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The Stuntman's Fall

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Story Details

Story Number: 6 of 8 First Published: Black Mask Magazine, June 1940 Setting: Hollywood, 1940 Case Type: Murder investigation disguised as accident

Synopsis

When veteran stuntman Johnny "Crash" Sullivan dies in a seemingly routine car stunt, Marlowe is brought in by the deceased's brother to investigate. What looks like a tragic accident soon reveals itself to be a carefully orchestrated murder.

Marlowe's search for answers takes him into the adrenaline-fueled world of Hollywood stuntmen. He uncovers a tangled history of rivalries, old grudges, and dangerous competition for the most lucrative jobs. The case is further complicated by the victim's tumultuous love life, involving both the film's leading lady and the director's wife.

As Marlowe digs deeper, he exposes a dangerous game of one-upmanship between stuntmen, each trying to outdo the other with increasingly risky stunts. He also stumbles upon a scheme to sabotage the production, implicating everyone from jealous co-stars to the film's financially-troubled producers.

The investigation reaches its climax during the filming of the movie's dramatic final sequence. Marlowe must navigate a literal minefield of explosives, runaway vehicles, and collapsing sets to catch the killer. In a twist ending, Marlowe discovers that the intended target wasn't Johnny at all, but the star he was doubling for—a revelation that shakes the very foundations of the studio system and forces Marlowe to make a difficult choice between justice and Hollywood's status quo.

Key Themes

  • Invisible Labor: The unseen workers who make stars look good
  • Risk and Reward: Stuntmen risking lives for little recognition
  • Class Divide: Stars vs. the people who make them look heroic
  • Expendability: How Hollywood treats its working class

Social Commentary

Prescott's most pointed critique of Hollywood's class system: - Stuntmen who do the dangerous work get no credit - Stars reap all rewards and recognition - The industry's willingness to sacrifice workers - Economic desperation driving dangerous behavior

Memorable Quotes

"Johnny 'Crash' Sullivan had taken falls for the biggest stars in Hollywood. He'd been shot, blown up, thrown from horses, and run over by cars. All so some matinee idol could look tough without risking his million-dollar face."

"In Hollywood, stuntmen are like the editing room floor—essential to the final product, but completely invisible."

Action Sequences

Notable for Prescott's most elaborate action writing: - The fatal car stunt (reconstructed through investigation) - Marlowe dodging explosions on the active set - The climactic confrontation amid collapsing scenery

The Twist

The revelation that Johnny wasn't the intended victim adds complexity: - Questions about who knew what - Reframes earlier evidence - Implicates unexpected characters - Forces Marlowe to reevaluate the case

Semper curiosus. Semper creatrix.