immediately loses the unity with the earth that existed by reason of his contact with it, and becomes, more or less, the plaything of several natural forces, the effects of which he must counteract in some way. In addition to the force of gravity, he must contend with the force of the wind, — a thing to which he paid little or no attention when his feet were on the ground. — and he also experiences a tendency to lose his equilibrium. — to become physically unbalanced so that he is just as likely to land on his head as on his feet. If the wind is blowing in the direction he is jumping, his 'stunt' is simplified, but if it is blowing against him from any angle, he must take it into serious consideration in speeding his run to the take-off. A headwind will make it necessary for him to leap with great force in order to overcome its retarding effect. '•In the case of a high dive, the matter is much more complicated. The wind is a factor, of course, but not the biggest one. In makii>g 'The Great Gamble' I was