Mick Dillon, R.I.P.

Mick Dillon, who had the great honor of stunt-doubling stars the likes of Buster Keaton and Ringo Starr, is dead at age 80. He doubled for Ringo in the movie Help! and for Buster in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This obit says that he was the only man who ever stood in for Keaton but that's not true. In the movie College, Buster was unable to do a scene that called for him to pole vault into an upper window so an actual track star was brought in to perform the feat. There are also reports that on Keaton's MGM talkies, the studio wouldn't permit him to tackle some of the more dangerous feats so doubles were quietly used.

In any case, Mr. Dillon had plenty to proud of in the stuntman's profession…and an array of injuries that he somehow managed to survive. (He fractured his skull for a scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You can read about it and others in the obit.)