When the cast of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963) first assembled for a meeting with director Stanley Kramer, they were shown the stunts and second unit footage that had already been shot.
Buddy Hackett was so impressed that he went to Kramer and asked, “What do you need US for?”
The billboard that the twin-engine Beechcraft flies through was made of thin balsa wood, except for a thicker frame for support.
Stunt pilot Frank Tallman had to fly the aircraft directly through the center of the billboard or the thicker frame would shear off a wing.
The billboard was located in Irvine, at what is now the intersection of Interstate 405 and Hwy. 133 (Laguna Canyon), near Lion Country Safari, just east of John Wayne Airport.
They had practiced with paper signs, but used balsa wood for the actual movie stunt.
The wood stopped one engine and the other was sputtering enough that the plane barely made it back to John Wayne Airport.
Because it was pretty much trashed during the making of the movie, soon after filming ended, the plane was flown to nearby Ontario Airport to be displayed outside of the Planes of Fame Air Museum. Sadly, the Beech 18 would never fly again.
She remained at the air museum until 1973, after which time it was transported, the few miles, up to Chaffey College’s Aeronautics’ Dept. There, this most unlikely of stunt planes stood proud, looking just as sleek and powerful as when she was a big star on the silver screen.
The cast of the film was in awe of Spencer Tracy and spent much of their time between scenes keeping him amused.
Rooney and Hackett delighted him with off-color take-offs on “Boys Town” (1938), in which Rooney had co-starred with Tracy. (IMDb)
Happy Birthday, Buddy Hackett!