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Returning to Hollywood after the war, Dave found that changes had occurred to the serial and B western offerings --- the post World War II boom was on and productions were no longer inexpensive; and people's cinema wants and values had undergone a change as evidenced by the popularity of MGM extravaganzas and new film noir melodramas and crime flicks.

With no starring series available, Dave played undercover agent 'Nevada', showed off his fancy sixgun twirling, and even fought with star Eddie Dean before they overcome the antagonists in PRC's Cinecolor adventure COLORADO SERENADE (PRC, 1946). And he portrayed silver smuggler 'Gus Uhlrich' in the Roy Rogers epic BELLS OF SAN ANGELO (Republic, 1947), supposedly Republic's most expensive Trucolor western. The fight scene between Sharpe and Rogers is a classic.



(From Old Corral collection)

Above - Dave Sharpe and singing cowboy Eddie Dean mix it up in this lobby card from COLORADO SERENADE (PRC, 1946), a pretty good western filmed in Cinecolor.



(From Old Corral collection)

Above - Roy Rogers and Dave Sharpe in the bloody and brutal fight scene in the Trucolor BELLS OF SAN ANGELO (Republic, 1947).


With the decline of the B-western and cliffhanger in the post-World War II era, Sharpe migrated to stunting and second unit directing in major film productions and TV. In LUST FOR GOLD (Columbia, 1949), a tale of the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine, you can spot Sharpe doubling William Prince in the closing brawl against a dishonest lawman played by Will Geer. He doubled Guy Madison in TV's WILD BILL HICKOK, and worked in THE CISCO KID, ZORRO, THE FBI, THE HIGH CHAPARRAL, and others.  He was Tony Curtis' double in several films, including THE GREAT RACE (1965) - remember that great food fight with Sharpe doing a fall into a cake. And if you look close, you can see Sharpe as a cavalry trooper who takes an arrow in the back and crashes through a window in the Glenn Ford DAY OF THE EVIL GUN (MGM, 1968).

While acting in THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972) with Paul Newman, Dave noticed the first signs of an illness that would significantly impair his nervous system and cause muscle weakness. Many sources note that Sharpe passed away in 1980 from the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). However, other sources note Parkinson's Disease. I have several newspaper obituaries and Parkinsons is mentioned as the cause of his death. Parkinson's and ALS are both nervous system disorders, and Wikipedia has info on both at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinsons and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALS.

His last work was in Warren Beatty's HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1978).

Dave Sharpe passed away on March 30, 1980 at La Vina Hospital, Altadena, California.

Better than many of the cowboy heroes that rode the cinema trails during the 1930s and 1940s, Dave Sharpe became too involved in second unit work to vigorously pursue starring roles in the pre-World War II days. He also found that stuntwork kept him busier and was more lucrative. Upon his return from World War II military service, he discovered that the cowboy film and cliffhanger were fading into the sunset, and he concentrated on television and A grade film work.

During a career that spanned about 50 years - from silents through the late 1970s - Sharpe worked in thousands of films and TV programs. His legacy is a significant quantity of amazing stunt work which elevated many low budget westerns and serials from mediocrity to memorable.



(Courtesy of Dolly D'Amico Montgomery)

Above are Dave Sharpe on the left and Dee Montgomery's dad Bill D'Amico on the right. They became friends in the 1930s and the above photo was taken at Universal City in 1965. Note that Dave has his customary cigar.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above - a smiling Dave Sharpe at one of the western film conventions circa 1970s.
 

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above - a very ill Dave Sharpe in a 1979 photo.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Pondering some questions from the audience are, from left to right, Dave Sharpe, Billy Benedict and Penny Edwards at one of the 1970s film festivals.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)
In the photo left, Dave Sharpe and Billy Benedict entertain the film festival audience with an ol' soft shoe.



(Courtesy of Gerald Walton)

September 13, 1975 was proclaimed as 'Tim Holt Day' in Harrah, Oklahoma, and ceremonies were held. In the back seat of the convertible are Sharpe (closest), Tim Holt's wife Berdee in the center, and on the far side wearing the cowboy hat is Ben Johnson.


Links

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has film appearance information on Dave Sharpe ... but does not list all of his stunt work: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0789211/

  The Internat Movie Database (IMDb) for Gertrude Messinger: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0582211/

Sharpe was presented with the Yakima Canutt Award at a May, 1979 National Film Society awards ceremony and luncheon: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80399215/the-los-angeles-times/

YouTube has a 4 1/2 minute tribute to a very young Dave Sharpe during his early film work in "The Boy Friends" series for producer Hal Roach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCF3DQNU29w

YouTube also has a couple of other tributes to Sharpe and his stuntwork in various films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=momQu1o-nb8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c89c8dS3g4

The GYMN (Gymnastics) Forum website lists David Sharpe as the A. A. U. Tumbling champion in 1925 and 1926: https://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/AAU/Men/m-67yrs-b.html

In 2012, Sharpe was inducted into the World Acrobatics Society Gallery of Legends, Professional Acrobatics category: https://worldacro.com/gallery-of-legends-hall-of-fame/s-z/

There's some screen captures of an older Dave Sharpe in the original Star Trek TV program: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/David_Sharpe

Stuntman Neil Summers has a writeup on Sharpe at Boyd Magers' Western Clippings website: http://www.westernclippings.com/stuntmen/davesharpe_stuntmen.shtml

Dave Sharpe won a contested divorce from former actress Thelma Mae Sharpe (Thelma Crawford) after lurid testimony linked her to an affair with an aircraft exec. University of Southern California (USC) digital collections has photos of Thelma Mae Sharpe and David Sharpe during their 1952 divorce. Photos were taken April 14, 1952 by the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2A3BXZSDBWVSO&SMLS=1&RW=1372&RH=756


On the trail of Dave Sharpe

Ancestry.com (subscription), Family Search (free), ProQuest military records, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), California Death Index, trade publications, and newspapers have information on Dave Sharpe and family.

Appears he was married four or five times:

1. the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has Dave's first wife as Jean Allen. Have found no records to confirm that pairing.
2. second marriage was to actress Gertrude Messinger (were married from April, 1932 to May, 1935).
3. third marriage was to actress Thelma Mae Crawford (were married from January, 1949 to April, 1952).
4. marriage number four was to actress Mary Lou Dix (Mary Louise Wolfe) (they married in May, 1956; when she passed away in 1963, her death certificate listed her as divorced. Her previous husbands were Oscar nominated composer and conductor Alfred Newman and prolific stunt man Bud Wolfe.)
5. his last was to Marjorie Josephine Messinger, the widow of 1920s child actor Buddie Messinger (Melvin Joseph Messinger). But there's questions on that marriage - more at the bottom of this webpage.

Marriage and/or divorce info on those ladies are highlighted with a  

  • 1910 census summary and census takers worksheet - newborn David H. Sharpe and his parents, 39 year old Henry S. Sharpe (born Canada; occupation "Linotype operator - newspaper") and 27 year old Hannah Sharpe (born Canada), were living in St. Louis, Missouri: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M21B-PQS
  • 1920 census summary and census takers worksheet - 9 year old David Sharpe and his 39 year old mother Hannah (born Kentucky; divorced) live in Los Angeles, along with Dave's 8 year old sister Eleanor Sharpe and Flora Van Trump, his mother's sister: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH7W-4N1
  • Ancestry.com had the 1926 yearbook for Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles. There's a photo and writeup on the Boy's Senior Gym Club and team and Sharpe is a member and letterman. He was about 16 years of age. In several paragraphs describing their meets: "David Sharpe, national tumbling champion, took first place in his event."
  • The GYMN (Gymnastics) Forum website lists David Sharpe as the A. A. U. Tumbling champion in 1925 and 1926: https://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/AAU/Men/m-67yrs-b.html
  • 1930 census summary and census takers worksheet - 20 year old David Sharpe was a lodger residing in a rooming/boarding house in Los Angeles. He is single and occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCVC-8M3
  •  April 20, 1932 Orange County, California marriage license of 22 year old David H. Sharpe (born Missouri; occupation "Real Estate Salesman") and 20 year old Gertrude D. Messinger (born Washington; occupation "none"). This was the first marriage for both ... and were hiding their identities with fake occupations. His parents were Harry Sharpe (born Missouri) and Hannah Hardin (born Kentucky): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8FD-3VS
  •  April 21, 1932 Los Angeles Times newspaper article and photo on the elopement and marriage of actress Gertrude Messinger and actor David Sharpe:https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81488374/april-1932-elopement-and-marriage-of/
  •  April 22, 1932 issue of Film Daily had news of the marriage: "Gertrude Messinger and David H. Sharpe, who have been appearing in Hal Roach comedies, eloped this week."
  • California Birth Index for Gertrude Kathryn Sharpe. She was born August 6, 1933 in the Los Angeles area and mother's maiden name was Messinger: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2QC-2CQ
  •  May 3, 1935 New York Daily News - Gertrude Messinger wins divorce, custody of daughter, and child support payments from husband David Sharpe: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80137284/daily-news/
  • 1940 census summary and census takers worksheet - renting in Los Angeles are 59 year old Hanna Stepan (widowed; born Kentucky), her 30 year old son David H. Sharpen [sic] (born Missouri), and 73 year old lodger Michael C. Long. Sharpe completed three years of high school; he is single; occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures"; and in 1939, he worked 48 weeks and earned $2,000.00: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9C6-TSC
  • ProQuest had the World War II draft registration dated October 16, 1940 for 30 year old David Hardin Shape. He was born February 2, 1910 in St. Louis, Missouri; employer was "Republic Studio"; he lived in Reseda, California; contact was mother Hannah Hardin Stepan, Los Angeles. He was 5 feet, 10 3/4 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. (That height measurement is questionable - and he was probably wearing cowboy boots. He was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall.)
  • Variety trade publication carried listings of people entering military service. "David Sharpe, screen actor, Army" was on the list in the November 11, 1942 issue.
  •  Ancestry.com had the California Marriage Index - David H. Sharpe and Thelma Crawford married on January 16, 1949.
  •  April 20, 1952 Long Beach (California) Independent newspaper - Dave Sharpe won a contested divorce from former actress Thelma Mae Sharpe (Thelma Crawford) after lurid testimony linked her to an affair with an aircraft exec: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80137127/stunt-man-david-sharpe-wins-a-divorce/
  •  University of Southern California (USC) digital collections has photos of Thelma Mae Sharpe and David Sharpe during their 1952 divorce. Photos were taken April 14, 1952 by the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2A3BXZ81FTKXS&SMLS=1&RW=1374&RH=756
  • October 21, 1952 Los Angeles marriage license of Kay Sharpe, 19 year old daughter of Dave Sharpe and Gertrude Dolores Messinger: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K86S-XDX
  •  May 30, 1956 Los Angeles marriage license of 46 year old David Hardin Sharpe (divorced and had three prior marriages; born Missouri) and 42 year old Mary Louise Wolfe (divorced and had two prior marriages; born Kentucky; maiden name of Mary Louise Dix). She was actress Mary Lou Dix (1914 - 1963): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8X4-88G
  •  Death Certificate - 48 year old Mary Lou Dix / Mary Lou Sharpe passed away on May 5, 1963 at the Los Angeles County General Hospital, and her death was ruled a suicide. She was Dress Shop Manager at Bon Bo Teque dress shop. Was divorced. Burial at Valhalla Memorial Park.
  • Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and the California Death Index have records on David Hardin Sharpe - he was born February 2, 1910, Mother's maiden name of Hardin, and he passed away March 30, 1980 in the Los Angeles area:
    https://www.familysearch.org/search/ark:/61903/1:1:JB7V-PMD
    https://www.familysearch.org/search/ark:/61903/1:1:VPZF-Z6Y
  • April 1, 1980 Los Angeles (California) Times newspaper had a death notice for David Sharpe. Excerpts: "... died of Parkinson's disease at age 70, a family spokesman said ..." ; "Sharpe died ... Sunday at La Vina Hospital in Altadena, said his sister-in-law, Marjorie Nessinger [sic] of Burbank.": https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80035201/death-notice-for-movie-stunt-man-dave/
  • April 1, 1980 Los Angeles (California) Times newspaper had a funeral notice for David H. Sharpe. Excerpts: "Survived by sister-in-law Marjorie Messinger of Burbank." ; "Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to A. L. S. Society of America ...": https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80035215/obituary-funeral-noticed-for-movie/
  • Find A Grave website notes that Sharpe was cremated and ashes given to family or friend: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9982571/david-sharpe


Was Sharpe married to Marjorie Josephine
Messinger, actor Buddie Messinger's widow?

Biographies on Sharpe note that his last (fifth) wife was Marjorie Josephine Messinger, the widow of child actor Buddie Messinger (Melvin Joseph Messinger) ... who was the brother of Dave's second wife, actress Gertrude 'Gertie' Messinger.

Family trees on Ancestry.com and Family Search indicate that her birth name was Marjorie Josephine Montgomery, born 1914 in Winnipeg, Canada to Grace Graham and Chester John Montgomery.

In May - early July, 2021, I checked (many) family trees at Family Search and Ancestry.com for the Messingers ... for Dave Sharpe ... and for Marjorie Josephine Montgomery and parents. Found nothing to confirm that Marjorie and Sharpe married sometime in the 1960s. That didn't surprise me.

From Social Security records, we know that Marjorie's last name became Sharpe as of February, 1968, and that indicates a marriage to a person named Sharpe. But in Sharpe's 1980 funeral notice, she's listed as his sister-in-law. And when she died in 1997, Social Security records have her as "Marjorie Josephine Messinger", not Sharpe. Wonder if she and Sharpe divorced, and she returned to her Messinger surname.

Another (remote) possibility is that Marjorie married a David Sharpe, but he wasn't actor / stunt man David Sharpe. If that's the case, then the "sister-in-law" mention of her in actor / stunt man Sharpe's 1980 funeral notice makes sense.

Lots of confusion. More info follows:

  • Legal notice in the February 23, 1968 Venice (California) Evening Vanguard newspaper - effective on / after March 1, 1968, Marjorie J. Messinger was transferring her Polynesian Village Coiffeurs beauty shop, 8411 Pershing Drive, Playa del Rey, California to David Sharpe: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80141147/evening-vanguard/
  • Ancestry.com had the Social Security Applications and Claims Index - she was born April 16, 1914 in Winnipeg, Canada and passed away on May 30, 1997. Changes to her Social Security record were: in January, 1937, she's listed as MARJORIE JOSEPHINE MESSINGER;  in February, 1968, she's listed as MARJORIE SHARPE; June 10, 1997, about two weeks after her death, she's listed as MARJORIE J. MESSINGER.
  • April 1, 1980 Los Angeles (California) Times newspaper had a funeral notice on Dave Sharpe. Excerpts: "Survived by sister-in-law Marjorie Messinger of Burbank." ; "Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to A. L. S. Society of America ...": https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80035215/obituary-funeral-noticed-for-movie/
  • Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and California Death Index for 83 year old Marjorie Josephine Messinger, born April 16, 1914 in Canada, mother's maiden name was Graham, last residence was Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, and she passed away on May 30, 1997 in the Los Angeles area:
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTH2-ZYD
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG5Z-MJ4



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