More years ago than I care to remember, I met Rob Reiner when he hired me to be the stunt coordinator on what was his first real film, “Stand By Me.” It was based on a Steven King short story titled “The Body.”
Rob let me direct some second-unit action scenes of the car chicken game sequence and also some of the stuff with the boys running from the train on a trestle. He signed for me to join the Directors Guild of America.
Rob was without a doubt the finest director I ever worked with during my many years in the business. He was also one of the nicest directors I ever worked with. He treated everyone on the show, no matter their position, with kindness and respect for what they were doing to help make his movie.
Rob and I were pretty much total opposites when it came to politics but I don’t recall him being at all openly political on “Stand By Me.”
I also thought it was indicative of his caring and classy personality when Charlie Kirk was killed and he spoke of how devastated he was by that unthinkable act. He never mentioned that he and Charlie were about as far apart politically as you could get — he just gave his sympathy to Charlie’s friends and loved ones.
And excuse me, but the rude and callous comments about Rob’s murder by President Donald Trump turned my stomach and were totally out of line, even for him!
Rick Barker
Valencia
