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A $75,000 wrestling accident almost broke Jackie Gleason's neck
The botch could've ended Gleason's career.
Sketch comedy is best when it's grounded in some element of realism. Either the characters or the situation has to be rooted in believability. That's because a huge part of what makes great skits is predictability. The more audiences can predict a pattern, the more opportunities writers have to build on a rhythm or subvert expectations.
Unfortunately, Jackie Gleason should've predicted that having a genuine wrestler on his show might result in very realistic injuries.
That's what happened in 1956 when Jackie Gleason hired Johnny Heidmann to perform a stunt on The Jackie Gleason Show. Despite cries of protest, Gleason insisted on having a real wrestler in the sketch to ground the skit in reality. Gleason was going to be wearing a loin cloth and needed a wrestler to work off of.
Heidmann was being a little too soft during rehearsals, according to Charlotte News sports editor Bob Quincy. That's when Gleason requested a more realistic approach.
"Realism might hurt," cautioned Heidmann.
"Forget the excuses," said Gleason. "Take me down like just as you would any other wrestler."
These were nearly famous last words, as Gleason was unceremoniously dropped on his head, resulting in a severely-sprained neck and a near-miss with a fractured collarbone.
The resulting guest stars and abnormal shooting schedule the show adopted to accommodate Gleason's recovery reportedly cost the network upwards of $75,000.
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