| Gerry Crampton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Gerald Crampton (1930-04-28)28 April 1930 Fulham, London, England |
| Died | 24 January 2009(2009-01-24) (aged 78) Surrey, England |
| Occupation(s) | Stunt performer, stunt coordinator, stunt double, actor |
| Years active | 1955 – 2008 |
Gerry Crampton (28 April 1930 – 24 January 2009) was a British stunt performer and stunt coordinator best known for his work in the James Bond film series.
Early life
The eldest of five children, Robert Gerald Crampton, was born in Fulham on 28 April 1930. His father, a keen amateur boxer, taught Gerry and his brothers to box. He also became a keen swimmer and taught himself to dive.
Gerry left school at the age of 14 to become a butcher's boy before returning to London in 1945, initially finding work at Ealing Studios as a sound assistant on David Lean's Great Expectations (1946). In 1948 Crampton was called up for his National Service and found himself working as a teletypist in the RAF.
After Gerry began bodybuilding, winning Britain's Mr Body Beautiful in 1956.
Career
Crampton's big chance in films came when he met the James Bond stunt coordinator, Bob Simmons, in 1960, who took him under his wing.
In 1967 he appeared in The Avengers episode entitled "Dead Man's Treasure" in the role of 1st Guest.
Crampton had a special expertise working in India where he first worked on Tarzan Goes to India in 1962 with Jock Mahoney. He was to return to India 48 more times in his career, working on countless Indian as well as British productions.
Personal life
Crampton married for the first time when he was 20, but the marriage lasted less than a year. He remarried three more times, each ending in divorce, but in later years he was always proud to say that he remained on friendly terms with three of his ex-wives.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | One Good Turn | Boxing Booth Assistant | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Fury at Smugglers' Bay | Wrecker | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Captain Clegg | Tattooed Sailor | Uncredited |
| 1962 | The Road to Hong Kong | Astronaut | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Sparrows Can't Sing | Pub Patron | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. | Resistance Member | Uncredited |
| 1967 | The Dirty Dozen | Staff Sergeant Alistair Clayton | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Attack on the Iron Coast | Commando | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Nobody Runs Forever | Rifleman | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Puppet on a Chain | Thug | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Death Line | Tunnel Worker | |
| 1976 | I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight | Party Guest | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Voyage of the Damned | Crewman | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Shaan | Henchman in climax | Uncredited |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | German Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1985 | The Bride | Gentleman | |
| 1988 | Willow | Nockmaar Lieutenant | Uncredited |
| 1992 | Blue Ice | Clubber | Uncredited |
| 1994 | The Jungle Book | Sgt. Major |
References
- "Gerry Crampton". The Daily Telegraph. 13 February 2009. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- Lewis, Roger (1997). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781557832481.
- ^ "Gerry Crampton - obituary". The Telegraph. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- Freese, Gene Scott (1 April 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786476435.
- ^ III, Harris M. Lentz (21 March 2016). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2009: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN 9780786456451.
- Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s
- Gerry Crampton A Tribute
- "Gerry Crampton: stuntman". The Times. 7 March 2009. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
External links
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