Danger on the Silver Screen

Whether it's an exhilarating car chase, comedic pratfall, intense fight scene, or a dramatic leap from the top of a building, there is something about watching a well-executed stunt that leaves audiences in awe. When you think of stunts and stunt professionals, the first thing that comes to mind might be the last action or adventure movies you watched, however, this craft is an essential part of filmmaking across all genres and eras.

TCM's Danger on the Silver Screen is a book for both general film lovers-and stunt aficionados-that aims to highlight the history, evolution, and amazing stories of the stunt professionals and film crew took to create some of the most influential and memorable stunts in cinema. Featuring 40 films spanning from the silent era to modern blockbusters, each chapter will include an entertaining profile of the film, the iconic or influential stunt(s) and how they were executed, along with behind-the-scenes stories and interviews from cast and crew. Each chapter helps pull together a interconnected history of stunt work and its importance and evolution in the film industry, offering readers a unique perspective into some of their favorite films as well as the influence of this essential element in filmmaking.

From Buster Keaton's "house gag" (where a house falls apart around him leaving him standing in the rubble unharmed) to the heart-stopping car chases in Ronin, to the comedic stunts and gags of The Blues Brothers, and the meticulously planned fight choreography of John Wick, and many more, Danger on the Silver Screen sheds a new light on both classic and modern movies in a way that is sure to delight and entertain movie lovers of all kinds.

About the Author

Scott McGee is a senior director of Original Productions at Turner Classic Movies. He is also a programmer for TCM's annual film festival in Hollywood and the lead programmer for the TCM Classic Cruise, and has been a presenter at many of TCM's past festivals and other industry conventions.

Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. We entertain and enlighten to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.