Joe Powell obit

Joe Powell, stuntman – obituary

 

He was not on the list.

After stuntman Joe Powell accepted a £50 job to jump out of a plane clutching a dummy, his disappearance to the loo for an inordinate amount of time fuelled speculation he had lost his nerve.

Nothing could have been further from the truth: the veteran commando, whose daredevil credits include three Bond films and an account of the D-Day Landings he had fought in, was simply trying to figure out how the parachute fitted. He had never leapt out of a plane before.

It was utterly typical of the way he worked – on the hoof, to make the sequence more authentic.

“You don’t have time to be scared,” he once explained. “If you stop to think about what you are doing you wouldn’t do it. These days you still see stuntmen falling off cliffs and going straight into a perfect dive. I didn’t have any training so when I performed a stunt the audience were literally seeing someone fall off a cliff – it made it more realistic.”

Though he didn’t have any formal training for the stunt world of the movies, he had a head start courtesy of the gruelling regime the commandos had to conquer as they were put through their paces in the Highlands during the Second World War.

Powell, the son of public house proprietors Joseph Augustus Horatio Powell and his wife Ada, was born at the Shepherd and Flock pub in London’s Shepherd’s Bush. One of six children – his brother Eddie also became a stuntman – he learned to box as a young boy and joined the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers Cadet Corps.

After leaving school at 14 he signed up for the Grenadier Guards in 1939, aged 17, and trained at Chelsea Barracks. He was posted to Troon in Ayrshire after volunteering for the Special Forces and served with No 4 Commando under Lord Lovat. He learned mountain warfarefrom a base camp at Braemar but from 1942 the Commando training centre was at Achnacarry in the West Highlands, a forbidding establishment known as Castle Commando.

All recruits were expected to be at peak physical fitness at all times and in fighting order – able to run and march seven miles in an hour. Such high standards were maintained through punishing exercises with live ammunition and explosives, often in appalling weather conditions. They also needed to be experts in a range of skills including unarmed combat, seamanship, demolition and sabotage plus cliff and mountain climbing – no cliffs are insurmountable, they were told.

It was all perfect preparation for a life beyond soldiering. However he didn’t fall into his new role until he had seen extensive action in Europe, been Mentioned in Dispatches and won the Croix de Guerre.

He took part in Operation Abercrombie, a reconnaissance raid near Boulogne, in April 1942, manning an anti-tank gun from an assault landing craft. Lord Lovat received the Military Cross for the operation. Then 4 Commando’s next major raid was at Dieppe that August. And in June 1944 Powell was part of Operation Overlord, the D-Day Landings. They were the first commandos to reach the beach and stormed the heavy fortifications of Ouistreham (Sword Beach) taking out several gun positions. He was photographed that day helping to carry a wounded colleague.

Then in November that year he took part in Operation Infatuate, the attack on Flushing. By this time they were veterans of amphibious assaults, Powell was seconded to a Marine Commando unit for the mission and landed at Walcheren, with the aim of silencing the enemy guns that were hindering their passage from the Scheldt river estuary to the port of Antwerp which was in the hands of the Germans.

He spent most of the remainder of the war on patrol duties but was also involved in fighting the Nazi Werwolf troops, who were determined to continue the battle even after the German surrender, and guarding POW camps holding concentration camp personnel. He had reached the rank of sergeant and, in his spare time, had also learned to ride in Germany.

His stunt career began when a chance meeting at a bus stop with actor Dennis Price led to him being invited to Shepherd’s Bush studios. Price had indicated that the studios were looking for some strapping chaps for a film. Powell turned up, asked with some trepidation for Price, who unbeknown to him was already an established actor, and was then taken on as an extra. Bit parts in various films followed but he was paid more to ride a motorbike into a tree. He spotted a gap in the market and, along with former SAS hero Jock Easton, founded the country’s first professional stunt team.

Powell worked on scores of films including The Guns of Navarone, The Longest Day, Zulu, The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. In the 1975 film The Man Who Would Be King he performed a death-defying stunt for Sean Connery, walking a rope bridge, launching himself 100ft down a cliff and landing on a tiny shelf. Michael Caine reportedly couldn’t watch it and director John Huston said it was “the darndest stunt” he’d ever seen. It was named one of the ten greatest stunts.

He performed other high falls for: A Night to Remember, filmed partly in Clydebank; The Guns of Navarone when he plunged 90ft into the sea; Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, when he plummeted 60ft. He was a double for Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins and Telly Savalas, among others.

Powell, who lived latterly in St Leonards-on-Sea, suffered various broken bones and was killed off spectacularly in numerous films. As he once said, after a particularly trying stunt, what a way to make a living.

Married twice, he was predeceased by his wives, Marguerite, known as Clem, and Juliet, and his daughter Shelley. He is survived by his sons John, Nick, Julian, Alex and daughter Penelope.

Stunts

Sigourney Weaver and Michael Caine in Half Moon Street (1986)

Half Moon Street

5.4

stunt arranger

1986

 

Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, and Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill (1985)

A View to a Kill

6.3

stunt arranger (uncredited)

1985

 

Top Secret! (1984)

Top Secret!

7.2

stunt arranger

stunt performer (uncredited)

1984

 

Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce (1984)

Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce

4.5

fight arranger

1984

 

The Final Option (1982)

The Final Option

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1982

 

Brian Blessed, Max von Sydow, and Sam J. Jones in Flash Gordon (1980)

Flash Gordon

6.5

stunts (uncredited)

1980

 

Lewis Collins, Gordon Jackson, and Martin Shaw in The Professionals (1977)

The Professionals

8.0

TV Series

stunts

1980

1 episode

 

James Mason, Roger Moore, and Anthony Perkins in North Sea Hijack (1980)

North Sea Hijack

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1980

 

James Mason, Anthony Quinn, Kay Lenz, and Paul Clemens in The Passage (1979)

The Passage

6.0

stunt arranger

1979

 

Caravans (1978)

Caravans

5.9

stunts (uncredited)

1978

 

Death on the Nile (1978)

Death on the Nile

7.3

stunts (uncredited)

1978

 

John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in The Sweeney (1975)

The Sweeney

8.1

TV Series

stunts

1975–1978

2 episodes

 

Golden Rendezvous (1977)

Golden Rendezvous

5.4

stunt arranger

1977

 

Barry Foster in Van der Valk (1972)

Van der Valk

7.0

TV Series

stunt arranger

1977

2 episodes

 

Rudolf Nureyev and Michelle Phillips in Valentino (1977)

Valentino

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1977

 

The Squeeze (1977)

The Squeeze

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1977

 

Peter Cushing, Doug McClure, and Caroline Munro in At the Earth's Core (1976)

At the Earth's Core

5.0

stunt arranger (uncredited)

1976

 

Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

The Man Who Would Be King

7.7

stunt double: Sean Connery

stunts (uncredited)

1975

 

The Land That Time Forgot (1974)

The Land That Time Forgot

5.6

stunts

1974

 

Jon Voight and Mary Tamm in The Odessa File (1974)

The Odessa File

7.0

stunts (uncredited)

1974

 

11 Harrowhouse (1974)

11 Harrowhouse

6.2

stunt adviser

stunt arranger

1974

 

The MacKintosh Man (1973)

The MacKintosh Man

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1973

 

Sidney Poitier and Ester Anderson in A Warm December (1973)

A Warm December

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1973

 

Fear Is the Key (1972)

Fear Is the Key

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1972

 

Young Winston (1972)

Young Winston

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1972

 

Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)

The Last Valley

7.0

stunts (uncredited)

1971

 

Peter O'Toole in Murphy's War (1971)

Murphy's War

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1971

 

The Last Grenade (1970)

The Last Grenade

5.3

stunts (uncredited)

1970

 

Hell Boats (1970)

Hell Boats

5.5

stunt coordinator

stunts (uncredited)

1970

 

Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, and George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

6.7

stunt double: Blofeld (uncredited)

1969

 

Mosquito Squadron (1969)

Mosquito Squadron

5.7

stunts (uncredited)

1969

 

Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure in Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Where Eagles Dare

7.6

stunt arranger

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

Great Catherine (1968)

Great Catherine

5.3

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

Attack on the Iron Coast (1968)

Attack on the Iron Coast

5.5

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

The Dirty Dozen

7.7

stunts

1967

 

Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice (1967)

You Only Live Twice

6.8

stunt rigger

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Africa: Texas Style (1967)

Africa: Texas Style

5.3

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Casino Royale (1967)

Casino Royale

5.0

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, and Roberta Tovey in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)

Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

5.9

stunts

1966

 

Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier in Khartoum (1966)

Khartoum

6.8

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Senta Berger, and Yul Brynner in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)

Cast a Giant Shadow

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

The Heroes of Telemark (1965)

The Heroes of Telemark

6.5

stunts (uncredited)

1965

 

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965)

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

7.0

stunts (uncredited)

1965

 

Anthony Quinn and James Coburn in A High Wind in Jamaica (1965)

A High Wind in Jamaica

6.5

stunt double: Anthony Quinn (uncredited)

1965

 

Mister Moses (1965)

Mister Moses

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1965

 

Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

The Masque of the Red Death

6.9

stunts (uncredited)

1964

 

633 Squadron (1964)

633 Squadron

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1964

 

Zulu (1964)

Zulu

7.7

stunt arranger

stunt double: Jack Hawkins

stunts (uncredited)

1964

 

Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rex Harrison in Cleopatra (1963)

Cleopatra

7.0

stunts (uncredited)

1963

 

Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Peter O'Toole, José Ferrer, and Jack Hawkins in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Lawrence of Arabia

8.3

stunts (uncredited)

1962

 

Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Sean Connery, Sal Mineo, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Red Buttons, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, Paul Anka, Arletty, Mel Ferrer, Steve Forrest, Gert Fröbe, Fabian, Jean-Louis Barrault, Bourvil, Ray Danton, Irina Demick, Leo Genn, Henry Grace, John Gregson, Paul Hartmann, Werner Hinz, Curd Jürgens, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Christian Marquand, Kenneth More, Edmond O'Brien, Ron Randell, Madeleine Renaud, Robert Ryan, Tommy Sands, Richard Todd, Tom Tryon, Peter van Eyck, and Stuart Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day

7.7

stunts (uncredited)

1962

 

Billy Budd (1962)

Billy Budd

7.8

stunts (uncredited)

1962

 

David Niven, Gregory Peck, and Anthony Quinn in The Guns of Navarone (1961)

The Guns of Navarone

7.5

stunt coordinator

stunt double: Anthony Quinn

stunts (uncredited)

1961

 

"Exodus" (Saul Bass Poster) 1960 Columbia Pictures

Exodus

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1960

 

A Night to Remember (1958)

A Night to Remember

7.9

stunts: High fall into water

1958

 

The Steel Bayonet (1957)

The Steel Bayonet

6.2

stunts (uncredited)

1957

 

Gordon Scott in Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)

Tarzan and the Lost Safari

5.7

stunt coordinator (uncredited)

1957

 

Anita Ekberg and Victor Mature in Zarak (1956)

Zarak

5.5

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Gregory Peck in Moby Dick (1956)

Moby Dick

7.3

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Alexander the Great (1956)

Alexander the Great

5.8

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Helen of Troy (1956)

Helen of Troy

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

The Master of Ballantrae (1953)

The Master of Ballantrae

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1953

 

The Crimson Pirate (1952)

The Crimson Pirate

7.1

stunts (uncredited)

1952

 

Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo in Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

Captain Horatio Hornblower

7.3

stunts (uncredited)

1951

 

Robert Newton in Waterfront Women (1950)

Waterfront Women

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1950

 

The Spider and the Fly (1949)

The Spider and the Fly

6.7

stunt performer (uncredited)

1949

 

The Hideout (1948)

The Hideout

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1948

 

Actor

Top Secret! (1984)

Top Secret!

7.2

Underwater Cowboy (uncredited)

1984

 

Golden Rendezvous (1977)

Golden Rendezvous

5.4

Male Nurse

1977

 

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

The Pink Panther Strikes Again

7.1

Taxi Passenger

1976

 

Nigel Davenport, Maurice Roëves, and Michael Witney in Oil Strike North (1975)

Oil Strike North

6.0

TV Series

Mate

1975

1 episode

 

11 Harrowhouse (1974)

11 Harrowhouse

6.2

Hickey

1974

 

Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)

The Last Valley

7.0

Kaas (uncredited)

1971

 

Attack on the Iron Coast (1968)

Attack on the Iron Coast

5.5

Commando Sergeant (uncredited)

1968

 

The Avengers (1961)

The Avengers

8.3

TV Series

Martin (uncredited)

1967

1 episode

 

The Heroes of Telemark (1965)

The Heroes of Telemark

6.5

Quisling (uncredited)

1965

 

The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)

The Brigand of Kandahar

5.4

Color Sergeant

1965

 

Zulu (1964)

Zulu

7.7

Sgt. Windridge

1964

 

Heidi Brühl and Guy Williams in Captain Sindbad (1963)

Captain Sindbad

5.5

1963

 

The World's Greatest Sinner (1962)

The World's Greatest Sinner

6.3

Follower

1962

 

Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell, and Forrest Tucker in The Abominable Snowman (1957)

The Abominable Snowman

6.4

Yeti (uncredited)

1957

 

Wendell Corey, Margaret Lockwood, Ronald Shiner, and Forrest Tucker in Laughing Anne (1953)

Laughing Anne

5.8

Pierre

1953

 

Cardboard Cavalier (1949)

Cardboard Cavalier

5.9

Rider (uncredited)

1949

 

Casting Department

Genghis Khan (1965)

Genghis Khan

5.8

extras casting (uncredited)

1965

 

55 Days at Peking (1963)

55 Days at Peking

6.7

extras casting (uncredited)

1963

 

William Holden and Nancy Kwan in The World of Suzie Wong (1960)

The World of Suzie Wong

6.9

extras casting (uncredited)

1960

 

Ingrid Bergman, Robert Donat, and Curd Jürgens in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

7.2

extras casting (uncredited)

1958