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Real gun shoots amateur actor Fred Kellerman in 'Of Mice and Men'

Nico Hines

The tragic climax to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men almost caused a genuine catastrophe in Sarasota, Florida when an actor shot his co-star in the back of the head with a real gun.

During the final dress rehearsal of the local senior citizens’ amateur production, a fully loaded 32-calibre Smith and Wesson revolver was fired at an 81-year-old performer.

The bullet grazed Fred Kellerman’s scalp and he was rushed to hospital as blood gushed on to the stage at the Manatee theatre on the west coast of the sunshine state.

The accident occurred during the last run-through of the play's final scene, in which the character George Milton shoots his friend Lennie Small in order to spare him an agonizing death at the hands of a lynch mob.  

Bill Bordy, vice president of the Sarasota Senior Theatre, was directing and starring in the play when he picked up a gun he had borrowed from another member of the cast.

“It was my fault, I should have looked, I should have checked it,” said Mr Bordy after Monday’s incident. “Luckily I was a lousy shot.”

Mr Bordy claimed he forgot to check the weapon because he had so much on his mind due to his various roles in the production. He said that Mr Kellerman had wanted to carry on.

“If he could have gotten it patched up, he would have gone on,” Mr Bordy claimed.

No charges have been filed but the shooting is still under investigation by the Bradenton Police Department.

“It was accidental but it could have been deadly,” said Lt. Darrell Akeman.

Just two hours after the shooting, the play went on as scheduled with another actor performing Mr Kellerman's part.