Yakima Canutt

Memorable Canutt stunts.

Above are screen captures showing 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).

Canutt did that "underneath a stage / under a wagon" stunt in other films including STAGECOACH (United Artists, 1939) with John Wayne and direction by John Ford.

He also did the stunt in:

Tom Keene's SCARLET RIVER (RKO, 1933)
John Wayne's RIDERS OF DESTINY (Lone Star / Monogram, 1933)
Johnny Mack Brown's FIGHTING WITH KIT CARSON (Mascot, 1933) serial
Johnny Mack Brown's BRANDED A COWARD (Supreme, 1935)
Chapter 8 of THE PAINTED STALLION (Republic, 1937)
Chapter 7 of ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION (Republic, 1939)
Charles Starrett's Durango Kid adventure LARAMIE (Columbia, 1949)

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 their doubles handle the leap off a cliff into the lake.

Canutt also got wet in Wayne's RIDERS OF DESTINY (Lone Star/Monogram, 1933). At the end, Wayne gives chase to brains heavy Forrest Taylor ... who gallops off the cliff ... and drowns.

One of my favorite movie memories occurs at the tail end of THE TRAIL BEYOND (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934). Canutt (doubling Wayne again) gallops after a wagon driven by baddie Robert Frazer. Yak gets his foot tangled in the stirrup, misses the horse to wagon transfer, and falls onto the dusty trail. He remounts, renews the chase, and successfully makes the jump to the speeding wagon. Cameraman Archie Stout filmed it all - including Canutt's miss - and the entire chase scene is in the film. You can view the chase on YouTube and this link will open in a separate window / tab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L5rjogXy-w&t=2760s )

In THE LUCKY TEXAN (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934), John Wayne chases after Eddie Parker. Wayne winds up on foot ... finds a tree branch ... and rides the branch down a water drainage chute. Exiting the chute, the screen captures above show Yakima Canutt doubling Wayne. Scene begins around 23 minutes in the film.

(From Old Corral collection)

The above lobby card is from the 1959 re-release of ZORRO RIDES AGAIN (Republic, 1937) and contains one of the most published photos on serials and stuntwork (see below). This horse-to-truck transfer was done by Yakima Canutt and occurred in Chapter 11. And the answer is NO! - I didn't fool with the colors of this lobby card at all ... gads, were those trucks really pink? Take a look at the top of the truck trailer and you might see an area that's painted over. Underneath that paint are the letters P I E which stands for the Pacific Intermountain Express trucking company.

(From Old Corral collection)

(From Old Corral collection)

Yak takes a tumble on top of a cayuse that is doubling for 'Silver Chief' in THE LONE RANGER (Republic, 1938) serial.

(Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer)

Above - Yak dressed as Roy Rogers and doing one of his famous jumps onto the team of horses ... and below are Yak's notes on the back of the photo.

(Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer)

At around the 100 minute mark in DARK COMMAND (Republic, 1940), John Wayne and three others are escaping on a wagon which plummets off a cliff into Lake Sherwood. The stunt was choreographed by Canutt. In the wagon with Canutt were stunt men Cliff Lyons and brothers Bill Yrigoyen and Joe Yrigoyen. I have more on this dangerous and crazy stunt - click HERE and that webpage will open in a separate tab / window.

Canutt's gunbelt - brown or black?
And his "hero shirt" from his 1920s starring silents.

During the 1930s, Canutt often portrayed a villain. And he often shows up wearing a multi-colored gunbelt with light colored cartridge loops. Was looking through some Wayne lobby cards ... and found some wild and crazy color variations. Three images below:

1. B&W scene still.
2. Lobby card from the original release of RANDY RIDES ALONE (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934).
3. Re-release lobby card from RANDY RIDES ALONE.

Whomever did the coloring has Yak with black and brown gunbelts ... and two colors of his shirt. And Wayne and others also get different color shirts and jackets.

You'll see Canutt wearing this gunbelt in many images on my Canutt webpages. Guessing it was probably brown with tan cartridge loops.

Standing near the entrance (in all black or a reddish colored shirt) is brains heavy George Hayes, several years prior to his portrayal of "Windy Halliday" to Hopalong Cassidy and "Gabby Hayes" with many B western heroes.

And Yak wore that "hero shirt" pattern in his 1920s starring silents.

Above - screen capture of hero / leading man Yakima Canutt - and his hero shirt - starring in the silent BRANDED A BANDIT (Ben Wilson Productions / Goodwill, 1924).