A night meant for screams and thrills ended in heartbreak at Universal Studios Hollywood in October 1986.
21-one-year-old Paul Rebalde Brooks, a scareactor, had been assigned to jump out and frighten guests on a special Halloween Horror Night tour tram.
Taking inspiration from Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal created Halloween Horror Nights, complete with the signature Terror Tram.
It was a nighttime version of the Backlot Tour, with scareactors hiding in the shadows, among mannequins dressed like corpses, ready to jump out at unsuspecting guests.
But tragedy struck during his performance, when Paul fell between two moving tram cars and was fatally crushed.
The incident left coworkers and visitors reeling, and the studio did not hold another Halloween event for over six years, eventually discontinuing scareactor attacks on moving trams altogether.
21-one-year-old Paul Rebalde Brooks, a scareactor, had been assigned to jump out and frighten guests on a special Halloween Horror Night tour tram.
Taking inspiration from Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal created Halloween Horror Nights, complete with the signature Terror Tram.
It was a nighttime version of the Backlot Tour, with scareactors hiding in the shadows, among mannequins dressed like corpses, ready to jump out at unsuspecting guests.
But tragedy struck during his performance, when Paul fell between two moving tram cars and was fatally crushed.
The incident left coworkers and visitors reeling, and the studio did not hold another Halloween event for over six years, eventually discontinuing scareactor attacks on moving trams altogether.
