The Story: "Eli's Killer Crane."
There is much surreality in Richard Rush's The Stunt Man, but then it does take place in the world of film-sets and the film-makers who inhabit them. Picture-makers have been making meta-references to the fakery involved for almost as long as they've been making films. Toss into that mix a fugitive from justice, already paranoid about being caught, and you have a stew of things not seeming to be what you think. And a lead character suspicious of everything in his immediate vicinity.
Add in a manipulative director who'll do anything to get what he wants, and that's The Stunt Man. a movie that is both action, comedy, psychological thriller, and love story. No wonder studios didn't know what to make of it...or how to sell it.
Rush was drawn to the tendency of human beings to "fill in the blanks" when given limited information, more often than not erroneously, and the protagonist, Cameron, already suspicious, is more susceptible to this due to his circumstances. And Rush wanted the audience to have that same discomfort about what was really happening.
Enter "Eli's Killer Crane." And from where you least expect it.
Peter O'Toole's near-messianic director uses it for high shots, especially among the upper floors of his Hotel del Coronado location. But, there's more than a bit of self-aggrandizement about it, as well. Seeing Eli Cross wafting about his set is a weird jokey bizarre sight—one gets the impression he's controlling it himself, rather than the reality of a Union-guy out-of-sight in the thing's cabin manipulating all the moves. But, that's just one more illusion in a movie that seems to revel in them.
Now, there were quite a few changes made to the script between it being written in 1972 and 1977 when it started filming. The major change is the casting of Peter O'Toole as Cross (O'Toole famously told Rush "I am an articulate, intelligent man. I read the screenplay and if you don't give me the part I will kill you") There were lots of opportunities to make the film with more marketable stars, but Rush desperately wanted O'Toole—with evident good reason—and the script was polished and buffed as far as certain word choices in order to better suit the actor. That's the reason for the cross-outs and the Green substitutions for what was in the original script as it was written in 1972.
And there already so many gems in the film...to have O'Toole deliver them...what director could refuse (even if the actor had threatened your life).
The Set-Up: Fugitive-on-the-run Cameron (Steve Railsback) has stumbled onto a film-set where they're making a WWI film, directed by one singular Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole). But Cameron's presence caused a stunt to go wrong, killing a stunt man. Needing the location and not wanting to waste time with the police, Eli uses the young fugitive to his advantage, saying that he—Cameron—is actually the stunt man, Burt, who died in the accident...no harm, no foul. Nothing to see here, let's resume filming..."Places, everybody". For Cameron, it seems a lucky break, but, soon, begins to realize that nothing is what it seems it is on a film-set, and he begins to become suspicious of the director's motives...and those of the film's leading lady, Nina Franklin (Barbara Hershey).
Action!
EXT. CHURCHYARD - BENEATH THE TOWER - NIGHT
The church door swings open. Nina and Cameron emerge, covering
their embarrassment with bravado. Nina is prattling as though to a
tour guide.
CLOSE ON CAMERON AND NINA
NINA
...And those bells are so
interesting. Imagine four hundred
years ago by boat from Amsterdam.
Thank you for the tour. It was so
informative. I'm going to... NINA ...write my
father. He's so interested in God
and things like that. ELI'S VOICE
Hiya. Good evening. Eli miraculously appears from above. He descends and rides around
beside them in the bucket of the crane.
NINA
(ducking)
Oh, for Christ's sake, Eli... ELI Palm trees. Yet more palm trees. ELI (Shouting) Who had the audacity to put palm trees there! ELI They'll be in every shot! ELI And what are palm trees doing waving around on a...
ELI ...battlefield in Europe during the...
ELI
There once was a maiden Nina, the actress so fair, ELI
smooching a guy with red hair who fancied a man with blond hair... NINA
Eli, get away with that thing!
ELI
...Could it be Raymond who's turning
this dame on? But Raymond discovers
ELI
...Or his double,
young Lucky Pierre? as he lifts up the covers
ELI
young Lucky, is there. NINA
Eli!
Unable to elude Eli in his basket, Nina turns on him in mock
frustration.
NINA
...to the point where I
have to look under...
NINA
...the stopper of
the bathtub when I take a shower...
NINA
...to
make sure I've got some privacy! The crew starts to whistle and (broadly gesturing to
group)
NINA
Thank you one and all Privately, she gives Cameron's arm an affectionate squeeze, then
disappears around the corner of the building. He is left holding
the beach bag, pursued by the Peter Pan in the basket. It has now
dropped to ground level so Eli is looking up at Cameron. ELI:
Step right in up, folks... ELI:
the "Killer
Crane" Take the ride of the century... ELI:
...on Eli's Killer Crane. CAMERON:
Thanks, I'll walk.
Eli's basket now moves up a few feet so he's looking down at
Cameron, riding beside him while he walks.
ELI:
Ah, youth. Six hours in town and
caught with the leading lady. Not
bad. Shouldn't be so upset.
CAMERON:
Okay to be upset about what happened
in the dining room? Why'd you
promise to show that cop the film?
He'll recognize me.
ELI:
You really don't trust me, do you?
ELI: Hop Get in. I got a present for you. CAMERON:
Thanks, I'll walk. ELI:
Ah, youth. Hot youth. ELI: In town for six hours only, he captures the leading lady. ELI: Can't be
bad. Shouldn't be too depressed. CAMERON:
Is it okay to be depressed about showing the cops the film?
ELI You don't really trust me, do you? He pulls Cameron into the basket beside him so unexpectedly that
Cameron drops Sam's bag. Eli picks it up and plops it into
Cameron's lap. Suddenly Cameron finds himself soaring skyward at a
stomach-churning rate -- while Eli rattles on...probing, disarming,
quixotic... ELI (CONT'D)
You constantly amaze me. You don't
go to movies. What's that tatoo, a
disguise? You a Commie? What are you, a Communist? ELI What were those handcuffs, some sort of decoy-disguise? ELI Don't Did you
not know that King Kong the First was only just three
feet six inches tall? He came up to Fay Wray's
belly button. ELI If God could only do
the tricks we can do, he'd be a happy man. ELI What are you
worried about the film and the cops
police
and the film for? Now, hanging ten stories above the city, Eli is adjusting his
viewer, looking at a cluster of RED FLASHING LIGHTS IN THE DISTANCE. He hands the viewer to Cameron, who looks through it.
We see a telescoped view of THE POLICE ROADBLOCK at the end of a
highway with cars waiting to get past ARMED POLICE.
CAMERON'S VOICE
(muttering)
What am I worried about the cops
police for? ELI:
Look over here, son. He hands the viewer to Cameron, who looks through it. We see a telescoped view of THE POLICE ROADBLOCK at the end of a
highway with cars waiting to get past ARMED POLICE. CAMERON's VOICE:
Lookin' for big, bad Cameron.
ELI'S VOICE
Another one over there.
THE VIEW WHIPS to a second police roadblock at the other entrance to
town.
ELI'S VOICE (CONT'D)
It's a pair.
TWO SHOT:
CAMERON:
(puts viewer down)
Is this...
ELI:
No, your present is a piece of good
advice. ELI:
(patting Sam's beach bag)
You've got...
ELI:
...that look again. That
gleam again... ELI:
it's like of the some sprinter about to set a
record...
ELI:
...for the 50-yard dash. Is
that why all those cops the fuzz are chasing
you? What are you, some kind of sexual
freak running dashing across America in spurts with
your fly open? Is that why they're
after you? CAMERON:
What's your advice? ELI:
...and be at the
airport on Sunday at three o'clock
with the rest of the...
ELI:
...crew. Climb
aboard our chartered 707 and fly
away with us to where the setting
sun...
ELI:
...bleeds into a million swimming
pools a man can hide in. ELI: You do
swim as well as run? CAMERON:
(overwhelmed by the
offer)
I'll swim like a fish. You really
mean it? CAMERON:
Why are you trying to save my ass? Eli hesitates, then answers quietly -- for him there is great
meaning in it. ELI:
...Because you're as crazy as the
guy young man I'm doing making the picture film about.
(then grinning archly,
the mood broken) ELI: ...Besides, I've fallen madly in
love... ELI: ...with the dark side of your
nature.
The Stunt Man is available on DVD from Anchor Bay Home Video.
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