MovieChat Forums > In Like Flint (1967) Discussion > Coburn's Ear 'Whack'

Coburn's Ear 'Whack'

posted 15 years ago by oftend
6 replies | jump to latest

Just before James gets stuffed into the "cooler" with his lovely female co-star, he gets a palpable WHACK upside the head by the General. Now I realize special props are used for these things and everyone's acting...but every time I see that scene, it really does appear that James gets a severe whack to the ear despite all the precautions. That's remarkably painful and can, in some cases, produce severe hearing loss. My question to you all is, was he actually injured in the making of that scene? I've googled ad nauseum and found nothing. Just curious. If anyone knows what's what, I'd love to know what happened while filming that scene.

[–] capttheo1 15 years ago

He was not injured during that scene. It's just some of the very good acting for which he got little real acknowledgement.

[–] DD-931 14 years ago

Well said, captheo. But give Steve Ihnat a little credit for that moment too. Talk about an actor who got too little real acknowledgement!

[–] Barbara-4 14 years ago

I've always been disappointed by how little Steve Ihnat really had to do in that movie. In particular the ending - the fight in the capsule.

Steve would later go on to direct James Coburn in a modern Western movie called The Honkers, about rodeo riders. I dont' think it did very well at the box office - how could it with a name like that??? It was Steve's last directorial effort before he died of a heart attack...only 39 years old...

Anyway, fans of Steve Ihnat check out:

http://volcanoseven.com/BriefCandle/

The Thunder Child ezine
http://thethunderchild.com

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] vpilutis 13 years ago

Taking about Steve on a ep of STAR TREK TOS MS Craig played his girlfriend a green alien "– Whom Gods Destroy" where Steve played a madman called Garth,
That's LORD Garth

See some stars here
http://www.vbphoto.biz/

[–] rdfarnham 11 years ago

If you look closely the "whack" was delivered above the ear opening, against the top of the ear/head. The baton was specially constructed of soft rubber and did no actual damage. The baton was constructed by Richard Coyle, a propmaker, who also did work for Star Trek and several other films.