Back in the day, actors really earned the ridiculous pay cheques studios handed them. In modern cinema Will Smith earns a billion just by showing up on set and smiling that (admittedly dazzling) trademark smile, but people like Buster Keaton literally nearly died to achieve some of the most amazing stunts that still hold up today. A scene in Sherlock Jr called for him to be doused in high pressure water from a pipe, which they achieved by blasting him with high pressure water from a pipe = he suffered several broken bones. Even crazier is Steamboat Bill Jr, where they collapsed a building on him. Had calculations been slightly off, he wouldn't have had the empty window frame pass over him. He'd be splattered to paste.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
