Ethel Hall (died July 1, 1927) was an American silent film actress who died at the age of 29 in the rapids of the Merced River near the town of Merced in the San Joaquin Valley while appearing as a body double for movie actress Dorothy Dwan.
Hall was accompanied in a boat by Wallace McDonald, who played villains in motion pictures. The actors were supposed to be rescued by a group before they entered the foot of the rapids. The boat was overturned and McDonald was able to swim ashore. However Hall's head struck a rock and she was taken out of the water unconscious. She died of her injuries.
Her husband was stage actor John Drayer. Hall was filming Tumbling River with actor Tom Mix. Mix was incapacitated during a horseback accident two weeks earlier.
References
- New York Times, Girl Killed In Film Stunt, July 1, 1927, Page 8.