A.J. Bakunas
Born
Albert John Bakunas

(1950-10-23)October 23, 1950
Englewood, New Jersey, US
DiedSeptember 22, 1978(1978-09-22) (aged 27)
Lexington, Kentucky, US
Cause of deathFalling
OccupationStunt performer

Albert John Bakunas, Jr, a.k.a. A.J. Bakunas (October 23, 1950 – September 22, 1978) was a stunt performer who died doubling for George Kennedy in a fall from the Kincaid Towers in Lexington, Kentucky, for the film Steel (1979).

Born in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Bakunas quit his job as a gym teacher at Tenafly (N.J.) High School in 1974 and set out to break into the film industry. He did his first stuntwork for the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. Bakunas became known for expertly performing falls from great heights.[1]

In 1978, Bakunas set a world record with a 70.1 metres (230 ft) fall from a helicopter for the film Hooper,[2] which was broken that same year by Dar Robinson's 87.2 metres (286 ft) fall for a non-movie-related publicity stunt.[3]

Bakunas, determined to retake the record, returned to Lexington to perform a 96 metres (315 ft) jump from the 22nd floor of a construction site, where he had previously successfully fallen nine stories. On September 21, 1978, as his father and a crowd of about 1,000 watched, Bakunas performed the fall, reaching an estimated speed of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). However, the airbag split on impact, and Bakunas died of his injuries the next day.[4]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1979The WarriorsPunk #2
1979The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides AgainHenchman #1
1979Steel2nd Goon
1980The Stunt ManEli's Script Clerk(final film role)

References

  1. ↑ "A.J. Bakunas". IMDB. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ Guinness World Records 2014. Guinness World Records. 12 September 2013. p. 916. ISBN 9781908843562.
  3. ↑ Guinness World Records 2016. Guinness World Records. 10 September 2015. p. 96. ISBN 9781910561034.
  4. ↑ "323-Foot Leap Kills Stuntman". Kentucky New Era. September 22, 1978. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  • Lexington Leader, September 21, 1978


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