On the fateful day of July 23, 1982, a horrifying accident occurred on the set of “Twilight Zone: The Movie” in California, resulting in the untimely deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Renee Shinn Chen and Myca Dinh Le.
The incident took place during the filming of a Vietnam War battle scene, where Morrow, aged 53, and the children, aged six and seven, were supposed to be fleeing from a pursuing helicopter.
However, due to special-effects explosions on the set, the pilot lost control of the low-flying craft, leading to a tragic crash that claimed the lives of the three victims.
This unfortunate event took place on the final day of shooting for the film.
Following the tragedy, Twilight Zone co-director John Landis, renowned for his work on films such as “Blues Brothers,” “Trading Places,” and “National Lampoon's Animal House,” along with four others involved in the production, including the special-effects coordinator and the helicopter pilot, were charged with involuntary manslaughter.
This marked the first time in history that a film director faced criminal charges for incidents occurring during movie-making, as reported by The New York Times in 1987.
During the subsequent trial, the defense argued that the crash was an unforeseeable accident, while the prosecution claimed that Landis and his crew had displayed recklessness and violated laws pertaining to child actors, including regulations regarding their working conditions and hours.
After an emotionally charged 10-month trial, all five defendants were acquitted in 1987.
The families of the three victims later filed lawsuits against Landis, Warner Brothers, and Twilight Zone co-director and producer Steven Spielberg, which were eventually resolved through undisclosed settlements.
Released in the summer of 1983, “Twilight Zone: The Movie” was based on the popular science fiction TV series of the same name, originally created by Rod Serling and aired from 1959 to 1964.
The film featured contributions from four distinguished directors—Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller—each responsible for adapting a different episode from the original TV series.
These episodes delved into the extraordinary experiences of individuals placed in highly unusual circumstances.
Prior to this tragic incident
