Hollywood Daredevils

Available with the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland DVD box set disc for GIRL CRAZY, this Pete Smith "human interest" docu-comedy covers the art of movie stunts. It isn't quite as impressive as Warner Bros. earlier SPILLS FOR THRILLS, which took a more serious presentation and was more "in-depth" in a Hollywood behind-the-scenes way. (This one is filmed by a beach.) Nonetheless, Smith's "oh shucks" narration is quite amusing, making this an above-average entry for this long running series.

Apart from a heart stopping scene with a vehicle crashing through a burning building and turning over in water to put out the flames (all presented with let's-not-get-too-serious jokes), there is a three part "running gag" involving a truck sporting a plane-propeller and wings that isn't trying to fly... but swim!... and can't quite make the ramp. The finale tops earlier clips of motorcycles leaping over each other with vehicles leaping from bridges with "you missed your ferry!" gag-lines.

This was a Pete Smith Specialty narrated by him in which he makes what would be now considered snarky comments throughout. This one profiles the stunts of a Harry Woman who choreographs such things for movies and circuses. This also has a running gag of a Joe Fostick, a mechanic of Woman's, trying to operate a "flying jalopy". There are also many slow-mo replays way before such things were employed for TV sports broadcasts. This was quite a funny short due to both Smith's comments and some of the stunts presented. I wonder if Evel Knievel ever watched this short and had his ideas of stardom from it? So on that note, Hollywood Daredevils is worth a look.