Twilight Zone Accident | Night for Night | 3

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0:35That's AmericanHistoryLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to AmericanHistoryLive.com. American scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research.

1:09It's around 9 p.m. on July 22, 1982, at Indian Dunes, a film location 30 miles north of Los Angeles, California. Actor Vic Morrow stands at the edge of a shallow river and tugs at the sleeve of his costume. The business suit he's been wearing for weeks is wet, crumpled, and uncomfortable. Behind him, 11 rickety thatched huts have been built at the base of a tall cliff. Morrow watches as a film crew moves between them, making final preparations for the first shot of the evening. Morrow is playing the lead role of Bill Connor in director John Landis' segment of Twilight Zone the movie. After three weeks of shooting, this is the last night of principal photography, and Morrow is looking forward to its end.

1:53It's been a physically demanding shoot, and Morrow is not as young as he used to be. but that's not the only reason he's eager to be done with this job. Moro isn't happy with what he's seen on set. He's told friends he's witnessed drinking and drug use, and he's been rattled by the use of live ammunition in an effect shot. Still, he tells himself that he just has to get through tonight, because if this role revitalizes his career, it'll all be worth it. He looks up and forces a weary smile as director John Landis separates from the crew and joins him by the huts.

2:29You all ready, Vic? Let's go through it one more time, can we? Yeah, sure, sure. I just want to make sure I've got all the timings right with all these explosions, you know. I don't want to lose my hair. Morrow turns to the bamboo hut immediately behind him. He knows that buried in the ground beside it are two large explosive effects packed with gunpowder and gasoline. So the kids are going to be here, on the ground, yeah. You run inside the hut, grab them both, turn, and dash toward the river. Then boom, boom, these huge explosions take out the hut. It's going to be spectacular. So I'm carrying the kids past the camera down into the water here.

3:07Moro traces out the path he'll be taking and land as follows. That's right, just as fast as you can. Really pound those legs, Vic, you know, as fast as you can, because this is life or death. We want to feel that. And then when exactly do they fire the mortars? This is our mark. This stick right here. Landis leans over and wiggles a small stick that's been thrust into the mud. Once you pass this, then that's the cue. We light up the night. And that's definitely far enough, right? Morrow looks skeptically at the distance between the stick and the hut. I mean, it can't be more than, what, 15 feet?

3:40And it'll look even closer on camera. But it's safe. Vic, the powder guys have worked it all out. They're professionals. They know what they're doing. Landis grins and slaps Morrow on the shoulder. Trust me, we don't want to harm a hair on your head after all. This is a close-up. Vic Morrow can't shake his feeling of dread. He might have preferred it if a stuntman was handling the shot, but Landis wants to see his face on camera, so it has to be Morrow himself. So he insists on walking through the shot several more times before he's willing to start. Then he drags himself over to the first position.

4:15He tells himself again that it's just one more night, only a few more hours left, and then it's all over.

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5:48The climax to John Landis' segment of Twilight Zone the movie promised to be one of the most spectacular set pieces he had ever filmed, Involving a large helicopter and extensive pyrotechnic effects, this sequence was a challenging one that threatened both the budget and the schedule. But that wasn't the only reason for the tension on set on the night of July 22, 1982. Only a handful of the crew were aware of it, but the two child actors appearing in the finale had been hired illegally. If they were discovered, it wouldn't just be the Twilight Zone production that could be shut down. the studio backing the film, Warner Brothers might lose its permits to work with children on any other projects.

6:27So overnight, John Landis could go from one of the hottest directors in Hollywood to persona non grata. The threat was real. One of the fire safety officers on the movie had a second job as a studio teacher and child actor chaperone. If he even saw the children on set, he'd have to report it. So as the shoot entered its final hours, the senior production team was under pressure. They had to finish the film, and they had to keep the kids a secret. Their future careers might depend on it. This is Episode 3, Night for Night.

7:03It's just before 9.30 p.m. on July 22, 1982, at Indian Dunes, on the set of Twilight Zone, the movie. Six-year-old Renee Chen lies on the dirt floor in one of the Vietnamese village huts. She shivers slightly, although it's a warm enough night. The ground beneath her is cool, and her costume is little more than rags. But Renee isn't trembling just because she's cold. She's been worried all day that she might get sick tonight and let everyone down. And now that director John Landis has told her that there's going to be some loud bangs in the shot that are about to film, Renee doesn't want to show it, but she's frightened too.

7:39She glances over to her co-star, seven-year-old Mika Din Lee. Lying beside her in the mud, he doesn't look so nervous to Renee. His eyes shine with excitement. But then there's a pulsing roar as the giant helicopter moves into position above them, and Mika reaches out and grips her hand. She holds it tight. The hut around them shakes violently, the straw flying off its thatched roof as the chopper blades churn the air. Above the roar of the helicopter, Renee can just hear the snap of the slate. She's learned by now that that means the scene is starting, but someone still shouts at them, Be ready, you guys!

8:14Then Vic Morrow appears in the doorway. He doesn't say a word before roughly grabbing Renee. She winces slightly as he presses her hard against his side. Then he picks up Mika in a similarly tight hold before turning and sprinting out of the hut as fast as he can. With a helicopter hovering just 60 feet above them, Morrow runs across the narrow shore toward the river. He's barely taken five strides when two enormous explosions engulf the hut behind them. The noise of the blasts is deafening. Squeezed against Moro's side, Rene screams in terror, but Moro doesn't let her go, and he doesn't stop running until John Landis shouts, Cut!

8:54Then, cheers and applause echo around the set. They got their shot. As the crew scrambles over to the village to put out the fires and make sure everything is safe, Vic Moro gently lowers Rene and Mika to the ground. Renee is in tears, so Moro tries to comfort her, but she just keeps sobbing. Eventually, John Landis himself comes over and takes Renee in his arms. He bounces her up and down, trying to talk over her cries, pointing out that it's all just pretend. The fires are gone, everyone's okay, but Renee doesn't stop crying until her mother comes. Renee, Mika, and their parents are then quickly escorted back to their trailer, about a quarter of a mile from the set.

9:33It'll be hours before they're needed again, and they have to be kept out of sight. So far, the production has managed to keep it secret. The fire safety officer, Jack Tice, has changed his position tonight, and has stationed himself down by the river instead of on the clifftop. But he's still over 100 yards from the village set. He hasn't seen the two children so far, and if he stays in the same place all night, he won't see them later on either. Still, the senior production team keeps a close eye on him as the crew sets up for the second shot of the night. This is the one they call the rage scene.

10:07In the finished movie, it will come right before the shot where Morrow picks up the children and takes them from the hut. It's when his character, Bill Connor, first realizes that the American helicopter overhead is trying to kill him and not save him, and he vents his anger at the aircraft while it launches rockets at the village below. This shot will be even more spectacular than the one they just filmed. It involves several different types of explosive effects. Two mortars are submerged in the river, ready to blast plumes of spray high into the air. Another three are buried in the ground in the village.

10:41Some of these are square, with a wide mouth that creates large fireballs. Some of the others are round, with a more gun-barrel-like shape that will shoot flames directly upwards. Packed with gunpowder, sawdust, and gasoline, the mortars for the rage scene are some of the largest available in Hollywood. They promise to put on quite the show, but they are also potentially dangerous, especially for a helicopter. So before they start shooting, pilot Dorsey Wingo holds extensive talks with a special effects supervisor and with director John Landis. Landis explains that he wants the helicopter to hover around 35 feet above the village and be positioned as close to the cliff as possible.

11:21But Wingo tells him he won't go any nearer than 10 feet. It's too dangerous otherwise, and he warns Landis that no one should be directly below the chopper at any time. Once that's all cleared up, Wingo returns to the helipad downriver and gets ready for the scene. With him in the helicopter again is unit production manager Dan Allingham. Just like the night before, he'll be operating the Night Sun, a powerful searchlight mounted on the nose of the chopper. It's his job to pick out Moro on the ground with its beam and follow him as he moves across the set. But with them this time, Wingo and Allingham are joined on board by a cameraman who's there to capture footage of the scene from the air.

12:00There's also a stuntman who will be firing blanks from the.50 caliber machine gun strapped to the side of the aircraft. And then, just after 11 p.m., Wingo takes to the skies and maneuvers into position 35 feet above the Vietnamese village. Standing beside one of the cameras below, John Landis shouts action into a bullhorn, and Wingo sees Vic Morrow rush out onto the shore of the river. That's the stuntman's cue. So leaning out of the side door of the helicopter, he aims the machine gun at Morrow and opens fire. The muzzle flashes in the darkness, spitting out flame. Below the helicopter, a line of exploding squibs races across the knee-high river, simulating the bullets streaking into the water.

12:41Vic Morrow dives out of the way just in time, and then the first mortar in the river explodes.

12:50A column of water spurts into the air, splattering the helicopter's windshield with wet sand. Pilot Dorsey Wingo winces. Whoa, they didn't say it would be that close. Unable to see out the front, he looks out the side window, checking his distance to the cliff, but it's hard to tell exactly in the dark. Then the second mortar in the river goes off, coating the glass with mud again. On the seat beside Wingo, Dan Allingham shouts out, The cliff doors, the cliff! I know, I know, can't see a damn thing. They never said it would be this close. Wingo desperately tries to make sure he doesn't drift into the cliffside.

13:24The first mortar in the village detonates, and a ball of flame roars past the side of the chopper. They didn't tell me anything about this. Two more explosions quickly follow. The helicopter seems surrounded by flames. By the open side door, the stuntman abandons his machine gun and rolls back into the cabin, swearing at the heat. Wingo glances behind him. You all right? The man nods, but his face is burned pink. The heat in the chopper is intense. Even Dan Allingham seems shocked. This is too much, Dorsey. Get us out of here. With pleasure. The helicopter veers away from the set, and as Wingo pilots them back to the helipad, he quietly fumes.

14:04Dan, what the hell was that? Those explosions were far too close. I know. You guys told us safety first, right? Safety first. You promised you'd take care. We can't afford close calls like that. This is a machine, not a toy. I know, Doris. I know. Look, I don't want anything to happen. I'll talk to John ahead of the next shot. We'll have a production meeting, and we'll take care of it. Well, I should be there. Let me handle it, please. I'm your liaison here. No, I want to be there. This can't happen again. It won't. I promise, but you should let me handle it. When the helicopter lands, it's closely inspected by a mechanic for any damage.

14:41He was watching the shot, and even from a distance, he could see that flames from the mortars were sucked into the rotor system. So he carefully checks everything on the helicopter he can. He pays special attention to the rotor blades. If any damage has been done to them, the next flight could go catastrophically wrong. Luckily, though, he can't see anything. And after clearing off the dirty water and sand, he gives the helicopter the all-clear. And while the mechanic works, Dan Allingham returns to the village set to inform John Landis about the problems they faced in the air. But no additional safety meetings are arranged with the special effects team.

15:17No other warnings are given to the rest of the crew. And when Landis sees Dorsey Wingo a little later on, he even jokingly exclaims, you ain't seen nothing yet. The crew breaks for a meal while the explosives team sets up the last shot of the night, the last shot of the entire movie. It's the escape scene where Vic Morrow crosses the river with the children in his arms and delivers them to safety on the other side. It's already around midnight when there's a gentle knock on the door of Renee Chen and Mika Din Lee's trailer. Renee blinks awake. She's been taking a much-needed nap on the couch. The shot they filmed earlier was frightening and exhausting.

15:54It's taken her some time to recover. Renee groggily stretches as a production assistant asks if they want anything from the catering truck. They'll be needed on set soon, but there's still time for them to eat first. Renee and Mika both nod enthusiastically, and the woman soon returns with two bowls of steaming soup. While they're eating, there's another knock on the door. This time, it's the movie's producer, John Folesy Jr. Flashing a warm smile, he asks the kids how they're doing, and urges them to eat up their soup. Then, quietly, he reminds Renee's mom and Mika's dad that if anyone questions why they are here, they're to lie, especially if any of the fire safety officers ask.

16:31They're not to say anything about the$500 they're being paid or about their children working on set. Renee and Mika finish their soup. And then just after 1 a.m., the production assistant mutters into her radio that she's bringing the Vietnamese, the crew's code word for the child actors, to the makeup area. So she leads the children out of the trailer and into a waiting car. Renee climbs into the backseat. Peering through the window at the trailer, she waves goodbye to her mother as the production assistant drives them off into the night. This final shot should only take around an hour, and then both children will be free to go home.

17:06There's a flutter of nerves in Renee's stomach as a car bounces along the dirt road. Last time, she broke down in tears. It was so frightening. The helicopter, the explosions. But this time, she knows what to expect. There's no reason to be afraid.

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19:23Throughout his career in the movies, director John Landis has wanted to do things for real. When he was just a teenager, he worked as a stuntman in Europe. And there, with little training to speak of, he threw himself off horses and dodged bullets in a series of cheap spaghetti westerns. The work he was asked to do on those sets wasn't always totally safe, but Landis embraced every challenge, and he loved the results he saw on film. So when he returned to the United States and became a director himself, he carried that daring, can-do attitude into his own movies. He never let a lack of experience or knowledge hold him back, and he found that doing things for real on camera was often faster and cheaper than using any other method.

20:04So even though now he's armed with far larger budgets, he hasn't changed his ways much. When Landis made the Blues Brothers, the production team strapped a Ford Pinto to a helicopter and dropped it from 1 ,400 feet. The movie had more high-speed chases, mass pileups, and near-misses than any other in history, and it was almost all done for real. So when it came time to shoot Twilight Zone the movie, it was no surprise that Landis decided to do as much as possible on set. It would be safer for the production to use dummies or stunt people instead of the two small children. It would be safer to capture certain shots in the controlled environment of a studio, or shoot the scenes during the day and make it look like night in post-production.

20:46But all of these alternatives would take longer, cost more, and look worse than simply doing it for real. And that's why in the early hours of July 23, 1982, Rene Chen and Mika Din Li are having their final makeup applied, while a huge helicopter waits nearby and a special effects team crawls over the set, rigging it with explosives. As well as the three mortars at the foot of the cliffs, there are two large mortars farther downriver from the village. These will form a fiery backdrop for the final shot at Vic Morrow carrying the children across the river. But John Landis has decided that it's still not big enough for the climax he has in mind.

21:24He wants more explosions among the bamboo huts themselves. So he has a long talk with his experienced special effects supervisor, Paul Stewart. Landis' first idea is to place a mortar beneath one of the traditional Vietnamese flat-bottom boats they've got moored in the river beside the village. But Stewart points out that that would risk throwing debris into the air and endangering the helicopter. After further discussion, they decide the best solution is to place explosives around one of the shacks on set, a bamboo platform that stands on four legs and straddles the shoreline. A powerful 18-inch square mortar is positioned beneath the shack.

21:59Another cylindrical mortar is added outside it. Both are angled away from the structure, and Stewart doesn't believe that they'll be strong enough to cause any damage to the shack itself. So in his mind, the helicopter shouldn't be affected at all either. Still, pilot Dorsey Wingo should be informed of these new additions, and shortly before filming is scheduled to begin, he tours the village with special effects expert Stewart.

22:26Around them, the set designer's team is busy rearranging foliage and repairing the huts damaged in the earlier shots. As Wingo passes a man up the ladder, he calls up to him. Hey, now you make sure to nail that bamboo down tight, all right? I don't want any stray debris flying around later. He glances at Stewart. They've all been told, right? They'll make sure everything is secure, Doris. Now you know about the three mortars by the cliff. Yeah, I remember those. Well, it's going to be about the same thing again. Three mortars fired about a second apart. Stewart points out the positions of the mortars along the cliff.