Back to prior page


The Stunt Men and Women

... another day at the office

A hodgepodge of photos of stunt men and women doing their job



Above are screen captures showing Yakima Canutt doubling Harry Carey, Sr. and holding on to 'Apache' at the end of Chapter 1. "Untamed" of THE DEVIL HORSE (Mascot, 1932). This became popular stock footage and used in other westerns and serials. For example, in TRAIL TO SAN ANTONE (Republic, 1947), Gene Autry saves Peggy Stewart from getting trampled by a horse. Gene wears a light colored shirt so he (somewhat) matches this DEVIL HORSE footage. It was also used in another Autry, COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (Republic, 1936).



Above - Frankie Darro on top and Yakima Canutt underneath the wagon in a screen capture from Chapter 4 - "Flaming Arrows" of THE LIGHTNING WARRIOR (Mascot, 1931). He reprises that under a stage / under a wagon stunt in FIGHTING WITH KIT CARSON (Mascot, 1933), STAGECOACH (United Artists, 1939), and many other films.



Above are screen captures of Yakima Canutt riding a horse off a cliff and into a lake. This occurs in John Wayne's THE TRAIL BEYOND (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934). The no-goods are after Wayne and pal Noah Beery Jr. and both do a leap off a cliff into the lake below. A similar scene occurs in Wayne's RIDERS OF DESTINY (Lone Star/Monogram, 1933). At the end, Wayne chases brains heavy Forrest Taylor ... who goes over the cliff face ... and dies.



Around 6-7 minutes in Gene Autry's THE OLD CORRAL (Republic, 1936), Gene is driving a buckboard with passenger Frankie Marvin. A bus comes up from behind and attempts to pass ... and the buckboard goes careening down a hill. The driver doubling Autry winds up with the front wheels rolling over his legs.



At around 27 minutes in John Waynes' KING OF THE PECOS (Republic, 1936), a horse and rider take a fall ... and that causes a second hoss and rider to fall. Cameraman Jack Marta captured it all and Republic used it in the film.



There's a long and chaotic horse race in Ken Maynard's IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot, 1934). An unidentified rider and horse take a fall during the race in this screen capture.



(Courtesy of Gene Blottner)

Above and below - Betty Miles makes a jump from the stagecoach in a scene from the Trail Blazers' SONORA STAGECOACH (Monogram, 1944). Below is a crop / blowup of Betty making that jump - and she isn't wearing cowboy boots for that stunt.





Screen captures of an unidentified stuntman doing a "dead fall" in the Three Mesquiteers adventure GUNSMOKE RANCH (Republic, 1937). Has to fall far out to keep from getting tangled in the horse's back legs.



Screen captures of more falls and chaos from the Three Mesquiteers' GUNSMOKE RANCH (Republic, 1937) - three riders gallop over a hill and all three are tripped ... and the result is brutal.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

An unidentified stuntman in white hat/checked shirt (probably Ted Mapes), doubles Charles Starrett in PRAIRIE STRANGER (Columbia, 1941).



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - may be Yakima Canutt doubling Tom Tyler in the Three Mesquiteers adventure, CODE OF THE OUTLAW (Republic, 1942). Canutt was around 46-47 years of age when this was filmed.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is a great shot of William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy doing some fisticuffs in RIDERS OF THE TIMBERLINE (Paramount, 1941).  And observing in the right background are the doubles for Boyd and sidekick Brad King.  Boyd's double could be either Cliff Lyons or Ted Wells (but is probably Wells) and a blowup of that photo section is below. Note the grin on the face of Brad King's double.





(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - a horse transfer from the Don Barry ONE MAN'S LAW (Republic, 1940). I've examined the face on this stuntman using various image enhancement software, and my guess is that he's Joe Yrigoyen's brother Bill Yrigoyen.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

That's probably Carl Mathews jumping onto the stage as the double for Ray Corrigan in the Range Busters WEST OF PINTO BASIN (Monogram, 1940). Bud McClure is the stage driver and Jerry 'Yodeling' Smith is the shotgun guard.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Unidentified guy spilling a wagon in COLORADO PIONEERS (Republic, 1945), one of the Red Ryder series starring Bill Elliott.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - transferring to the rear of the stage is probably stuntman Cliff Lyons, doubling for Johnny Mack Brown, in a scene from Brown's first series oater at Universal, DESPERATE TRAILS (Universal, 1939). The mustached stage driver is Horace Murphy and the shotgun guard is Frank McCarroll.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

From RAIDERS OF SAN JOAQUIN (Universal, 1943) - an unidentified double for Johnny Mack Brown leaps on to the stage. The driver may be George Plues. Les Adams added an appropriate comment on this shot: "the people doing the rein work had to be good.  Check how close to the rock he had to get the team and wagon ... and they weren't walking."


Back to prior page