Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Actors Who Can Ride

In 'True Grit', John Wayne didn't do the riding across the meadow with guns
blazing.  And in the close up with the reins in his mouth, he was on a
'rocker'.  The stunt man for Wayne in that movie and a lot of his others is
still in Hollywood but I'll be darned if I can think of his name.  The big
sorrel Wayne rode was his horse.  (True Grit was shot in Ridgeway, Colorado
and one day on set Wayne had to redo a close up of him riding horse up to
court house to talk to judge -- his remarks, "Get on that damn horse
again!".  Wayne did not like horses.)

Don't forget Clint Eastwood!  He rides quite well, breeds Quarter Horse I
understand.  In his 'european' westerns -- Hang 'Em High, Fist Full of
Dollars, etc. -- he did his own riding.  Really liked his horses -- a couple
were his.

Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Jimmie Stewart, the Douglas family, Robert Mitchem
just about all the OLD stars rode.  Remember that was back in the 40's and
so stars did what producers wanted them to do.  When they got 'big' they got
doubles to do their riding.

In the "Kentuckian", Wayne did some of his riding but not all.  He was
becoming a star.  Smiley Burnett was his side kick -- Burnett was an
excellent rider.  Remember a lot of these guys came from cowboy/working
ranch background.  There were more ranches then.

Slim Pickins was a rodeo clown.  He slected the name Slim Pickins because he
was once asked about his life and he came from a very poor family and it was
"always slim pickins around the table".

Also, remember that back in the 40's when westerns were king, the top stunt
rider was Yakama K.... (I can't spell that name).  He'd take any stunt
offered -- almost killed a couple times.  (The stuntman in How the West Was
Won -- in the scene where the rail cars come loose and the 'star' is suppost
to be in between the turning logs -- lost his leg, bad timing and logs
crushed him.  Stunting is not an easy occupation.)

Old stars -- they did most of their riding!!  Few doubles and studios
couldn't afford them.

Remember the horses -- all the stars had horses!!  And in those falling
scenes and horses going off cliffs -- they did.  To fall, a Running W was
used and you can see 'em in the way horses fall.  Lots of horses had to be
shot on the set because of broken legs.  Off cliffs, they drove 'em off.
That was before the Humane Society got into the movies.

And last, Roy Rogers and Dale Evens.  She could ride -- quite well.  Roy
could not.  He was born Lenoard Sly in Chicago and became a 'cowboy' because
he could sing.  He became a star because Gene Autry who was the number one
box office cowboy joined the service (yes, joined not drafted) when WWII
began.  As did so many other stars -- they didn't hide behind "being a
star".  Autry went off to fight the war.  Republic Pictures needed a new
cowboy, so Lenoard Sly became Roy Rogers and Trigger was paired with him by
'Fats' Jones -- a big movie horse rental stable owner.  And of course, you
guys know the rest.....

Bonnie Davis



----- Original Message -----
From: "Sullivan" <greymare@xxxxxxx>
To: <harpy@xxxxxx>; "Rides 2 Far" <rides2far@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Actors Who Can Ride


> I guess i am dating myself, but Charlton Heston did a lot of his own
> riding...and in the Big Country was riding a gorgeous black and white
paint.
> Gregory Peck, the greenhorn, is set up to ride "Old Thunder", this nasty,
> bronc Appy.  Later, when no one is looking, he rides the horse to
> docility.....it's still a favorite phrase of ours when someone is going to
> get on a rogue horse...."You goin to ride ole Tunder??"
>
> A pretty funny horse movie is the Rounders, with Glenn Ford and Henry
> Fonday...There is a roan horse than dumps Glenn repeatedly....they can't
run
> him over, shoot him or give him away.....
>
> My daughter says in 13th Warrior, that Antonio Banderas rides and jumps
the
> Arabian.  He also rode in Zorro.
>
> Hey, what about WOMEN?  I believe Julia Roberts has horses and rode in
> Conspiracy Theory, and Something to Talk About.
>
> Again, one of my all time favorite movie scenes, and no doubt a stunt
> double...but in Big County, the scene where Jean Simmons runs down the
hill
> with her rifle, and vaults bareback onto haltered horse and gallops up the
> hill.
>
> Karen
>
>
>
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