In 1971, Clint Walker, age 44, had a ski-pole go through his heart when trying to get off of a ski lift. Two doctors at the hospital pronounced him dead and put him in the basement. A third doctor, who happened to be a heart-specialist, was visiting a friend there and took a short-cut through the basement. When he saw Clint lying there, he checked him out and said, “I think he’s still alive.”
The next morning Clint woke up in intensive care. The doctor told him, “You’re a medical mystery, because even if you survived, you should be a mental-vegetable. But you aren't.” In two months, Clint was working again.
Clint says: (his exact words) “When I was lying in the basement, I was in that spirit-body and felt comfortable. I was more alive, alert, aware and suddenly knew things I never knew before. I wasn’t particularly concerned about going back. But then I thought ‘there’s something I came to earth to do, but I haven’t done it yet’, so I should go back and take another crack at it.’ Don’t ask me what that is because I still don’t know. I said, ‘God, I want to go back and take another crack at it’. The doctor told me, ‘I don’t know what it was, Clint, but I didn’t feel you were dead.’ So, I think that was God answering my request.”
When Clint was making The Dirty Dozen, four years before the accident, his character was supposed to inspect the troops, act goofy, and stick his tongue out at his friends.
Clint told Director Robert Aldrich, “I’m one-quarter Cherokee and represent American Indians in films. I’d make a bad image for Indians if I acted like that and stuck out my tongue. So I'd rather not do it."
Aldrich understood and had Donald Sutherland do the scene which got big laughs when the movie came out. This was directly responsible for Sutherland getting his star-making role in MASH.
Clint lived till age 90.
Don't miss this Clint story:
Because he had taken some acting lessons and was a big guy, the unknown Clint Walker was called in by C.B DeMille to interview for playing the Captain of the Guards in the upcoming The Ten Commandments.
Driving on the freeway, he saw a woman having no luck at changing a flat tire, so he stopped. When he finished with the tire, the woman asked, "How much do I owe you?"
Clint said, "Nothing I was glad to do it."
"I hope I didn't make you late for anything."
"Well, I have an appointment with C.B. DeMille, but I think I'll be all right." Clint was late, but was called into DeMille's office.
DeMille looked Clint up and down and said, "You're late young man."
"Yes, I'm sorry. I had to stop on the freeway to help somebody."
"I know all about it," DeMille said. "That was my secretary."
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Donald Sutherland certainly seems to naturally know how to act goofy. I seem to remember that Clint Walker was part Indian. That demeanor. That stoic approach toward many changes in life, seems to be quite prevalent in Native American culture and shows on his face. Aldrich did the right thing, even though it may have reduced Clint Walker's opportunities for future movie roles.
Ron