Stuntman, Actor, Director. A World Champion rodeo star, he entered films as a stuntman in the early 1920s and enjoyed success as a B western star of the late silent period. When talkies came in his voice was deemed unsuitable and he returned to stunting, doubling for such stars as John Wayne and Clark Gable. Probably his most famous exploit was doubling for both Wayne and a pursuing Apache in the great chase scene in "Stagecoach" (1939). After 1940 he worked as a second-unit director for action sequences, and he staged the chariot race in "Ben-Hur" (1959). Over his career Canutt developed many safety devices to protect stunt performers from injury. For his contributions to the stunt field he was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1967.
Stuntman, Actor, Director. A World Champion rodeo star, he entered films as a stuntman in the early 1920s and enjoyed success as a B western star of the late silent period. When talkies came in his voice was deemed unsuitable and he returned to stunting, doubling for such stars as John Wayne and Clark Gable. Probably his most famous exploit was doubling for both Wayne and a pursuing Apache in the great chase scene in "Stagecoach" (1939). After 1940 he worked as a second-unit director for action sequences, and he staged the chariot race in "Ben-Hur" (1959). Over his career Canutt developed many safety devices to protect stunt performers from injury. For his contributions to the stunt field he was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1967.
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Yakima Canutt
Nov. 29, 1895 - May 24, 1986
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