Before Hollywood had stuntmen, there was daredevil Rodman Law

The Daredevil Who Leaped From Liberty’s Torch

The Statue of Liberty witnessed the birth of Hollywood stunts when Frederick Rodman Law jumped from her torch in 1912.

The 27-year-old daredevil known as the "Human Fly" dragged a 100-pound parachute up Lady Liberty’s arm to the torch platform 151 feet above her base.

Pathé News paid him $1,500 to film the leap, making Law the world’s first paid movie stuntman. He plummeted 75 feet before his parachute opened, landing hard but safely near the water’s edge.

This death-defying stunt launched Law’s brief but legendary career in early cinema before tuberculosis claimed his life at 34.

The torch he jumped from now sits in the Statue of Liberty Museum, waiting to tell his remarkable story.

Before Lady Liberty, He Scaled Buildings With Bare Hands

Rodman Law started climbing in 1909 when he went up the Flatiron Building in New York using just his hands after betting another climber.

By 1912, newspapers across America called him the "human fly" or "human spider" for his crazy stunts. His sister Ruth broke barriers as a female pilot.

Before getting famous, Rodman worked as a sailor, detective, ironworker, and circus rider. His climbing skills kicked off his daredevil career.

He lived in Brooklyn with his wife Florence and their three kids.

Pathé Cameras Turned Stunts Into Show Business

The movie stunt business began when Pathé film company met Rodman Law in 1912. Four years earlier, Pathé created newsreels, short films shown before movies in theaters.

Law walked into their Jersey City offices with a bold pitch: film him jumping off the Statue of Liberty with a parachute.

The company loved the idea and paid Law $1,500 for the stunt, making him the first paid movie stuntman. By 1914, Pathé showed daily newsreels, spreading Law’s fame even more.

Skyscrapers Were Too Risky For His Big Jump

Law first thought about jumping from the Singer Building with his parachute but saw problems with this plan. He looked at the taller Metropolitan Tower too but faced the same issues.

Though Law wasn’t scared of jumping, he worried about blocking traffic and spooking horse carriages. The busy Manhattan streets made these jumps too risky for the public.

Lady Liberty stood alone in the harbor, away from crowds and traffic, making it the perfect spot for his big leap.

Captain Wildman Gave The Green Light

At noon on February 2, 1912, Law went to Bedloe’s Island (now Liberty Island) to get permission. By 2 PM, he got a special permit from Captain Leonard D.

Wildman, the officer in charge. This approval was key for the risky stunt.

Within 30 minutes, six movie cameras were set up, and thousands of people gathered to watch the jump.

The permit wasn’t just paperwork, it showed government backing for Law’s dangerous feat, something nearly impossible to get today.

His Parachute Weighed As Much As A Person

Law carried his huge 100-pound parachute into the elevator with one of his foremen. They rode up to the head of the statue, but the hard part was still ahead.

The torch platform sat 151 feet above the statue’s base and 345 feet above the water. The narrow, winding path through Lady Liberty’s arm made moving the bulky parachute very hard.

Law squeezed through tight spaces while carrying gear that weighed nearly as much as a person.

The Wind Almost Canceled His Historic Leap

Law stood on the torch platform watching the wind. He needed calm air so his parachute would open right and not slam him into the statue.

Thousands of people and several Pathé camera operators waited below. The cameras were placed to catch every moment of the stunt.

After checking conditions, Law picked the eastern side of the torch platform for his jump. At exactly 2:45 PM, when the wind died down for a moment, he stepped off the edge into history.

Spectators Gasped As He Plummeted 75 Feet

When Law jumped, he dropped like a rock for 75 scary feet. His parachute showed no signs of opening as he fell, making the crowd hold their breath in fear.

Those seconds felt like forever to everyone watching. Finally, the parachute caught air and opened, carrying Law away from the statue.

The delayed opening wasn’t a mistake, it was needed to clear the statue’s structure, but it created drama for the watchers and perfect footage for the Pathé cameras.

He "Steered" His Parachute By Waving His Arms

As Law floated down, people noticed him waving his arms wildly. This wasn’t panic but a clever steering trick he created.

By shifting his weight and moving his arms, Law could change his path and aim for a safer landing spot. He wanted to avoid landing in New York Harbor’s freezing February waters.

The mid-air steering worked well, letting him glide toward the island instead of drifting into the harbor, showing his skill with air moves.

The Stone Landing Hurt More Than He Admitted

Law’s parachute suddenly sped up as he neared the ground. He forgot to bend his knees for landing and hit hard on the stone edge just 30 feet from the water.

The hard surface left him limping as he picked up his gear. Though clearly hurting, Law brushed off concerns and said he wasn’t hurt.

The cameras caught his rough landing and recovery, which added to his tough-guy image. Law’s ability to walk away from such hits earned him the nickname "The Unkillable Actor" later on.

He Refused Interviews After Making History

After finishing the groundbreaking stunt, Law quietly packed his parachute and carried it back to his office in the Hudson Terminal Building.

When reporters asked him for comments about his historic feat, he turned them away, saying he didn’t want to talk. Meanwhile, the Pathé cameras caught the whole thing for newsreel showing across America.

Newspapers nationwide covered the amazing feat, spreading Law’s fame further, even as he avoided the spotlight in person.

Hollywood’s First Stuntman Died Too Young

Law’s Statue of Liberty jump launched him into movie history as the first paid stuntman.

He went on to star in several silent films, including the 1914 movie "Daredevil Rodman Law" based on his real-life exploits.

His career included jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge and leaping from exploding balloons above the Hudson River. In 1914, Law suffered serious injuries during a stunt that continued to plague him.

By 1917, his health deteriorated enough to require treatment at Kings Hospital in Brooklyn. After serving in the Army Aviation Corps during World War I, he contracted tuberculosis.

Law died on October 14, 1919, at just 34 years old at Camp Sevier in South Carolina.

Visiting Statue of Liberty National Monument, New Jersey

You’ll need to take a ferry to Liberty Island since there’s no other way to get there. Statue City Cruises runs the only authorized boats from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Ground access tickets cost about $32. 50 for adults and $23.

50 for kids. Book online ahead of time because tours sell out.

The monument opens daily 9:30am-4pm. Unfortunately, you can’t climb up to the torch since it’s been closed since 1916.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• The 77-foot waterfall that Alexander Hamilton turned into America’s industrial birthplace
• The legend of Tempe Wick and the hidden horse during the Pennsylvania Line mutiny
• Before "Leaves of Grass," Walt Whitman spent three years comforting wounded Civil War soldiers