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.[1][2]
Gerry Crampton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Gerald Crampton 28 April 1930 |
| Died | 24 January 2009 (aged 78) Surrey, England |
| Occupation(s) | Stunt performer, stunt coordinator, stunt double, actor |
| Years active | 1955 – 2008 |
Early life edit
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.[3][4]
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.[5]
After Gerry began bodybuilding, winning Britain's Mr Body Beautiful in 1956.[6]
Career edit
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.[7]
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.[8] He was to return to India 48 more times in his career, working on countless Indian as well as British productions.[5]
Personal life edit
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.[3]
Filmography edit
| 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 edit
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b 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 edit
 | This biographical article related to film in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |