froboess

One of the pioneers of modern movie stuntmen was Harry Arias Froboess (1899-1985).

Born in Bern, Switzerland Harry began swimming and diving at a very young age. He credits his mother with teaching him to be a ＂jumping fish＂ and his father with teaching him gymnastics. His athletic ability won him many championships as well as representing Switzerland in the Olympic Games.

An outgrowth of his swimming and diving ability was his participation in stunts. He did stunt doubling for many stars in silent films. Froboess avoided the early issues with performing stunts by going through all security precautions and trying to assess all possible risks. His great breakthrough in the film business came with the Harry-Hill movies. In these movies he climbed from a train traveling at breakneck speed into an airplane, finally pulling himself up into a shackle balloon.

He jumped from higher and higher bridges and towers into water which finally culminated in a leap from a Zeppelin from a height of 110m into the Bodensee.

In another movie he threw himself down from a 60m high bridge together with a horse and this stunt was called the ＂greatest movie sensation of the world＂ (Cover photo).