Twilight Zone Accident | It's Going to be Big | 2

After casting two children in vital roles, production on John Landis’ segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie moves onto its climactic Vietnam village sequence. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of American Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• 0:00Lindsay Graham?

  American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. None of the brands mentioned in the editorial content of this episode have endorsed, sponsored, or are connected with American Scandal or its producers in any way.

• 0:35Lindsay Graham?

  It's July 15, 1982, in the city of Rialto, California, 50 miles east of Los Angeles. 37-year-old Dan Allingham pulls up alongside a low-slung building on the edge of the local airport. Allingham is the unit production manager on the John Landis segment of Twilight Zone the Movie. And in his role as UPM, Allingham is responsible for day-to-day logistics on the production, which is already shooting back in L.A. But today, his job has taken him to the offices of Western Helicopters. This charter company earns most of its money moving heavy equipment or helping farmers with crop control. But Western also has a growing sideline supplying aircraft to the movie business. The company owns a Huey helicopter

• 1:18Lindsay Graham?

  that would be perfect for Landis's big Vietnam War finale, and its low rates have caught the attention of the Twilight Zone team. At $800 an hour, Western charges a third less than more established companies. So Allingham is hopeful they'll be able to provide the production what they need. He's shown into the wood-paneled office of the president of the company, Claire Merriweather. After a few minutes of small talk, Merriweather suggests they take a look at the aircraft outside.

• 1:47Lindsay Graham?

  The company's helicopters are lined up on the tarmac. Meriwether leads Allingham over to the large military chopper at the far end. Yeah, well, here she is, the Bell UH-1B. You know her as a Huey. Allingham runs a hand over the helicopter's dark green aluminum skin. Wow, it's big. What is it, forty feet long? Yep, just a little under. Yeah, much larger than it looks on TV. So if this is your first time seeing one, you didn't serve then? No, I was one of the lucky ones. Meriwether nods at the helicopter. Well, this bird did. She's ex-army. We bought her from the Maryland State Police, actually. So she's been around the block a time or two. That she has, but she still flies beautifully in the right hands. You spoke to Dorsey, right? Yeah, on the phone yesterday. Is he here?

• 2:32Lindsay Graham?

  Dorsey Wingo is Western's Director of Operations and its Chief Pilot. Meriwether peers across at the company's maintenance yard. Yeah, he'll be around somewhere. He flew one of these in Vietnam, you know. Logged nine hundred hours, so should be perfect for what you have in mind. Sounds like it. But does he have any movie experience? He's done, I think, three pictures now. It's not a complicated stunt work, you mean, right? Just routine maneuvers, hovering and turning, that sort of thing? Yeah, that's right. Well, then he'll do just fine. Well, great. So what do you say we go back inside and get this all signed off? Meriwether pauses for a moment. Well, there is one thing. I want to know you'll take good care of her. Well, of course we will. See, we hired out a Hughes 500 to another production last year, and it came back with $10,000 worth of rotor damage. Oh, what happened?

• 3:15Lindsay Graham?

  Some kind of pyrotechnic special effect, an explosion. I don't know what you call it. A mortar? Oh, yeah, sounds right. Well, it went off at the wrong time. Debris hit the chopper and made a real mess. Oh, man. Could have been a lot worse, too. Now, my understanding is your plane had used these mortars as well, right? Yeah, there will be some special effects on set, but our mortar guy, he's the best in Hollywood. Seriously, he'll make sure the explosions aren't anywhere near the helicopter. Well, that's good to hear, because I'm fond of her, you know? Meriwether pats the chopper affectionately, and Allingham smiles. I promise, we'll bring her home in one piece. We have a mantra on set, Mr. Meriwether. It's simple, and it applies to everyone, from the director right down to the caterers. Safety first.

• 4:01Lindsay Graham?

  With Dan Allingham's assurances that his helicopter will be treated properly, Claire Merriweather signs on the dotted line. So as Allingham drives back to Los Angeles, he's pleased with his afternoon's work. He's got the helicopter they need at a good price, too. But filming on the Vietnam Village set is scheduled to begin in less than a week, and two other crucial components for the sequence are still missing.

• 4:27Speaker 01

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• 5:36Lindsay Graham?

  From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal.

• 5:59Lindsay Graham?

  By mid-July 1982, John Landis's segment of "The Twilight Zone: The Movie" was progressing well. Filming on the Universal backlot in Los Angeles had finished, and the production had moved on to Franklin Canyon in Beverly Hills. There, the crew filmed Vic Morrow's lead character encountering the Ku Klux Klan. Still ahead, though, was the most ambitious sequence in the entire movie. This nighttime scene was set in a Vietnamese village and would feature a boy and a girl being rescued from an attack by an American helicopter. But the movie's casting agents had been uneasy with the children's involvement. They believed what the production had in mind violated state labor codes, so they declined to help fill the roles.

• 6:40Lindsay Graham?

  Instead, the task of finding suitable actors fell to Twilight Zone's producer, George Folsi Jr. Folsi had worked with John Landis for more than a decade and had total belief in him. He was sure that together they were going to the very top of Hollywood, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in their way. He would get Landis what he needed, no matter what. This is episode 2: It's Going to Be Big. It's July 16, 1982, on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie at the Franklin Canyon Reservoir in Los Angeles, California. Producer George Folsi Jr. makes his way past the trailers and equipment trucks toward the catering area.

• 7:21Lindsay Graham?

  Gathered around a table in the corner are two families with young children, talking excitedly. Folsi strides over, a broad smile on his face. A few days ago, Folsi was on the verge of despair. He needed to find a boy and girl for the Vietnam Village sequence, but he didn't know where to look until he remembered a psychiatrist friend who volunteered at a community center with a large Asian clientele. With this friend's help, Folsi had now found two young actors: seven-year-old Mika Din Lee, the son of two refugees from Vietnam, and six-year-old Renee Chen, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Folsi has invited them to the set today to meet with the director, John Landis, and after introducing himself, Folsi takes a seat at the table and explains what the children will have to do if they pass their audition.

• 8:10Lindsay Graham?

  So this is what's gonna happen. You two are gonna be playing kids who live in a village by the river, but there's a war going on, and somehow, during an attack by the bad guys, you two get left behind. Renee and Mika stare at Folsi, their eyes wide. Sounds a little scary, right? But that's when you meet a stranger, a kind man, who protects you and carries you across the river to somewhere safe. It's really a small part of the movie, but perhaps the most important. In fact, I think you two will steal the show. Renee and Mika smile shyly. Folesi smiles back until out of the corner of his eye, he spots John Landis. Oh, here comes the man himself. Hey, John, John. Landis walks over. John, these are the great kids I was telling you about. Everyone, this is John Landis.

• 8:55Lindsay Graham?

  He's the director of the movie, the guy who tells us all what to do. John, I'd love you to meet Renee and her mom and dad. Hello, nice to meet you. And this little future movie star here is Mika. His dad couldn't make it tonight, but this is his mom. Hello, it's a pleasure. Now, John, I was just telling everyone about the great finale we got planned and how important these kids will be to the entire movie. Oh, yeah, it's gonna be huge, it's gonna be spectacular. We're gonna have this big helicopter and these big explosions going off everywhere. It's gonna be awesome. Across the table, Folesi sees the parents exchange glances, but he smiles reassuringly. It'll be just like watching fireworks. You like fireworks, kids, right? Fourth of July and all that? The two children nod. Well, this will be even better. Now, could you all excuse us for just a moment?

• 9:38Lindsay Graham?

  There's something I need to discuss with John, but I'll be right back. Folesi gets to his feet and he and John step away from the families. Well, what do you think? You asked for adorable, and I think that's what we've got. Landis peers over at the children. What do you think they weigh, like 40 pounds? Something like that, they're skinny. Should be easy enough for Vic to carry, right? I think so. So you're happy with them? We can get them signed up? Landis nods and slaps Folesi on the arm. I knew you'd find them. Tell them I'll see them at Indian Dunes next week.

• 10:09Lindsay Graham?

  George Folesi Jr. returns to the families and assures them that what they're planning is perfectly safe. The helicopter and the explosions will all look dramatic on the big screen, but that's just movie magic. Kids will never be in any real danger. What he doesn't tell the parents is what they are doing is illegal. There are strict rules in California governing the use of children on movie sets, and they do not permit nighttime shoots with helicopters and explosive special effects.

• 10:36Lindsay Graham?

  If word of the children's involvement gets out, the studio or the authorities will almost certainly shut them down, so Folsie is doing everything he can to keep it all a secret. Copies of the scripts are kept under lock and key, the call sheets which record who needs to be on set and when omit the children entirely, and any other documents that might reveal the truth are kept away from prying eyes. So with these precautions in place, filming at Indian Dunes gets underway on the evening of July 20, 1982. Indian Dunes is a popular location for Hollywood productions. Just outside LA, it's crucially still within the studio zone, an imaginary 30-mile radius of Hollywood where union, cast, and crew have to cover their own transportation costs.

• 11:20Lindsay Graham?

  So it's the ideal spot for a production looking to save money. The property also has over 600 acres of varying landscapes from green hills to forests to flat deserts to jungle-like riverbeds. Importantly for the Twilight Zone team, it's especially well-suited to shooting at night. Although it's less than an hour's drive from downtown Los Angeles, it seems far more remote. Directors can choose wide, dramatic angles without any worries about the background being spoiled by city lights. And for the finale of Twilight Zone the Movie, the production has chosen a spot on the property on the banks of the Santa Clarita River. It's a dramatic location with large cliffs framing the scene. And on a sandy strip of land beside the water, the production team has built 11 Vietnamese-style

• 12:04Lindsay Graham?

  huts out of bamboo, thatch, cardboard, and tree branches. It's here that Vic Morrow's character Bill Connor will discover two stranded children and rescue them from an attacking American helicopter. The script calls for Connor to pick them up and carry them across the river under constant rocket and gunfire. But the destruction of the village will be the last scene to be shot. First, they have to film the confused Connor's arrival in Vietnam. The script has him hop across time and space, inhabiting the bodies of people the bigot Connor has hated: a Jew in Nazi France, an African-American facing the KKK. And now in the final sequence, he finds himself in Vietnam, hiding from a group of Vietcong soldiers.

• 12:46Lindsay Graham?

  Once they pass, though, he spots a squad of American GIs and rushes out toward them shouting "Help, I'm an American!" But they only see a Vietnamese civilian and open fire. As the crew finished setting up the shot, Vic Morrow takes up his position, half submerged in the river. He's exhausted because although the shoot for John Landis's segment is not a long one, it's very physical and almost every scene is a chase. Morrow has used a stunt double for the more dangerous shots, like when his character had to shimmy along a high ledge to escape Nazi soldiers. But for the most part, it's been Morrow who's been doing all the running and jumping. So now, warily, Morrow prepares for more of the same. For this shot, director John Landis wants the banana plants behind Morrow

• 13:29Lindsay Graham?

  to be shredded by a hail of gunfire as he leaps aside at the last moment. So just off-camera, special effects foreman Paul Stewart waits with an air-powered gun. He fires small, marble-like projectiles that should be enough to rip apart the vegetation. Soon, the shout of action echoes across the set and the camera whirs. Morrow flings himself into the water as Stewart opens fire. But Landis quickly calls cut. He's not happy with the effect. Many of the marbles are just bouncing off the large leaves instead of shredding them. There's no sense of danger, it doesn't look real, so they'll need to try something else. Waiting out of the water, Morrow takes a seat because this could take a while. He smiles a thank you at a production assistant who brings him a towel to keep him warm,

• 14:14Lindsay Graham?

  then listens in as Landis and Stewart debate what to do. Landis is almost hopping, he's so worked up. Morrow shakes his head. Landis doesn't ever seem to get tired. Stewart suggests using squibs, small explosive charges that will rip the banana plants apart on cue, but when Landis hears how long it'll take to set up, he rejects the idea. They don't have the time. So Stewart suggests a simpler solution: using live ammunition. When Morrow hears this, he strides over and demands to know what the plan is. Stewart explains that he has some Remington 12-gauge shotguns in his truck. A few blasts from those should give Landis the effect he's after. But Morrow is deeply uncomfortable with the idea. It sounds like they'll be shooting almost right at him.

• 14:58Lindsay Graham?

  Stewart reassures him that he'll be well clear of the plants before they open fire. Still, Morrow insists that they all walk through the scene several times before he agrees to anything. So with Morrow reluctantly on board, the camera is reset and once again, on cue, he jumps into the water. He swims over to where Paul Stewart and the two other special effects men are waiting with the guns. They pull him clear, then lower their weapons and blast the banana plants to pieces. Calling cut once again, Landis smiles. It's just what he was looking for. The idea is that in the finished film, the gap between Moro's dive and the plants being destroyed will be edited out to make it look like he only just avoids gunfire.

• 15:40Lindsay Graham?

  But to several of the crew around Indian Dunes, bringing guns and live ammunition onto set all seems like an unnecessary risk, especially to save only the time to set up squibs. Still, the shot is in the can, and no one got hurt. So, production can move on. Dawn is approaching by the time they finish shooting for the night, and the exhausted cast and crew head home. But they won't get long to rest. They'll all need to be back at Indian Dunes the following afternoon for the final night of filming. But while the production team tries to sleep, in the Pasadena home of the Lee family, seven-year-old Mika is wide awake and counting down the hours. Mika loves movies, so when his dad told him that he had the chance to appear in a real Hollywood picture, it was like a dream come true.

• 16:25Lindsay Graham?

  Mika doesn't much care about the $500 the producers have promised. Instead, he's fixated on becoming a movie star. A few hours later, the studio van arrives, with producer George Folsy Jr. having come to pick them up himself. The entire family's coming along: Mika, his mom and dad, and his little brother. They all pile into the van, which then drives south to Cerritos. There, they pick up Renee Chen and her family, before looping back around and heading north to Indian Dunes. Mika is bouncing on his seat all the way through the Hollywood Hills. After about an hour and a half in the van, they finally turn off the state highway and head down a dirt track. It's still a few miles to the location, and as Mika peers out the window, eager for

• 17:08Lindsay Graham?

  his first glimpse of the set, George Folsy turns around from the front seat. Smiling, he asks if the kids are excited, and Mika nods enthusiastically. Then Folsy looks at the parents. He thanks them for letting the kids come along, but says that if anyone asks why they're all here, they should answer that they're friends of his, visiting the set. Luckily, there are a lot of guests expected tonight. It's the last day of principal photography, and a party is planned afterward, so the Lee and Chen families should blend right in. They just have to make sure they don't mention the $500 they're being paid, or the fact that their children have come here to work. No one is to know about that until the shots John Landis needs are safely in the can.

• 17:53Speaker 03

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• 18:23Speaker 04

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• 18:53Speaker 05

  I'm Gemma Whelan, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of the original femme fatale, the spy who was Mata Hari. A famous dancer turned World War I secret agent, accused of seducing Allied officers to uncover their plans. But was she a temptress or a scapegoat for French failures? Follow The Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Was Mata Hari early and ad-free on Audible.

• 19:34Lindsay Graham?

  On the afternoon of July 21, 1982, pilot Dorsey Wingo flies up to Indian Dunes from Rialto in the rented Huey helicopter. At 36 years old, Wingo is the Director of Operations for Western helicopters. He's never worked on a movie as big as this before, but he has other relevant experience. He's a Vietnam veteran. After landing at a makeshift helipad just downstream of the location, the chopper is prepared for its big scene. A studio artist arrives and adds authentic military-style nose art below the cockpit, a large eagle with the words "Fly by Night" emblazoned underneath a production in-joke. With that done, Wingo conducts several reconnaissance flights over the village set to get the lay of the land while it's still light.

• 20:19Lindsay Graham?

  He doesn't want to run into any trees or power lines later when shooting gets underway. And once he's satisfied, he returns to the helipad. Two 50 caliber machine guns are then strapped to the sides of the Huey along with a powerful night sun searchlight. Finally, Wingo puts on a familiar Vietnam era flight suit and takes to the skies for his first scene. He is joined onboard the helicopter by unit production manager Dan Allingham. He'll be operating the searchlight, making sure its beam stays on the actors below. A unit production manager like Allingham wouldn't normally be expected on set, let alone be placed in charge of a major special effect. But that's the ethos of John Landis's Twilight Zone team.

• 21:01Lindsay Graham?

  Everyone is pitching in to get the segment made on time and on budget. The first setup is a simple one that won't involve any actors or special effects. Instead, Dorsey Wingo just has to pilot his chopper over the cliff at the back of the set while a camera captures his arrival from the village below. It should be a relatively quick shot, the perfect warm-up for the more complex scenes planned for later in the night. Wingo maneuvers the helicopter into position above the village set. Landis has explained how he wants the helicopter to emerge from behind a particular tree on the edge of the cliff. It sounded easy enough when Wingo was given the instructions, but now that he's up in the air, he's struggling to work out which tree Landis means.

• 21:46Lindsay Graham?

  He turns to Dan Allingham, who's sitting in the chair next to him. Uh, hey Dan, is this the right tree? Hold on, I'll check with John. Allingham is wearing a radio headset connected directly to John Landis, who is standing on the ground beside the camera 100 feet below. John, how are we looking? Wingo can't tell exactly what Landis is saying, but he doesn't sound happy. Allingham tries to calm him. All right, all right, John. All right, we'll move and try again. He looks back to Wingo. He says it's not the right tree. It sounds like he threw some other words in there, too. Well, I figured you didn't need to hear those. He says we need to move over to the left three trees. His left or ours? Uh, let me ask. John? Yeah, sorry. Do you mean your left or our left?

• 22:30Lindsay Graham?

  Uh, okay, got it. Yeah, I got it. He leans over to Wingo and points out the side of the helicopter. His left, our right. Okay, all right, no problem. As the helicopter hovers over the cliff, Wingo peers down, trying to count the trees. But from this angle, in the dark, it's hard to make out what's a tree and what's a shrub or a rock. Wingo takes his best guess. But before he can even ask whether he's got it right, there's another angry outburst over the radio. Allingham again tries to act as media. Oh, okay, John. Okay, I, I, I get it. We'll, we'll try one more time. It's not exactly like parking a car, you know? It's pitch black up here. Just, just give us a chance. And the guy needs to keep his shirt on. I'm sorry, Dorsey, you're doing a great job. John just gets a little excited and talks like that sometimes.

• 23:16Lindsay Graham?

  He's under a lot of pressure now. There's a lot riding on him. I get that. So I guess we try the next tree? We try the next tree, though they all look the same to me.

• 23:27Lindsay Graham?

  While Dorsey Wingo struggles to get the Huey into position, the children wait in a dressing room trailer a mile from set. Mika, Din Lee, and Renee Chin are tired and bored. Movie making isn't as much fun as they thought it would be. After all the excitement of their journey to set, Mika and Renee have had nothing to do for hours. They've been able to nap a little, but other than a brief trip to the caterer's truck, they've not even left the trailer. And it's past midnight by the time the children are finally called. Mika and Renee are taken to makeup, where they change into dirty rags and have dirt powder applied to their faces. Then they're driven up to the village set. By now, it's almost 2 AM, and the mood among the filmmakers is tense. They're behind schedule.

• 24:11Lindsay Graham?

  Landis eventually got the shot of the helicopter above the cliff, but a complicated setup of Vic Morrow arriving in the Vietnamese village has also taken hours to get right. So as Mika and Renee take their places inside one of the huts by the water's edge, there are strained faces all around them. But director John Landis tries to keep the energy up. Kneeling in front of the children, he explains the scene once more. It's their first encounter with Vic Morrow's character. After finding Morrow asleep in a hut, Mika and Renee must pretend that they hear an American helicopter in the sky and then run to hide behind Morrow. Mika and Renee are nervous, excited, and exhausted. This combination at first just makes them shy, but then they get the giggles.

• 24:57Lindsay Graham?

  One of them sets off the other and several takes are ruined before Landis comes over to speak with them again. Although he's also tired and under pressure, Landis doesn't take it out on the kids. Not unkindly, but still firmly, he asks them to take it more seriously. After that, Mika and Renee settle down, and at around 4:30 in the morning, they finally manage to complete the scene. By now, blue-gray light is seeping over the cliff tops at Indian Dunes. It's approaching dawn and it's clear that the final shots involving the helicopter and explosions won't be filmed tonight after all. So producer George Folesy Jr. approaches Mika and Renee's parents. He hands them an envelope each with the promised $500 in cash inside.

• 25:40Lindsay Graham?

  Apologetically, Folesy then asks if the children could come back again the next night to finish the movie. At first, the parents are reluctant. They've all been on set for 10 hours. They're tired too, and some of them have to go to work later. But eventually, they agree their kids can return. Folesy thanks them and promises that the van will pick them up again that afternoon just as before. After the two families are taken home to get some rest, the production crew clears the set. The planned wrap party is canceled, and everyone's told to report back at Indian Dunes the following evening. As the crew packs up around him, Second Assistant Director Andy House completes some paperwork that has to be sent back to the production office in L.A.

• 26:23Lindsay Graham?

  As second A.D., it's House's job to handle logistics on set. He's in charge of the call sheet and making sure all the actors are where they need to be, when they need to be, and in the right costume and makeup. And now that production has gone over schedule and they've had to extend the shoot by an extra night, there's a lot for House to do. But there's one thing he doesn't mention in his production reports: any involvement by Mika and Renee. Ever since he came on to the project as second A.D. last month, House has been uncomfortable with the use of children in the final scene. And after reading the script for the first time, he suggested filming the kids on a soundstage or using life-sized dolls or dwarf stunt people instead, but he was told it wouldn't look real enough. Unwilling to push the disagreement with his bosses too far,

• 27:07Lindsay Graham?

  he went along with their decision to hire Mika and Renee illegally, but he still doesn't like it. Returning to his production reports, he's soon approached by Jack Tice, one of the film's fire safety officers. There are six of them on the Twilight Zone production. Their presence is a legal requirement due to the flammable special effects being used. The officers are there to make sure things are done safely, and they bring tanks, hoses, and water trucks with them to tackle any fires that might break out. Making small talk, Tice says to House that they've actually worked together on a movie before. House doesn't remember, though, until Tice mentions that he often has another job. He's not just a fire officer. He also works as a studio teacher and chaperone for child actors.

• 27:50Lindsay Graham?

  Immediately, House forgets all about his paperwork. Because if Tice has seen Mika or Renee, he could report the production to the California Labor Department. But Tice doesn't say anything about the children. And as they talk some more, House realizes that Tice was stationed up on the cliffs above set all night. He never saw any of the filming, so he doesn't even know there are children in the cast. It's then that House realizes he has a decision to make. He could tell the truth. The Twilight Zone team was lucky this time, but there's another night's shooting ahead. And if Tice is stationed anywhere near the set, he'll almost certainly spot the kids and shut the production down. And having taken part in this deception, House could then be in trouble himself.

• 28:33Lindsay Graham?

  But it takes a brave man in Hollywood to stand up to powerful producers and directors. House decides not to say a word. Instead, as Tice walks away, he scribbles down a note and slips it into the bundle of papers he's sending back to the production office, a warning for the filmmakers that Jack Tice could be a problem.

• 28:54Lindsay Graham?

  In the summer of 1881, US Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greeley and 24 other men embarked on an ambitious scientific mission to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. But despite several triumphs of discovery, the men would soon face tragedy. Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of the podcast American History Tellers. We take you to the events, times, and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, after Adolphus Greeley and his men arrive at their destination more than 1,000 miles above the Arctic Circle, they get to work collecting scientific data and exploring the frigid landscape. But when resupply ships fail to reach them two summers in a row, they're forced to set

• 29:37Lindsay Graham?

  out on a desperate search for rescue, and not all of them will make it home. Follow American History Tellers wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American History Tellers: Greeley Arctic Expedition, early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 29:56Speaker 06

  A trucker merges onto the I-10 in New Orleans. He checks his mirrors. The lane is clear. And then, boom, impact. A pickup truck, seemingly out of nowhere, scrapes down the side of his 18-wheeler, multiple passengers inside. One man flees the scene, and the driver of the pickup, he doesn't seem all that upset. It didn't feel like a regular accident, because it wasn't. Across the city, truckers are getting sideswiped, all on the same stretch. of the same freeway. And behind many of the cases is one person, a Hollywood stunt woman turned personal injury lawyer named Vanessa Moda. This podcast is a story about fake accidents that lead to real consequences and a scheme that ends in betrayal and murder.

• 30:41Speaker 06

  Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Side Swipe wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• 31:07Lindsay Graham?

  On July 22, 1982, director John Landis is a man under pressure. He came into the Twilight Zone project off the back of several movies where he went over budget and over schedule. So he was determined to show everyone that he could keep control of the production. But now his segment of Twilight Zone, the movie, has slipped into an additional day, and he's cost Warner Brothers tens of thousands of dollars in overrun costs. So he cannot afford any more delays. Tonight is his last shot of getting it right. But it won't be easy. The three most complicated shots in the entire movie need to be completed before the sun comes up tomorrow. The first shot will be what the production team calls "The Rescue."

• 31:49Lindsay Graham?

  In this scene, Vic Morrow's character grabs the two Vietnamese children under each arm and dashes away from the village toward the river while being chased by the American chopper. Then comes the rage scene, where Morrow raises his fist and shouts at the helicopter firing at him. Finally, there's a shot of Morrow and the kids in the river, desperately wading through the water as the village explodes behind them in a spectacular inferno. Each setup will be captured from different angles by up to six cameras. Precise timing will be required. The pyrotechnic effects alone will make the setups challenging. But then there's the helicopter and the two children. And as Landis has learned from the night before, neither of those elements are entirely within his control.

• 32:33Lindsay Graham?

  But if there's one thing he's not worried about, it's his lead actor. Vic Moro has been everything Landis hoped for. The role of Bill Connor is a highly physical one, and Landis has demanded a lot from Moro for the past three weeks. There have been plenty of action scenes for the veteran to navigate, but in the movie's quieter moments, Moro has taken the opportunity to show his range, and he's conveyed exactly the kind of rugged vulnerability that Landis was after when he created the character in the first place. But while Landis may be feeling pleased with the results of their collaboration, Moro himself is more conflicted. As he rests up at home during the day on July 22nd, he shares some of his worries in a phone call with his old friend and lawyer, Al Green.

• 33:19Lindsay Graham?

  Lying back on his couch, Moro stretches out and rubs his sore muscles. Oh, Al, I don't know. Maybe this is just what sets are like these days. What do you mean? Don't get me wrong, I know this is a huge opportunity for me, and I'm grateful. I was beginning to wonder where the next job was gonna come from, you know? But I've seen some things I don't like. Yeah? Such as? Well, drinking, even some drug use. On set? Yeah, wasn't like that when I was starting out. You want me to get involved here? No, no, no. I can have a talk with Folsie right now. No, no, no, they'll just think I'm an old man complaining. Most of them are just kids, you know? Landis is barely 30, even Folsie can only be in his early 40s, and I don't want you to know how young some of the others are. But I guess that's Hollywood now.

• 34:02Lindsay Graham?

  Well, Vic, look, if you're uncomfortable, if you're seeing things that make you nervous, we should say something. Moro hesitates, and Green presses for an answer. Look, give it to me straight. Do you feel unsafe on this set? Well, it's not that I'm afraid or anything. You know, I've done plenty of action scenes in my time. On combat, I had squibs going off around me all the time, but this one does feel different. Sloppier somehow. Did I tell you they used live ammunition in one shot? A scene you were in? Well, yeah, I was out of the way by the time they opened fire, but I didn't like it. And then there's this helicopter. You have to ride in a helicopter? That was not in your contract. No, no, I'm not in it, but you know I don't like them. Oh, Vic, one phone call, that's all it would take. If what you're saying is true, it wouldn't be a violation of your contract.

• 34:48Lindsay Graham?

  30 seconds, and you're off that picture. Just give me the word. Moro is silent. In a way, it's tempting. He is exhausted. Ah, nah, I'll leave it alone. I need this too much. You sure? Yeah, yeah, I'll soldier through. I mean, it's just one more night, right?

• 35:07Lindsay Graham?

  A few hours later, Vic Morrow is on set once again at Indian Dunes. Shooting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 PM. And as Morrow heads to his trailer to get ready, the location beside the Santa Clarita River is alive with activity. A bulldozer rumbles through the shallow water beside the village, flattening out the riverbed. Later, Morrow will be running in that water with the kids under his arms, and the crew doesn't want anything under the surface tripping him up. Meanwhile, among the bamboo and cardboard huts that line the shore, the special effects team has carefully prepared the pyrotechnics. All this work is overseen by producer George Folsi Jr. But Folsi has plenty of other things on his mind. By now, he knows all about the fire safety officer Jack Tice

• 35:51Lindsay Graham?

  and his second job as studio teacher and chaperone for child actors. As such, Tice is a serious threat to production. So even though they're not due on set for a few hours, Folsi has devised a plan to keep Mika Din Lee and Renee Chen out of sight and away from Jack Tice. He gathers his senior crew members together in a hurried conference. They all know that as fire safety officer, Jack Tice is free to wander wherever he wants. But yesterday, he stationed himself behind the cliffs at the back of the set. The flat grasslands there are especially vulnerable. Stray embers from the explosive effects could easily start a fire there. And that risk hasn't gone away, so Folsi hopes that Tice will be positioned there again. If he is, they won't have a problem.

• 36:34Lindsay Graham?

  He won't be able to see the children from behind the cliff. But there's no guarantee, and Tice could choose to stand somewhere else. So Folsi suggests they keep close tabs on him at all times, and if they have to, try to steer him away from the set. As for the two children, Mika and Renee will again be kept in a trailer with their parents for as long as possible. And if any of the crew need to refer to them on the radio, they aren't to say their names, or call them kids, or anything like that. They're just to say, "The Vietnamese." Then Folsi reminds his crew that yesterday, they got away with it, without even knowing the danger they were in. Hopefully, with more preparation, they'll be lucky again tonight. And they'll have to be, because Folsi knows they won't be able to keep the charade going much longer.

• 37:18Lindsay Graham?

  Earlier in the day, the unit production manager Dan Allingham had a phone call from the studio. One of the executives at Warner Brothers had noticed a discrepancy in the production reports. From reading the script, the executive knew there were children involved in the final Vietnamese village sequence, but the paperwork from Indian Dunes made no mention of any child actors or welfare officers on set. Allingham managed to brush the man off with an excuse, saying he was up in the helicopter for the entire shoot yesterday, but he promised to look into it. That bought some time, but Folesi knows when the executive calls again, he'll be expecting an answer. At that point, they'll have to own up and face the consequences. The studio will be angry. They'll definitely get a fine from the authorities, but Folesi tells himself that by then, they

• 38:01Lindsay Graham?

  should have everything they need, and he's sure when people see the finished product, all will be forgiven. The helicopter, the explosions, Vic Morrow saving two children, it's all going to be something spectacular.

• 38:18Lindsay Graham?

  From Wondery, this is episode two of The Twilight Zone Accident for American Scandal. In our next episode, John Landis's explosive finale goes tragically wrong, and an investigation begins into who was to blame.

• 38:36Lindsay Graham?

  If you'd like to learn more about the accident on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie, we recommend the book Special Effects by Ron LeBrecq and Outrageous Conduct by Stephen Farber and Mark Green. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details, and while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, for Airship. Audio editing by Jake Sampson. Sound design by Gabriel Ghoul. Music by Thrun. This episode is written and researched by William Simpson. Fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry. Managing producer Emily Burr. Development by Stephanie Jens. Senior producer Andy Beckerman. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship, and Jenny Lauer-Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.

• 39:27Lindsay Graham?

  American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com.