Tragedy in the Twilight Zone

       
          "How did I let them talk me into doing this scene? 
                    I should have asked for a stunt double."

--Vic Morrow, 1982

"I'm not going up in the helicopter.  I have a premonition that I'm going to get killed in a helicopter crash."
--Vic Morrow, 1974

In 1982, Steven Spielberg decided to bring the The Twilight Zone to the big screen.  The acclaimed television series was known for its brilliant storytelling that combined science fiction, horror, and morality plays, elements that Spielberg himself would often employ.  He decided to produce four 30-minute segments for the film, each of which would be overseen by a then-prominent Hollywood director.  Spielberg himself directed one story, as did Joe Dante, George Miller and John Landis.  Watch the original trailer here.

Three of the directors opted to take classic episodes of the original series and modernize them for the 1980s.  Spielberg himself had planned to do a remake of the fan favorite "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," a story of fear and paranoia in a small town.  But more on that later.  

For his part, John Landis decided to make an original story that would open the film.  Titled "Time Out," it focused on a bigoted man named Bill Connor, who would get to experience life through the eyes and skin of those he had oppressed.  Here's his introduction in the film.  Viewer discretion is advised.

Connor would be played by veteran actor Vic Morrow (born Victor Morozoff), most notable for his role on the 1960s series Combat!  Morrow had a string of successful films padding his resume, including Blackboard Jungle, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and The Bad News Bears.  By the 1980s however, he was finding work hard to come by, and he jumped at the chance to appear in the Spielberg production.  

Production of "Time Out" began in June 1982.  It would show Morrow jumping from one time period to another, appearing to those he would meet as a Jewish man during the Holocaust, an African-American man being chased by the Ku Klux Klan, and finally a Vietnamese soldier being hunted by the U.S. Army.  As written, the story would end with Morrow redeeming himself by saving two Vietnamese children from certain death.  While that's how it ended in the script, it would be just the opposite in real life.

Scenes involving heavy stunt work were often shot at Indian Dunes,
including this record-breaking jump from
The Dukes of Hazzard.

The pivotal scene was filmed at Indian Dunes, about 30 miles from Los Angeles.  The wide, open spaces it provided made it a popular filming location for movies and television series.  It was also possible to use pyrotechnics on site, a fact that would play into this story with tragic results.  Finally, it offered a variety of different geographic environments.  To Landis, it presented a perfect representation of the jungles of Vietnam.

Landis hired seven-year-old My-ca Dinh Le and six-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen for the scene.  As it was to be filmed well after midnight, he opted to violate California's child labor laws that forbid such shooting schedules.  While he felt he could get a permit for shooting late at night, he knew he'd never get one for a shoot involving explosives.  To avoid this problem, Landis paid the kids under the table and hoped that no one would notice.

The scene called for a UH-1B helicopter to pursue Morrow and the kids through the jungles of Vietnam.  Landis hired Dorcey Wingo, a Vietnam veteran, to pilot the chopper.  He'd also have a camera crew on board to film the sequence from the air.

As the scene began, Morrow carried the kids through a river while Wingo stationed his chopper just 25 feet above.  The pyrotechnics were detonated, and it became readily apparent that the chopper was in serious jeopardy.  Despite this, crew members would later testify to hearing Landis radio Wingo to "get lower.....get lower....get lower!"

A large mortar effect was detonated just under the tail-rotor, which instantly detached.  The chopper spun out of control before finally crashing into the three actors.  Morrow and Le were decapitated by the rotor blade while Chen was crushed to death by the right landing skid.  You can view the entire sequence here.  Despite the nature of what you'll see, it's not particularly graphic, given the distance from which it was shot.

Landis, Wingo and three others faced legal action that lasted nearly a decade.  Chen and Le's parents testified that they'd never been notified of the use of explosives on set.  Le's father, who'd actually fled Vietnam himself, added that it was worse than anything he saw in the actual war.  Despite this, Landis was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.



Landis waves to his fans.

In between the lawsuits, Landis found time to produce Trading Places, Spies Like Us and Coming to America.   They were all huge moneymakers, so Hollywood was quick to forgive him.  Spielberg however, not so much.  He distanced himself from Landis and went out of his way to have as little to do with the film as possible.  He shelved his original "Monsters on Maple Street" remake, opting for a more family friendly story for the film.  He chose to redo "Kick the Can," an episode that hardly anyone even remembered, about hilarity and hijinks at an old folks home.  He shot the piece in just six days, then washed his hands of the entire project.  The two directors remain estranged to this day.

The film was released on June 24, 1983.  It was a modest success.  Film critics tended to review it as four separate works, often rating the Landis segment as least enjoyable.  Roger Ebert referred to "Time Out" as "predictable," adding that "Landis does nothing to surprise us." 

Vic Morrow was laid to rest at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles.  Incredibly, Landis not only attended but also chose to speak, telling mourners he was "proud to have directed Vic in what Vic himself considered the best performance of his career."  Now that's a Landis video I'd love to see.

Location: Hillside Memorial Park
Plot: Mount of Olives, Block 5, Plot 80, Grave 1
Inscription: "I Loved Him as "Dad." To Everyone Else He was "Vic.""

My-ca Dinh Le was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress. 

Location: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Cypress)
Plot: Churchyard, Lot 1939, Space 1
Inscription: "Thank God For Showing Us The Greatest is Love.  Lo I am With You Alway."

Renee Shin-Ye Chen was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

Location: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Plot: Everlasting Love, Lot 3707, Space 1
Inscription: "Beloved Daughter and Granddaughter."

Trivia 

• Author Stephen Farber published a fascinating account of the accident and the subsequent trials.  Outageous Conduct: Art, Ego, and the Twilight Zone Case is available at Amazon.
  
• Six Feet Under Hollywood visits the grave of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling.
  
• The only person associated with the film I've ever met or spoken to is 80s rocker Cherie Currie, who appears in the film's third installment, a remake of the classic episode "It's a Good Life."  When asked if she had recollections of the accident or it's effect on the film's production, Currie had nothing to say.  Just like her character in the film.