A (0:00)

American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. None of the brands mentioned in the editorial content of this episode have endorsed, sponsored or are connected with American Scandal or its producers in any way. It's July 15, 1982 in the city of Rialto, California, 50 miles east of Los Angeles. 37 year old Dan Allingham pulls up alongside a low slung building on the edge of the local airport. Allingham is the unit production manager on the John Landis segment of Twilight the Movie and in his role as upm, Allingham is responsible for day to day logistics on the production which is already shooting back in la. But today his job has taken him to the offices of Western Helicopters. This charter company earns most of its money moving heavy equipment or helping farmers with crop control. But Western also has a growing sideline supplying aircraft to the movie business. The company owns a Huey helicopter that would be perfect for Landis big Vietnam War finale and its low rates have caught the attention of the Twilight Zone team. And at $800 an hour, Western charges a third less than more established companies. So Allingham is hopeful they'll be able to provide the production what they need. He's shown into the wood paneled office of the president of the company, Claire Merriweather. After a few minutes of small talk, Meriwether suggests they take a look at the aircraft outside. The company's helicopters are lined up on the tormach. Merriweather leads Allingham over to the large military chopper at the far end. Yeah, well here she is, the bell uh, 1B. You know her as a Huey. Allingham runs a hand over the helicopter's dark green aluminum skin. Wow, it's big. What is it, 40ft long? Yep. Just a little under. Yeah, much larger than it looks on tv. So if this is your first time seeing one, you, you didn't serve then? No, I was one of the lucky ones. Merryweather nods at the helicopter. Well, this bird did. She's ex army. We bought her from the Maryland State Police actually. So she's been around a block a time or two that she has, but she still flies beautifully in the right hands. You spoke to Dorsey, right? Yeah, on the phone yesterday. Is he here? Dorsey Wingo is Western's director of operations and its chief pilot. Merriweather peers across at the company's maintenance yard. Yeah, he'll be around somewhere. He flew one of these in Vietnam, you know, logged 900 hours, so should be perfect for what you have in mind? Sounds like it. But does he have any movie experience? He's done, I think, three pictures now. It's not a complicated stunt work you need, right? Just routine maneuvers, hovering and turning, that sort of thing? Yeah, that's right. Well, then he'll do just fine. Well, great. So what do you say we go back inside and get this all signed off? Merriweather pauses for a moment. Well, there is one thing I want to know. You'll take good care of her? Well, of course we will. See, we hired out a Hughes 500 to another production last year, and it came back with $10,000 worth of rotor damage on. Oh, what happened? Some kind of pyrotechnic special effect. An explosion. I don't know what you call it. A mortar. Oh, yeah. Sounds right. Well, it went off at the wrong time. Debris hit the chopper and made a real mess. Oh, man. Could have been a lot worse, too. Now, my understanding is you're planning to use these mortars as well, right? Yeah, there will be some special effects on set, but our mortar guy, he's the best in Hollywood. Seriously, he'll make sure the explosions aren't anywhere near the helicopter. Well, that's good to hear, because I'm fond of her, you know. Meriwether pats the chopper affectionately and Ellingham smiles. I promise we'll bring her home in one piece. We have a mantra on set, Mr. Merriweather. It's simple, and it applies to everyone from the director right down to the caterers. Safety first. With Dan Allingham's assurances that his helicopter will be treated properly, Claire Merriweather signs on the dotted line. So as Allingham drives back to Los Angeles, he's pleased with his afternoon's work. He's got the helicopter they need. Need at a good price, too. But filming on the Vietnam Village set is scheduled to begin in less than a week, and two other crucial components for the sequence are still missing. You're listening to the first episode of this American Scandal season. With Wondery Plus. You can binge the remaining episodes, listen to new episodes early, and explore more exclusive seasons completely ad free. Start your free trial of Wondery plus in the Wondery app and Apple podcasts or Spotify Today. From Wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal. By mid July 1982, John Landis segment of the Twilight Zone. The movie was progressing well. Filming on the Universal backlot in Los Angeles had finished and the production had moved on to Franklin Canyon in Beverly Hills. There, the crew filmed Vic Morrow's Lead character encountering the Ku Klux Klan. Still ahead, though, was the most ambitious sequence in the entire movie. This nighttime scene was set in a Vietnamese village and would feature a boy and a girl being rescued from an attack by an American helicopter. But the movie's casting agents had been uneasy with the children's involvement. They believed what the production had in mind violated state labor codes. So they declined to help fill the roles. Instead, the task of finding suitable actors fell to Twilight Zone's producer, George Folsey Jr. Folsey had worked with John Landis for more than a decade and had total belief in him. He was sure that together they were going to the very top of Hollywood and he wasn't going to let anything stand in their way. He would get Landis what he needed, no matter what. This is episode two. It's going to be big. It's July 16, 1982, on the set of Twilight the Movie at the Franklin Canyon Reservoir in Los Angeles, California. Producer George Falzi Jr. Makes his way past the trailers and equipment trucks toward the catering area. Gathered around a table in the corner are two families with young children talking excitedly. Folsey strides over, a broad smile on his face. A few days ago, Folsey was on the verge of despair. He needed to find a boy and girl for the Vietnam village sequence, but he didn't know where to look until he remembered a psychiatrist friend who volunteered at a community center with a large Asian clientele. With this friend's help, Folsey had now found two young actors. Seven year old Mika Dinh Le, the son of two refugees from Vietnam, and six year old Rene Chi Chen, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Folsey has invited them to the set today to meet with the director, John Landis. And after introducing himself, Folsey takes a seat at the table and explains what the children will have to do if they pass their audition. So this is what's going to happen. You two are going to be playing kids who live in a village by the river. But there's a war going on and somehow during an attack by the bad guys, you two get left behind. Rene and Micah stare at Folsey, their eyes wide. Sounds a little scary, right? But that's when you meet a stranger, a kind man who protects you and carries you across the river to somewhere safe. It's really a small part of the movie, but perhaps the most important. In fact, I think you two will steal the show. Renee and Meka smile shyly. Folsey smiles back until out of the corner of his Eye he spots John Landis. Oh, here comes the man himself. Hey, John. John Landis walks over. John, these are the great kids I was telling you about. Everyone, this is John Landis. He's the director of the movie, the guy who tells us all what to do. John, I'd love you to meet Renee and her mom and dad. Hello. Nice to meet you. And this little future movie star here is Micah. His dad couldn't make it tonight, but this is his mom. Hello. It's a pleasure. Now, John, I was just telling everyone about the great finale we've got planned. And how important these kids will be to the entire movie. Oh, yeah, it's going to be huge. It's going to be spectacular. We're going to have this big helicopter and these big explosions going off everywhere. It's going to be awesome. Across the table f He sees the parents exchange glances, but he smiles reassuringly. It'll be just like watching fireworks. You. You like fireworks, kids, right? Fourth of July and all that? Two children not well. This will be even better. Better. Now, could you all excuse it for just a moment? There's something I need to discuss with John, but I'll be right back. Wolsey gets to his feet, and he and John step away from the families. Well, what do you think? You asked for adorable, and I think that's what we've got. Landis peers over at the children. What do you think they weigh, like 40 pounds? Something like that. They're skinny. Should be easy enough for Vic to carry, right? I think so. So you're happy with them? We can get them signed up. Landis nods and slaps Folsey on the arm. I knew you'd find them. Tell them I'll see them at Indian Dunes next week. George Folsey Jr. Returns to the families and assures them that what they're planning is perfectly safe. The helicopter and the explosions will all look dramatic on the big screen. But that's just movie magic. The kids will never be in any real danger. What he doesn't tell the parents is what they are doing is illegal. There are strict rules in California governing the use of children on movie sets. And they do not permit nighttime shoots with helicopters and explosive special effects. If word of the children's involvement gets out, the studio or the authorities will almost certainly shut them down. So Folsey is doing everything he can to keep it all a secret. Copies of the scripts are kept under lock and key. The call sheets which record who needs to be on set and when. Omit the children entirely and any other documents that might reveal the truth are kept away from prying eyes. So with these precautions in place, filming at Indian Dunes gets underway on the evening of July 20, 1982. Indian Dunes is a popular location for Hollywood productions just outside LA. It's crucially still within the studio zone, an imaginary 30 mile radius of Hollywood where union cast and crew have to cover their own transportation costs. So it's the ideal spot for a production looking to save money. The property also has over 600 acres of varying landscapes, from green hills to forests to flat deserts to jungle like riverbeds. Importantly for the Twilight Zone team, it's especially well suited to shooting at night. Although it's less than an hour's drive from downtown Los Angeles, it seems far more remote. Directors can choose wide dramatic angles without any worries about the background being spoiled by city lines. And for the finale of Twilight, the movie, the production has chosen a spot on the property on the banks of the Santa Clarita River. It's a dramatic location with large cliffs framing the scene. And on a sandy strip of land beside the water, the production team has built 11 Vietnamese style huts out of bamboo, thatch, cardboard and tree branches. It's here that Vic Morrow's character, Bill Connor, will discover two stranded children and rescue them from an attacking American helicopter. The script calls for Connor to pick them up and carry them across the river under constant rocket and gunfire. But the destruction of the village will be the last scene to be shot. First they have to film the confused Connor's arrival in Vietnam. The script has him hop across time and space, inhabiting the bodies of people the bigot Connor has hated. A Jew in Nazi France, an African American facing the kkk. And now in the final sequence, he finds himself in Vietnam, hiding from a group of Viet Cong soldiers. Once they pass though, he spots a squad of American GIs and rushes out toward them shouting help. I'm an American. But they only see a Vietnamese civilian and open fire. As the crew finish setting up the shot, Vic Morrow takes up his position half submerged in the river. He's exhausted because although the shoot for John Landis segment is not a long one, it's very physical and almost every scene is a chase. Morrow has used a stunt double for the more dangerous shots, like when his character had to shimmy along a high ledge to escape Nazi soldiers. But for the most part, it's been Morrow who's been doing all the running and jumping. So now, warily, Morrow prepares for more of the same. For this shot, director John Landis wants the Banana plants behind Morrow to be shredded by a hail of gunfire as he leaps aside at the last moment. So, just off camera, special effects foreman Paul Stewart waits. With an air powered gun, he fires small marble like projectiles that should be enough to rip apart the vegetation. Soon the shout of action echoes across the set and the camera whirrs. Morrow flings himself into the water as Stuart opens fire. But Landis quickly calls cut. He's not happy with the effect. Many of the marbles are just bouncing off the large leaves instead of shredding them. There's no sense of danger. It doesn't look real, so they'll need to try something else. Wading out of the water, Morrow takes a seat because this could take a while. He smiles a thank you at a production assistant who brings him a towel to keep him warm, then listens in as Landis and Stuart debate what to do. Landis is almost hopping he's so worked up. Morro shakes his head. Landis doesn't ever seem to get tired. Stuart suggests using squibs, small explosive charges that will rip the banana plants apart on cue. But when Landis hears how long it will take to set up, he rejects the idea. They don't have the time. So Stuart suggests a simpler solution, using live ammunition. When Morrow hears this, he strides over and demands to know what the plan is. Stuart explains that he has some Remington 12 gauge shotguns in his truck. A few blasts from those should give Landis the effect he's after. But Morrow is deeply uncomfortable with the idea. It sounds like they'll be shooting almost right at him. Stuart reassures him that he'll be well clear of the plans before they open fire. Still, Moreau insists that they all walk through the scene several times before he agrees to anything. So with Morro reluctantly on board, the camera is reset and once again on cue, he jumps into the water. He swims over to where Paul Stewart and the two other special effects men are waiting with the guns. They pull him clear, then lower their weapons and blast the banana plants to pieces. Calling cut. Once again, Landis smiles. It's just what he was looking for. The idea is that in the finished film, the gap between Morrow's dive and the plants being destroyed will be edited out to make it look like he only just avoids gunfire. But to several of the crew around Indian Dunes, bringing guns and live ammunition onto set all seems like an unnecessary risk. Especially to save only the time to set up squibs. Still, the shot is in the can and no one got hurt, so production can Move on. Dawn is approaching by the time they finish shooting for the night and the exhausted cast and crew head home. But they won't get long to rest. They'll all need to be back at Indian Dunes the following afternoon for the final night of filming. But while the production team tries to sleep in the Pasadena home of the Lee family, seven year old Meke is wide awake and counting down the hours. Micah loves movies, so when his dad told him that he had the chance to appear in a real Hollywood picture, it was like a dream come true. Micah doesn't much care about the $500 the producers have promised. Instead, he's fixated on becoming a movie star. A few hours later, the studio van arrives, with producer George Falzy Jr. Having come to pick them up himself. The entire family is coming along. Micah, his mom and dad, and his little brother. They all pile into the van, which then drives south to Cerritos. There they pick up Renee Chen and her family before looping back around and heading north to Indian Dunes. Meka is bouncing on his seat all the way through the Hollywood Hills. After about an hour and a half in the van, they finally turn off the state highway and head down a dirt track. It's still a few miles to the location, and as Mika peers out the window, eager for his first glimpse of the set, George Folsey turns around from the front seat, smiling. He asks if the kids are excited and Meke nods enthusiastically. Then Folsey looks at the parents. He thanks them for letting the kids come along, but says that if anyone asks why they're all here, they should answer that they're friends of his visiting the set. Luckily, there are a lot of guests expected tonight. It's the last day of principal photography and a party is planned afterward, so the Li and Chen families should should blend right in. They just have to make sure they don't mention the $500 they're being paid or the fact that their children have come here to work. No one is to know about that until the shots John Landis needs are safely in the can. Hello, American Scandal listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. The very first show will be at the Granada Theater in Dallas, Texas on March 6th. Going to be a thrilling evening of history, storytelling and music with a full band behind me as we look back to explore the days that made America. And they aren't the days you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4, 1776, but there are many other days that are maybe even more influential and certainly more scandalous. So come out to see me live in Dallas or for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to americanhistorylive.com that's americanhistorylive.com Come see my days that Made America Tour live on stage. Go to americanhistorylive.com. On the afternoon of July 21, 1982, pilot Dorsey Wingo flies up to Indian Dunes from Rialto in the rented huey helicopter. At 36 years old, Wingo is the director of operations for Western Helicopters. He's never worked on a movie as big as this before, but he has other relevant experience. He's a Vietnam veteran. After landing at a makeshift helipad just downstream of the location, the chopper is prepared for its big scene. A studio artist arrives and adds authentic military style nose art below the cockpit, a large Eagle with the words Fly by Night Employment emblazoned underneath a production in Joke. With that done, Wingo conducts several reconnaissance flights over the village set to get the lay of the land while it's still light. He doesn't want to run into any trees or power lines. Later, when shooting gets underway and once he's satisfied, he returns to the helipad. Two 50 caliber machine guns are then strapped to the sides of the Huey along with a powerful Night sun searchlight. Finally, Wingo puts on a familiar Vietnam era flight suit and takes to the skies for his first scene. He is joined on board the helicopter by Unit production manager Dan Allingham. He'll be operating the Searchlight, making sure its beam stays on the actors below. A unit production manager like Allingham wouldn't normally be expected on set, let alone be placed in charge of a major special effect. But that's the ethos of John Landis Twilight Zone team. Everyone is pitching in to get the segment made on time and on budget. The first setup is a simple one that won't involve any actors or special effects. Instead, Dorsey Wingo just has to pilot his chopper over the cliff at the back of the set while the camera captures his arrival from the village below. It should be a relatively quick shot, the perfect warm up for the more complex scenes planned for later in the night. Wingo maneuvers the helicopter into position above the village set. Landis has explained how he wants the helicopter to emerge from behind a particular tree on the edge of the cliff. It sounded easy enough when Wingo was given the instructions, but now that he's up in the air, he's struggling to work out which tree Landis meets. He turns to Dan Allingham who's sitting in the chair next to him.