Dare-Deviltry: Why were people like this?

If you have any fear of heights, just skip this one. Honestly, Dare-Deviltry is basically an hour of people trying to turn themselves into human pancakes for the amusement of a crowd that looks like they're just waiting for a hot dog.

You should watch this if you enjoy that specific kind of black-and-white insanity where safety equipment is just a suggestion. If you prefer your documentaries to have a point, or at least a plot, you are going to be bored out of your mind within five minutes.

Pete Smith narrates this thing with that classic, booming mid-century voice that treats a guy standing on a flagpole like it’s a heroic feat of national importance. It’s funny how different this feels compared to something like The Scarlet Pimpernel; there’s no costumes, no romance, just a guy in a bathing suit jumping off a bridge into a puddle.

The "Why" is missing

There’s this one sequence of high divers that goes on for way too long. I found myself counting the seconds between the takeoff and the splash, and honestly, the silence while they’re mid-air is kind of deafening. Did they have insurance? I doubt it. It makes the quiet, controlled vibe of The Iron Duke seem like a total snooze-fest by comparison.

• The flagpole sitting segment is strangely hypnotic.
• The quality of the footage is… well, it’s old.
• The sound mixing is a bit of a mess, but that’s part of the charm.

It’s not trying to be a deep dive into the human condition. It’s just footage of people being weirdly brave or just plain reckless. Some of these guys are balancing on things that look like they’d snap if a pigeon landed on them. It’s hard to watch without wincing. 😬

I kept thinking about how much we’ve changed since these shorts were cobbled together. Back then, this was entertainment. Now, it looks like a stress test for the nervous system. It’s not quite as structured as The Game of Three, but it has that same dusty, forgotten-reel energy.

If you watch it, do it with a drink in your hand. You’ll need it when they start climbing the wires. No, really—the wire walking bit is enough to make anyone reconsider their life choices.