Gerry Crampton

Gerry Crampton (28 April 1930 – 24 January 2009) was a British stunt performer and stunt coordinator best known for his work in the James Bond film series.[1][2]

Gerry Crampton
Born
Robert Gerald Crampton

(1930-04-28)28 April 1930
Fulham, London, England
Died24 January 2009(2009-01-24) (aged 78)
Surrey, England
Occupation(s)Stunt performer, stunt coordinator, stunt double,
actor
Years active1955 – 2008

Early life

The eldest of five children, Robert Gerald Crampton, was born in Fulham on 28 April 1930. His father, a keen amateur boxer, taught Gerry and his brothers to box. He also became a keen swimmer and taught himself to dive.[3][4]

Gerry left school at the age of 14 to become a butcher's boy before returning to London in 1945, initially finding work at Ealing Studios as a sound assistant on David Lean's Great Expectations (1946). In 1948 Crampton was called up for his National Service and found himself working as a teletypist in the RAF.[5]

After Gerry began bodybuilding, winning Britain's Mr Body Beautiful in 1956.[6]

Career

Crampton's big chance in films came when he met the James Bond stunt coordinator, Bob Simmons, in 1960, who took him under his wing.[7]

In 1967 he appeared in The Avengers episode entitled "Dead Man's Treasure" in the role of 1st Guest.

Crampton had a special expertise working in India where he first worked on Tarzan Goes to India in 1962 with Jock Mahoney.[8] He was to return to India 48 more times in his career, working on countless Indian as well as British productions.[5]

Personal life

Crampton married for the first time when he was 20, but the marriage lasted less than a year. He remarried three more times, each ending in divorce, but in later years he was always proud to say that he remained on friendly terms with three of his ex-wives.[3]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1955One Good TurnBoxing Booth AssistantUncredited
1961Fury at Smugglers' BayWreckerUncredited
1962Captain CleggTattooed SailorUncredited
1962The Road to Hong KongAstronautUncredited
1963Sparrows Can't SingPub PatronUncredited
1966Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.Resistance MemberUncredited
1967The Dirty DozenStaff Sergeant Alistair ClaytonUncredited
1968Attack on the Iron CoastCommandoUncredited
1968Nobody Runs ForeverRiflemanUncredited
1971Puppet on a ChainThugUncredited
1972Death LineTunnel Worker
1976I'm Not Feeling Myself TonightParty GuestUncredited
1976Voyage of the DamnedCrewmanUncredited
1980ShaanHenchman in climaxUncredited
1981Raiders of the Lost ArkGerman SoldierUncredited
1985The BrideGentleman
1988WillowNockmaar LieutenantUncredited
1992Blue IceClubberUncredited
1994The Jungle BookSgt. Major

References
  1. "Gerry Crampton". The Daily Telegraph. 13 February 2009. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  2. Lewis, Roger (1997). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781557832481.
  3. "Gerry Crampton - obituary". The Telegraph. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  4. Freese, Gene Scott (1 April 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786476435.
  5. III, Harris M. Lentz (21 March 2016). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2009: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN 9780786456451.
  6. Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s
  7. Gerry Crampton A Tribute
  8. "Gerry Crampton: stuntman". The Times. 7 March 2009. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 August 2019.


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