Brian James Smith reviews Falling Into Film: A Stuntman’s Early Adventures by Paul Weston

By: Brian James Smith

Published:
2026-03-29

Falling Into Film, A Stuntman’s Early Adventures, review

The first part (of three) of Paul Weston’s memoir Falling Into Film: A Stuntman’s Early Adventures begins with an account of a stunt sequence in A Bridge Too Far (1977) where he is doubling Ryan O’Neal alongside Vic Armstrong during a perilous parachute landing. This chapter functions as a pre-title sequence of sorts, preceding his life story which began more than eighty years ago.

Born Frederick Charles Wogan in 1940, he chronicles his life from war-ravaged East End of London, performing in a skiffle band (one friendship begun during that period was with Chas Hodges, who later found fame in Chas & Dave) and meeting Dolly, his one true love. Conscious that he is writing a book intended for cinema enthusiasts (and James Bond fans), Weston drip feeds moments that hint at his future career, including the recollection of viewing Dr. No (1962) with Dolly shortly after their marriage in 1962.

While employed at a metal sheet factory in Tottenham, he experienced a moment of clarity. After conversing with a colleague who had spent his entire life there, he realised he desired more from life. While perusing the Evening Standard for overseas jobs, he stumbled upon a more intriguing and lucrative option closer to home. He embarked on a career as a male model. He decided to change his name (of course, nobody ever became famous with a name like Wogan!) and Paul Weston was created.

The model work was not all fun and glamour, as he recounts, but it ultimately paved the way for television opportunities. By the time we reach chapter seven (Weston’s book zips along nicely) he finds himself on his inaugural day on The Saint, serving as a stand-in for Roger Moore, who is directing himself in this specific episode.

By the mid-sixties Weston secured further extra and stand-in work and topped up his wages by performing stunts at a time when the industry was unregulated. In 1966 he worked on Charles Feldman’s Casino Royale (1967). Weston was one of the American Indians in the film’s climactic - sorry, I meant chaotic – scenes in the casino, with his rear end on fire.

He subsequently obtained a position as Patrick Macnee’s stand-in on The Avengers. During this period, he also began to engage in regular stunt work for the series. His career flourished, leading to additional television shows, theatre tours and movies. In 1976 he worked on his first official James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), where he doubled several of the crewmen involved in the battle aboard the Liparus.

Weston contributed to Superman (1978), performing wire work for the flying scenes and doubling the actor as the burglar scaling a skyscraper with suction cups. He had an accident on Superman which sidelined him for a short time.

He doubled Richard Kiel in Moonraker (1979) where Jaws jumps from one cable car to another. The book concludes with Superman II (1980), just before he starts to work regularly on the major films of the eighties and beyond. Book 2, we are promised, is coming soon.

Weston’s memoir is filled with remarkable behind-the-scenes stories detailing the setup and execution of various stunts, along with anecdotes about some of the major film stars of that era. The book is indispensable for anyone interested in the filmmaking process and the contributions of stunt performers and supervisors. It is also compelling due to the fascinating nature of his life beyond the film industry.

As a privately published memoir authored by a stuntman, I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this reading experience turned out to be. Paul Weston, as it happens, is not only one of the world’s most accomplished stunt professionals, but also a highly engaging writer.

Review by Brian James Smith. Copyright © 2026 From Sweden with Love. All rights reserved.

Editor's Note:
Order Falling Into Film: A Stuntman’s Early Adventures from Amazon UK or Amazon.com.

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Brian James Smith reviews Falling Into Film: A Stuntman’s Early Adventures by Paul Weston

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