Claeys: 15 minutes of fame? More like four seconds in "Crash Landing"
I had hoped to met Charlton Heston. Instead, I heard James Coburn curse.
By Jesse Claeys Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, April 11, 2008
The passing of actor Charlton Heston on Saturday brought back memories of the time he spent in Sioux City filming the made-for-TV movie "Crash Landing."
And of my first and only "acting" job.
Heston spent the fall of 1991 in town playing Al Haynes, the pilot of the United Airlines Flight 232 airliner that crashed at the Sioux City airport in 1989. I spent three days in the fall of 1991 playing a character without a name.
Like many Siouxlanders at the time, I, too, answered the call for actors and extras when filming began. I was lucky enough to be included in the film. I was 13. It was my first job.
My "acting" consisted of three days' work at an abandoned portion of the Sioux Gateway Airport grounds. Each day I was paid $1. Cash. I considered my actual wage higher than this as I factored in the value of three days' excused absence from school, as any 13-year-old would.
I played a dead kid. Well, a fake dead kid. My scenes involved a disaster-preparedness drill conducted about a year before the crash of Flight 232. The film's makers would later use the event in the movie's tagline: "In 1988, Sioux City, Iowa, organized a revolutionary Disaster Preparedness Program. On July 19th, 1989, they needed every trick in the book."
All I had to do was lie motionless on the ground for hours at a time next to a wrecked school bus. My "acting" led me to my first brush with fame. Coincidently, it also led me to my first brush with hearing the "F-word" word uttered out loud.
Actor James Coburn, portraying the then-fire chief at the 185th Iowa Air National Guard base, stepped out of a fire truck to deliver lines about the mock disaster. The scene happened right above my head. I was the closest "body" to the action.
Coburn's costume, a silver flame-retardant suit, happened to keep catching on the truck door, stopping his progress to his mark and ruining the shot. After the third such incident, the gravel-voiced Coburn, best known for "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape," turned trucker and spit out every expletive in the book. It was shocking. Did I mention I attended Catholic school?
Aside from the Coburn incident, I vividly remember excited conversations in the makeup line about how cool it was we were all going to be on TV. Some of the locals frequently took time to ponder greater things like parlaying the experience into more roles. At least two people contemplated moving to Hollywood.
Many of them had dreams of joining the ranks of Sioux City's famous sons and daughters, people who left the banks of the Mighty Mo to grasp their 15 minutes of fame on the big and small screen. Here's a brief list of notable natives (either born here or lived here for a time):
McDonald Carey, who played Dr. Tom Horton for nearly three decades on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives."
Fred Grandy, who became a politician after playing Gopher on "The Love Boat."
Jerry Mathers, Beaver Cleaver on TV's "Leave It To Beaver."
Lori Petty, an actress best known for starring opposite Geena Davis in the major motion picture "A League of Their Own."
Norm Waitt, a computer maker turned movie producer ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding" among others).
When "Crash Landing" was finally broadcast on Feb. 24, 1992, I don't remember where I was or who I was with. I saw my scenes, saw Coburn acting right above my head (minus the curse words), but no me. Then, near the end of the segment, the camera panned back and I could see myself, off in the distance, a little unidentifiable blob lying motionless on the ground. I later counted the amount of time I was on screen. It was slightly less than four seconds. Hollywood can be so cold.
I wonder how many Siouxlanders were waiting and watching and hoping that night, only to see what could have been considered a shot at fame fall to the cutting room floor. I still keep my three days as an actor on my resume. I feel it shows my versatility.
I also list under "work experience" the time I was a hand model, but that's another story.
Jesse Claeys can be reached at jesseclaeys@siouxcityjournal.com or 712-293-4221.
And of my first and only "acting" job.
Heston spent the fall of 1991 in town playing Al Haynes, the pilot of the United Airlines Flight 232 airliner that crashed at the Sioux City airport in 1989. I spent three days in the fall of 1991 playing a character without a name.
Like many Siouxlanders at the time, I, too, answered the call for actors and extras when filming began. I was lucky enough to be included in the film. I was 13. It was my first job.
My "acting" consisted of three days' work at an abandoned portion of the Sioux Gateway Airport grounds. Each day I was paid $1. Cash. I considered my actual wage higher than this as I factored in the value of three days' excused absence from school, as any 13-year-old would.
I played a dead kid. Well, a fake dead kid. My scenes involved a disaster-preparedness drill conducted about a year before the crash of Flight 232. The film's makers would later use the event in the movie's tagline: "In 1988, Sioux City, Iowa, organized a revolutionary Disaster Preparedness Program. On July 19th, 1989, they needed every trick in the book."
All I had to do was lie motionless on the ground for hours at a time next to a wrecked school bus. My "acting" led me to my first brush with fame. Coincidently, it also led me to my first brush with hearing the "F-word" word uttered out loud.
Actor James Coburn, portraying the then-fire chief at the 185th Iowa Air National Guard base, stepped out of a fire truck to deliver lines about the mock disaster. The scene happened right above my head. I was the closest "body" to the action.
Coburn's costume, a silver flame-retardant suit, happened to keep catching on the truck door, stopping his progress to his mark and ruining the shot. After the third such incident, the gravel-voiced Coburn, best known for "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape," turned trucker and spit out every expletive in the book. It was shocking. Did I mention I attended Catholic school?
Aside from the Coburn incident, I vividly remember excited conversations in the makeup line about how cool it was we were all going to be on TV. Some of the locals frequently took time to ponder greater things like parlaying the experience into more roles. At least two people contemplated moving to Hollywood.
Many of them had dreams of joining the ranks of Sioux City's famous sons and daughters, people who left the banks of the Mighty Mo to grasp their 15 minutes of fame on the big and small screen. Here's a brief list of notable natives (either born here or lived here for a time):
McDonald Carey, who played Dr. Tom Horton for nearly three decades on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives."
Fred Grandy, who became a politician after playing Gopher on "The Love Boat."
Jerry Mathers, Beaver Cleaver on TV's "Leave It To Beaver."
Lori Petty, an actress best known for starring opposite Geena Davis in the major motion picture "A League of Their Own."
Norm Waitt, a computer maker turned movie producer ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding" among others).
When "Crash Landing" was finally broadcast on Feb. 24, 1992, I don't remember where I was or who I was with. I saw my scenes, saw Coburn acting right above my head (minus the curse words), but no me. Then, near the end of the segment, the camera panned back and I could see myself, off in the distance, a little unidentifiable blob lying motionless on the ground. I later counted the amount of time I was on screen. It was slightly less than four seconds. Hollywood can be so cold.
I wonder how many Siouxlanders were waiting and watching and hoping that night, only to see what could have been considered a shot at fame fall to the cutting room floor. I still keep my three days as an actor on my resume. I feel it shows my versatility.
I also list under "work experience" the time I was a hand model, but that's another story.
Jesse Claeys can be reached at jesseclaeys@siouxcityjournal.com or 712-293-4221.
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Oscar Cardenas wrote on Apr 12, 2008 3:20 PM:
another lame essay wrote on Apr 11, 2008 6:17 PM: