Hollywood loved to partner with Lloyd’s for bombastic insurance coverage.
ByJake Rossen|Aug 22, 2024, 4:05 PM EDT
Add us as a preferred source
In the 1920s, silent film star Ben Turpin had a striking physical characteristic: strabismus, or crossed eyes. His appearance was so familiar to filmgoers and so endemic to his comedic performances (or so he believed) that in 1921 Turpin opted to take out an insurance policy arranged by insurance marketplace Lloyd’s of London that would pay him $25,000 in the event his condition spontaneously resolved.
This was perplexing, as strabismus doesn’t typically fix itself—surgical intervention is often necessary. But Turpin wasn’t really concerned with that. Such irreverent insurance policies have been used for decades as publicity tools.
While Lloyd’s does take on riskier propositions—like performers failing to appear on sets or stunts going awry—the firm often indulged Hollywood press agents who liked to spin conventional accident insurance into something novel. (Turpin’s coverage cost him $106.18, or about $1810 today.) Take a look at other performers who have had Lloyd’s insure their most prized attributes against some unlikely consequences, as well as a couple of policies that defy categorization. (A sea monster, for one.)
- Charlie Chaplin’s Voice
- Jimmy Durante’s Nose
- Abbott and Costello’s Partnership
- Betty Grable’s Legs
- Shirley Temple
- A Single Grain of Rice
- The Loch Ness Monster
- Lloyd’s of London
Charlie Chaplin’s Voice
Silent film star Charlie Chaplin long resisted the switch to talkies. He didn’t make one until 1940’s The Great Dictator, though his Little Tramp character sang in 1936’s Modern Times. Yet audiences still had a pretty good idea of what Chaplin’s speaking voice sounded like. He enjoyed making the occasional radio program. The actor appeared on a 1929 broadcast with other films stars, including Douglas Fairbanks and John Barrymore, in which he was to deliver “humorous anecdotes,” and he insured his voice for $5000. The policy (which cost $50) would be paid out in full to automobile maker and program sponsor Dodge Brothers if Chaplin’s voice gave out. (It didn’t.)
Jimmy Durante’s Nose
Comedian Jimmy Durante was nicknamed “the Great Schnozzola” for his oversized proboscis, a trait he considered essential to his image. The actor took out a $100,000 policy on his nose early in his career. Ironically, the policy was no longer in play when he actually needed it: In 1954, Durante was attempting to play a piano with his nose when the keyboard lid fell on it.
Lloyd’s later insured the nose of Dutch winemaker and taster Ilja Gort for 5 million euros in 2008 (more than $8.5 million today). If Gort loses his senses of smell or taste, it would have a radical impact on his business.
Abbott and Costello’s Partnership
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were one of the great cinematic comic teams of midcentury Hollywood. Like with any talented duo, there were perpetual rumors they were about to split. In 1950, just before beginning the film Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, the two took out a policy in which they’d be paid $250,000 in the event of their de-coupling. A disagreement, accident, or death in the proceeding five years would all count.
The two did part ways—but it came in 1957, two years following the expiration of the policy.
Betty Grable’s Legs
Grable was a pin-up star of the 1940s who exuded a lot of sex appeal—so much that studio 20th Century Fox opted to take out a $100,000 policy against any misadventure involving her legs. (The policy was later upped to $250,000.) As with other body parts, it was likely part of more comprehensive accident insurance.
Lloyd’s was also in the business of insuring against any disfigurement to a star’s face on the premise that their looks were a primary source of income and would cause studio losses. Such policies were colloquially if indelicately known as scarface insurance.
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple drew audiences to theaters in the 1930s as the original child star. She also garnered a conventional publicity-fed Lloyd’s policy with a highly unconventional stipulation. Should Temple be unable to perform her duties as an adorable moppet, she would be paid $25,000—but not if, in the language of the policy, she was injured owing to intoxication or because she joined the Army.
A Single Grain of Rice
In 1960, Lloyd’s issued possibly their smallest policy yet: a single grain of rice. This was no ordinary carbohydrate but one that featured the likenesses of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The engraved rice art was done to commemorate a visit to Hong Kong from the royal pair. Lloyd’s insured it for $20,000 while it traveled on exhibit in the 1960s.
The Loch Ness Monster
Tales of the Loch Ness Monster, or “Nessie,” have persisted throughout the centuries. According to legend, the beast dwells in Scotland’s Loch Ness, taunting sightseers with an occasional appearance above the water surface. While photos and video sometimes stir interest, there has yet to be definitive proof, which is probably why Lloyd’s decided to underwrite Cutty Sark. In 1971, the whiskey manufacturer offered a reward of 1 million pounds ($2.4 million at the time) for the capture of the beast and turned to Lloyd’s for coverage. (The benefit, of course, was publicity for their whiskey.)
The company agreed to pay out providing Nessie was at least 20 feet in length and confirmed to be a valid specimen by experts at the Natural History Museum in London. No such creature was ever offered up for inspection.
Lloyd’s of London
Lloyd’s did such a brisk business in Hollywood that eventually the industry took note of the company’s storied history, which dates back to the 1600s. A feature film titled Lloyd’s of London was released in 1936 and stars Tyrone Power in an exciting tale of insurance fraud during the Napoleonic Wars. Lloyd’s the company insured Lloyd’s the movie for $1 million in the event the actors or director Henry King grew incapacitated during filming. Co-star Loretta Young never made it to set, preferring to set course for Honolulu instead. Lloyd’s might have had to pay for the delay if not for Madeleine Carroll, who quickly stepped in to replace her.
Lest you think Lloyd’s never has to settle up, they’ve had a fairly rich history of paying on their claims. The company distributed $1 million to victims of the Titanic in 1912 and $400 million for the Exxon Valdez oil spill, among other high-ticket losses.
Read More About Old Hollywood:
•
13 Surprising Facts About Old Hollywood
•
7 Not-Very-Scandalous Retro Hollywood Scandals
•
Watch These Bloopers From the Golden Age of Hollywood
•
‘Colorizers’: When Ted Turner and Hollywood Clashed Over Colorizing Classic Movies
•
10 Juicy Facts About Mary Astor’s Purple Diary, Old Hollywood’s Most Infamous Sex Scandal
•
8 Surprising Facts About Cary Grant
•
8 Surprising Facts About James Stewart
•
10 Dramatic Facts About Lana Turner
•
10 Amazing Facts About Lena Horne
•
7 Impressive Facts About Marlene Dietrich
Related Tags
Quiz: Can You Name the ‘70s Movie From the Love Interest?
From ‘The Godfather’ to ‘Carrie,’ how well do you know these characters?
ByAlexandria Ingham|Nov 6, 2026, 8:00 AM EST
There were some outstanding and memorable movies from the 1970s. Whether you loved romance or horror, you know nearly ever movie had a love interest. How well do you remember the characters? Can you match the love interest to the movie? We’ve got a quiz for that.
Did you get all eight right? If so, you’re a movie expert, and we definitely need you on our team the next time we’re at trivia. If you didn’t, that’s okay! There were countless movies released in the ‘70s, and there’s no way you’ve seen them all.
More Movie/TV Quizzes:
•
Quiz: Can You Name the ‘70s Movie From the Love Interest?
•
Quiz: Can You Name the ’90s Sitcom From Its Thanksgiving Episode?
•
Quiz: How Fast Can You Match These Famous Actors to Their Stephen King Movies?
•
Quiz: Can You Name the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Character From One Clue?
•
Quiz: Can You Name the Winona Ryder Movie From One Character?
The Most Memorable Love Interests From ‘70s Films
The 1970s transformed cinematic romance. Movies moved on from the ideals of the 1950s and ‘60s, onto complex dynamics. People were ambitious and driven outside of the films, so why couldn’t they be on the screen?
Diane Keaton portrayed one of the roles that allowed this shift to happen: Annie Hall. In the 1977 film, she wasn’t just there to support the male protagonist’s arc. She had her own dreams, and that sometimes meant that she was flawed.
In the same year, another character stood out as one for women to aspire to be. Star Wars brought us Princess Leia, and Carrie Fisher was never going to let her be the typical damsel in distress. She was smart and witty, and she was also respected when it came to leading a military.
Even when she became a prisoner, she didn’t just sit around and wait to be saved, proving that powerful and independent women could make some of the best romantic interests.https://www.youtube.com/embed/8IC9vjTnr4E?feature=oembed
Then a year later, Olivia Newton-John brought Sandy Olsson to the stage. You can joke around about 30-somethings playing teenagers, but Grease helped to reshape the wholesome teen into a woman who matched the way so many were feeling. The movie as a whole reflected the evolving musical styles and youth culture, and Sandy brought that evolution from start to finish.
It’s hard to overlook a certain ambitious journalist. Lois Lane was a reporter for the Daily Planet, but she also made it clear that she wouldn’t be a helpless bystander in the 1978 Superman. She brought humor to the screen, and Lois and Superman quickly set the gold standard for romantic dynamics when it came to superhero stories.
If you love to spend your free time taking quizzes, make sure you bookmark the Mental Floss quiz page for more challenges.
More ‘70s Reads:
•
20 Things Every ’70s Kid Remembers That Have Completely Disappeared
•
The 25 Biggest Stars of the ‘70s: Where They Are Now
•
Quiz: Can You Name the ‘70s Movie From the Fictional Town?
•
12 Household Items Every Family Had in the ’70s
•
The Best ’70s Trivia Questions to Test Your Memory of One of History’s Most Iconic Decades