“Ronnie Rondell Jr., A Stuntman in a Family Full of Them Who Performed in Films Including How The West Was Won, Ice Station Zebra, Twister and the Matrix Reloaded, Has Died. He Was 88. Rondell Died Tuesday at A Senior Living Facility in Osage Beach, Missuri, His Family Announced. Rondell Is Known to The Pink”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
Rondell Died Tuesday at A Senior Living Facility in Osage Beach, Missuri, His Family Announced.
Rondell Is Known to The Pink Floyd Faithful As the Businessman on Fire on the Cover of the Band’s 1975 Album, Wish you were here. In an era before computer Effects, his Mustache Was Burned Off The Photo Shoot that Took Place on the Warner Bros. Lot in Burbank.
His Father, Ronald R. Rondell, Was An Extra and Ten A Veteran Assistant Director On Films Like AROUND The World in 80 Days and TV Programs Including Bachelor Father an The jack benny showAnd One of His Sons, Ra Rondell, Is A Stunt Performer and Coordinator with Credits Including Clear and Present Danger an The avengers.
Another Son, Reid Rondell, 22, Died in January 1985 in a Helicopter Crash Near Newhall, California, While Performing A Double For Jan-Michael Vinsent on the CBS Airwolf.
For Television, Rondell Jr. SPENT Three Years Standing in for Robert Blake On the 1975-78 ABC Series Baretato and Served as the Stunt Coordinator on Such Aaron Spelling-Produced Shows As The Rokies, Swat, Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Vegas, Hart to Hart an TJ Hooker.
Five-foot-10 and 170 pounds in his prime, Rondell Was Known for His Daring Dringing, Gymnastic and Hang-Glring Skills. In the Mayan Adventure Film Kings of the sun (1963), Starring Yul Brenner and George Chakiris, He Fell Many, Many Feet From A Box on a Wooden Pole That Had Been Set Afire and Toppled. (See It Here in the Movie’s Trailer at About the 2:40 Mark.)
And in the Civil War-Set Shenandoah (1965), Starring Jimmy Stewart, He Can Be Seen in Midair Flying Upside Down Above A Cannon.
Rondell ALSO PUT HIS BODY ON LINE IN Grand Prix (1966), Diamonds are Forever (1971), Blazing Saddles (1974), Hooper (1978), Against All Odds (1984), Cannonball Run II (1984), To live & die in la (1985), Lethal Weapon (1987), They LIVE (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Thelma & Louise (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), Speed (1994), The Crow (1994) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).
For his Final Credit, He Limped Out of Retirement to Participate in A Spectacular Car Chase in The Matrix Reloaded (2003), on WHICH SON RA WAS The Supervising Stunt Coordinator.
Ronald Reid Rondell Was Born in Hollywood On Feb. 10, 1937. He Accompanied His Dad to Movie Sets – He Like to Hang Armund The Stunt Performers – and Got to be an Extra in Several Ma and pa kettle Films.
Rondell Excelled in Gymnastics and Diving at North Hollywood High School, then Enterned The US Navy, Whore Hee Specialized In Scuba Diving and Mine Force Demolition. After the Service, he worked in constraction.
While Pricking Up A Paycheck as An Extra on a Western, He ImpResed Actor Lennie Geer, Who Began Schooling Him in Fighters, Falls and Horsback Riding. That led to him doubling for such actors as david janssen on Richard Diamond, Private DetectiveRobert horton on Wagon TrainDoug McClure On The Virginian and Michael Cole On Mod Squad.
Along with Stunt Performer Turned Director Hal Needham and Stunt Performer Glenn Wilder, He Launted Stunts Unlimited In 1970 in Calabasas, California. ITS Membership would Include Top Motorcycle Racers, Car Drivers, Horsemen, Pilots, Aerial Specialists and Fight Choreographers.
Rondell Was A Stunt Coordinator HimSelf, On Films Including La Bamba (1987), The Two Jakes (1990), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Sliver (1993), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Batman and Robin (1997).
For the pink Floyd Shoot, Rondell Wore A Fire-Reardant Layer Underneath His Business Suit, Was Dowsed with Gasoline and Set on Fire. (The Idea Was, Here Are Two Music Executives, and One of Them is “Getting Burned” in A Deal.)
The Process Was Repeated 15 Times. On the Last One, “The Flames Were Blown Back and Ignated His Real Mustache for An Instant,” Storm Torgerson, from The Design Team Hipnosis, Recalled In The 2012 Documentary Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here. “A Close Shave, One Might Say.”
Said Rondell, Who Rolld ARound on the Gunde Before The Flames Were Extinguished: “There’s A Funny Thing About Fire. WHEN IT GETS IN YOUR Face, You’re Going To Move.”
He LEFT CALIFORNIA IN 2000 TO RETIRE TO CAMENATONON, MISSUURI.
In Addition to His Son, Survivors Include His Wife of 56 Years, Mary; His Grandchildren, Brandon, Rachel and Dalton; His Great-Grandson, Rocco; and his brother, Ric Rondell, A Production Manager in Hollywood.
Durying his long Career, Rondell Broke Ribbs, ARMS, WRists and Vertebrae, Detached His Triceps, Suffired Concussions and Had His Hips Replaced and His Spine Fused.
“You Never Told Anyone You Were Hurt,” He Said in Kevin Conley’s 2008 BookThe Full Burn: On the Set, at the Bar, Behind the Wheel, and Over the Edge with Hollywood Stuntmen. “Because they Always Had Another Guy That Could Fit The Cloths.”