Fatal Magic

On the 20th Century-Fox lot in Hollywood one day last week half-a-dozen men were grouped in and about a queer-looking contraption--a sort of double-decked platform in the air, held together by invisible piano wires. The whole thing was hung by cables from enormous pulleys on the stage ceiling. The lower deck, besides having springs and pads like a huge mattress, was covered with a carpet. In fact, this super-gadget was a "magic carpet," reminiscent of the one Douglas Fairbanks rode 13 years ago in the Thief of Bagdad. Eddie Cantor had used this one for three weeks in his picture-in-process, AH Baba Goes to Town. For a magic carpet it weighed a good deal--1,500 Ib. Actor Cantor was going to the set later in the day to ride it some more.

Meanwhile it was being balanced and rigged by a crew of '"grips" (propertymen). Two were on the upper deck, one on the lower. Winch Operator Philo Goodfriend started his electric winch, slowly raised the magic carpet into the air--Ptt! one of the supporting cables snapped. Before there was even time for a warning shout the heavy platform had bumped 20 ft. to the ground, fatally crushing Winch Operator Goodfriend, hurting Propertyman Harry Harsha so badly he died in hospital a few hours later.

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