His movie career came to an end when during filming he fell from the scaffolding. He broke his nose and was hospitalized. While in the hospital, his eyesight became blurry and within days he lost his sight completely. As his doctor examined him, he found a pituitary tumor. The tumor had pushed up against his optic nerve during the fall. For the next four months, Earle underwent X-ray treatments. His eyesight returned, although it has been speculated that the treatment may have stopped his growth. At the time of his hospitalization he was 8ft 6 1/2in tall.