Does playing dead pay well?
QUESTION
Are actors paid a set rate of pay for playing a corpse? How do you get a job like that, and has anyone who has gone on to be famous actually started their career playing a dead body? These kind of jobs mostly go to supporting actors. someone hired to play a corpse is paid either the daily Equity union film/tV rate (basic £84 a day) or, if they are a known name, their agent will negotiate a higher fee. the character they are playing usually appears alive for many scenes before being ‘dispatched’, which usually involves just one scene of the ‘corpse’.
Many of today’s TV detective shows include a lot of pathology scenes in which a ‘dead’ actor is being examined. Most are ‘ acted’ by supporting actors who — obviously — have no lines.
i was a supporting artiste for 16 years with Central Casting and many other london-based agencies, as well working acting jobs as an Equity member. Central Casting had i ts own union, the Film artists association, which negotiated extra rates for special skills — for example cycling, boat rowing and playing a musical instrument. it even had haircut fees.
there were also wet fees. i got a nice big fee for four days as a ‘dead’ mineworker in the 1985 Bond film a View to a kill.
the job involved the dubious honour of being shot by Christopher Walken and i spent four very unglamorous days floating i n water alongside ciggie butts and polystyrene cups in the massive James Bond hangar at Pinewood studios.
aside from the extra ‘wet’ fee, i had the Brucie bonus of looking up at Grace Jones as she was climbing up a ladder — definitely a view to kill for.
i recall the late Peter Childs, D.C. rycott of Minder fame, lying dead in a tree in an old episode of the avengers years before he became famous on Minder.
Danny D’Arcy, Reading, Berks. MaJor U.s. crime dramas such as Csi, NCis and Body of Proof make extensive use of corpse actors, known in the trade as ‘ working stiffs’. these are generally background actors who are members of the screen actors Guild.
For a background role in the U.s. a saG actor is paid $139 for an eight-hour day, plus overtime and all-you- can- eat food service. there are extras for extensive make-up or wet work.
By all accounts it is better to play a fresh stiff as a post-autopsy body requires an actor to be still for three hours or so to get the pasty body make-up required and the ‘Y-cut’ across the chest. two actors who played working stiffs in early roles (and went on to have pretty good careers) were John Wayne in the Deceiver (1931) and Errol Flynn in the Case of the Curious Bride (1934).
Harriet Thorpe, London W8.
QUESTION
Was Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte fluent in
Scots Gaelic? Prince louis lucien Bonaparte (18131891) was the third son of Prince lucien, Napoleon’s second surviving brother. He was born in England and lived in italy and France before finally settling in london where he counted Gladstone as a friend, and on several occasions dined with Queen Victoria at Windsor castle.
While i n France, louis dabbled in politics, but dedicated most of his life to his academic studies, specifically philology, the study of language, and became a leading scholar on the subject.
He spoke and wrote fluently in italian, French, spanish, English and Basque and he also had a working knowledge of several other languages.
His particular interest, however, lay in minority languages, notably Basque (his classification of dialects of the Basque language is still used) and in the regional speech of italy and Britain.
to this end, he took up the study of scots Gaelic and toured scotland on at least two occasions. according to a lead article i n the John o’Groat Journal (september 5, 1858), during his visit to scotland he managed to achieve some measure of fluency: ‘Yesterday, Wick was visited by no less a personage than Prince louis lucien Bonaparte, on a tour through the north and islands of scotland. the prince arrived at the Caledonian Hotel, after visiting thurso, and left this morning for shetland, purposing on his return to visit kirkwall and stromness and then to proceed to the Hebrides.
‘ During his stay i n inverness and neighbourhood, Prince Bonaparte made great progress in learning the Gaelic language, which he already speaks with considerable fluency. During his brief stay here, Provost Waters attended on the prince and gave him all necessary information regarding the locality and the district to which he purposes travelling. the prince travels incognito and unattended.’
Simon Querry, Inverness.
QUESTION
Why in 1956 did a Vulcan bomber crash at a London airport killing four air crew? Further to the previous answer, the cause of the Vulcan crash was not as described by your correspondent.
i was a member of No 10 squadron, commanded by sqn ldr Howard, and was his navigator on the Canberras that the squadron operated.
‘Podge’ Howard, as he was affectionately known, wanted me as his navigator on the Vulcan flight to australia, but my then Co wouldn’t release me from 10 squadron.
i met sqn ldr Howard shortly after the accident and asked him what had happened. He explained that the Vulcan was initially diverted to raF Waddington as the weather at london airport was bad, but as a reception party was waiting to meet the crew after landing, they were given permission for one approach to see if they could land at london.
there was no argument about who should be the co-pilot for the approach and landing, and sir Harry Broadhurst who had flown as co-pilot on the last leg of the flight, was considered by Howard to be perfectly competent.
the aircraft was talked down by the airport’s aCr7 approach radar and, as it descended towards the runway, Howard was in control in the left-hand seat and sir Harry was in the right, looking ahead to try to pick out the runway visually.
on being informed that they were close to touchdown point, Howard looked up and both pilots saw what they thought was the runway, but was, in fact, a white lime- covered field just short of their landing position.
the aircraft hit the field heavily, the controls were severed and the graviner anti-fire bottles were fired.
sir Harry shouted that he thought that he had control of the aircraft, but Howard told him to eject as the aircraft was about to crash. Both pilots ejected, but the rear crew members had no chance.
sir Harry Broadhurst was not a difficult man, but a charming senior officer and thoroughly professional pilot.
Donald Seale, Wing Commander (rtd), Lechlade, Glos.