1920s Female Daredevil Puts Modern Movie Stars To Shame

By Margaret Hartmann | January 23, 2009 | 7:30pm

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In this video silent film, actress Emilie Sannom is shown swinging from a windmill, landing on a church steeple from a parachute, and climbing up the side of a moving plane while wearing high heels.

Thanks to the reader who sent us a tip about the video Films of a Daredevil, which includes clips from eight films Sannom made for a Danish film company. Sannom started acting in films when she was 23 and performed all of the stunts herself, with no camera tricks or stand ins. She made 30 movies before falling to her death in 1931 when her parachute failed to open during an air show. [Europa Film Treasures]