Yakima Canutt
About
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Also Known As
Enos Edward Canutt
Birth Place
Colfax, Washington, USA
Born
November 29, 1895
Died
May 24, 1986
Cause of Death
Heart Attack
Biography
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A five-time world champion rodeo rider from 1917 to 1923 and legendary Hollywood stuntman who became an important second unit director, Canutt also acted (usually as a villain) in many of the Western and action films for which he did the stunt work and served as a double for such stars as John Wayne, Clark Gable and Gene Autry. In the 1930s he also worked as a second unit director of act...
Filmography
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Breakheart Pass
(1975)
2nd Unit Director (2nd Unit)
Rio Lobo
(1970)
2nd unit Director
Song of Norway
(1970)
2nd unit Director
A Man Called Horse
(1970)
2nd unit Director
Where Eagles Dare
(1969)
2nd unit Director
Blue
(1968)
2nd unit Director
Family & Companions
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Kitty Wilks
Wife
Married in 1916; divorced in 1919.
Minnie Audrea Rice
Wife
Married from 1931 until his death.
Notes
His name came from from his rodeo contest days when a newspaper caption identified him as the "Cowboy From Yakima".
Biography
A five-time world champion rodeo rider from 1917 to 1923 and legendary Hollywood stuntman who became an important second unit director, Canutt also acted (usually as a villain) in many of the Western and action films for which he did the stunt work and served as a double for such stars as John Wayne, Clark Gable and Gene Autry. In the 1930s he also worked as a second unit director of action sequences most notably on "Stagecoach" (1939), the chariot race in "Ben Hur" (1959) and "Spartacus" (1960). In the mid-1940s he also directed four B Westerns. Canutt earned a special Oscar in 1966 for "achievements as a stuntman and for developing safety devices to protect stuntmen everywhere."
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Breakheart Pass
(1975)
2nd Unit Director (2nd Unit)
Rio Lobo
(1970)
2nd unit Director
Song of Norway
(1970)
2nd unit Director
A Man Called Horse
(1970)
2nd unit Director
Where Eagles Dare
(1969)
2nd unit Director
Blue
(1968)
2nd unit Director
The Flim-Flam Man
(1967)
2nd unit Director
Khartoum
(1966)
2nd unit Director
Cat Ballou
(1965)
2nd unit Director
The Fall of the Roman Empire
(1964)
2nd unit Director
The Son of Captain Blood
(1964)
Assistant Director
El Cid
(1961)
2nd unit Director
Swiss Family Robinson
(1960)
2nd Unit Director
Spartacus
(1960)
2nd Unit Director
Ben-Hur
(1959)
2nd Unit Director
Old Yeller
(1958)
2nd Unit Director
Westward Ho the Wagons!
(1956)
2nd Unit Director
Helen of Troy
(1956)
2nd Unit Director
Zarak
(1956)
Associate Director
The Lawless Rider
(1954)
Director
King Richard and the Crusaders
(1954)
2nd Unit Director
Last of the Comanches
(1953)
2nd Unit Director
Hangman's Knot
(1952)
2nd Unit Director
Stage to Tucson
(1951)
2nd Unit Director
Red Stallion in the Rockies
(1949)
Director of 2d unit
The Doolins of Oklahoma
(1949)
2nd Unit Director
Hellfire
(1949)
2nd Unit Director
Carson City Raiders
(1948)
Director
Oklahoma Badlands
(1948)
Director
Sons of Adventure
(1948)
Director
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
(1948)
Director
Dangers of the Canadian Mounted
(1948)
Director
That's My Man
(1947)
2nd Unit Director
Twilight on the Rio Grande
(1947)
2nd Unit Director
Angel and the Badman
(1947)
2nd Unit Director
Northwest Outpost
(1947)
2nd unit Director
Wyoming
(1947)
2nd Unit Director
Santa Fe Uprising
(1946)
2nd Unit Director
Sun Valley Cyclone
(1946)
2nd Unit Director
Under Nevada Skies
(1946)
2nd Unit Director
My Pal Trigger
(1946)
2nd Unit Director
Dakota
(1945)
2nd Unit Director
Along the Navajo Trail
(1945)
2nd Unit Director
The Topeka Terror
(1945)
2nd Unit Director
Great Stagecoach Robbery
(1945)
2nd Unit Director
Santa Fe Saddlemates
(1945)
Stunt Director
Sheriff of Cimarron
(1945)
Director
Federal Operator 99
(1945)
Director
Manhunt of Mystery Island
(1945)
Director
San Fernando Valley
(1944)
2nd Unit Director
Tucson Raiders
(1944)
2nd Unit Director
The San Antonio Kid
(1944)
2nd Unit Director
Vigilantes of Dodge City
(1944)
2nd Unit Director
Cast (Feature Film)
High on the Range
(1985)
The Showdown
(1950)
Davis
Rocky Mountain
(1950)
Ryan
Pride of the Plains
(1944)
Bowman
Hidden Valley Outlaws
(1944)
Tracy
For Whom the Bell Tolls
(1943)
Young cavalry man
Calling Wild Bill Elliott
(1943)
Guard
King of the Cowboys
(1943)
Heavy
Shadows on the Sage
(1942)
Red Harvey
The Great Train Robbery
(1941)
Klefner
Prairie Pioneers
(1941)
Morrison
Kansas Cyclone
(1941)
Wagon driver
Gauchos of Eldorado
(1941)
Snakes
Under Texas Skies
(1940)
Talbot
The Ranger and the Lady
(1940)
McNair
Pioneers of the West
(1940)
Nolan
Ghost Valley Raiders
(1940)
Marty Owens
Frontier Vengeance
(1940)
Zack
Cowboys from Texas
(1939)
Dawson
The Kansas Terrors
(1939)
Sergeant
Wyoming Outlaw
(1939)
Editor Sims
Stagecoach
(1939)
Cavalry scout
Gone With the Wind
(1939)
A renegade
Ten Laps to Go
(1938)
Barney [Smith]
The Mysterious Pilot
(1938)
The Secret of Treasure Island
(1938)
Conquest
(1937)
Cossack
Come On, Cowboys!
(1937)
Gunsmoke Ranch
(1937)
Spider
The Riders of the Whistling Skull
(1937)
Otah
Range Defenders
(1937)
Hodge
Hit the Saddle
(1937)
Buck
Riders of the Rockies
(1937)
Sergeant Beef
Prairie Thunder
(1937)
[Chief] High Wolf
Heart of the Rockies
(1937)
Charley Coe
Trouble in Texas
(1937)
Squint Harmer
It Could Happen to You
(1937)
Truck driver
The Painted Stallion
(1937)
King of the Pecos
(1936)
Pete Smith
The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand
(1936)
Number Eight
The Lonely Trail
(1936)
Horrell
Wildcat Trooper
(1936)
The Raven
Roarin' Lead
(1936)
Canary
The Oregon Trail
(1936)
Tom
Ghost-Town Gold
(1936)
Buck
Winds of the Wasteland
(1936)
The Black Coin
(1936)
The Vigilantes Are Coming
(1936)
Welcome Home
(1935)
Westward Ho
(1935)
Red
Branded a Coward
(1935)
Lawless Range
(1935)
Joe Burns
Paradise Canyon
(1935)
Curly Joe Gale
The Dawn Rider
(1935)
Barkeeper
Outlaw Rule
(1935)
Blaze Tremaine
Pals of the Range
(1935)
Brown
Circle of Death
(1935)
Yak
Cyclone of the Saddle
(1935)
Snake
Rough Riding Ranger
(1935)
"Draw"
Texas Tornado
(1934)
Jackson
The Man from Utah
(1934)
Cheyenne Kent
The Lawless Frontier
(1934)
Joe
West of the Divide
(1934)
Hank
'Neath the Arizona Skies
(1934)
Sam Black
The Lucky Texan
(1934)
Cole
Blue Steel
(1934)
Danti, the "Polka Dot Bandit"
Fighting Through
(1934)
Big Jack Thorpe
The Battling Buckaroo
(1934)
Sheriff Hank Jones
Guns for Hire
(1934)
The Star Packer
(1934)
Yak
The Man from Hell
(1934)
Yak
Randy Rides Alone
(1934)
Spike
Scarlet River
(1933)
Yak
Via Pony Express
(1933)
The Telegraph Trail
(1933)
High Wolf
Riders of Destiny
(1933)
Sagebrush Trail
(1933)
Editor Walsh
Fighting Texans
(1933)
Hank
Cheyenne Cyclone
(1932)
Editor Brady
Riders of Golden Gulch
(1932)
Yac
Wyoming Whirlwind
(1932)
Law and Lawless
(1932)
Tex Barnes
The Last of the Mohicans
(1932)
The Shadow of the Eagle
(1932)
The Last Frontier
(1932)
The Pueblo Terror
(1931)
Ballan
Two Fisted Justice
(1931)
Perkins
The Hurricane Horseman
(1931)
Sheriff Jones
Cheyenne Kid
(1931)
Utah Kane
Battling With Buffalo Bill
(1931)
The Vanishing Legion
(1931)
The Lonesome Trail
(1930)
Two Gun
Westward Bound
(1930)
Jim
Bar L Ranch
(1930)
Steve
Canyon Hawks
(1930)
Jack Benson
Firebrand Jordan
(1930)
Red Carson
Ridin' Law
(1930)
Buck Lambert
A Texan's Honor
(1929)
Bob Morgan
Riders of the Storm
(1929)
Bad Men's Money
(1929)
The Three Outcasts
(1929)
Dick Marsh
Captain Cowboy
(1929)
The Vanishing West
(1928)
Hellhounds of the Plains
(1927)
"Yak" Hammond
Desert Greed
(1926)
The Fighting Stallion
(1926)
Yak
The Devil Horse
(1926)
Dave Garson
The Outlaw Breaker
(1926)
York Darnell
The Iron Rider
(1926)
Yak Halliday
A Two-Fisted Sheriff
(1925)
Jerry O'Connell
Wolves of the Road
(1925)
The Strange Rider
(1925)
Scar Hanan
(1925)
Scar Hanan
White Thunder
(1925)
Chick Richards
The Cactus Cure
(1925)
Bud Osborne, the foreman
Ridin' Comet
(1925)
Slim Ranthers
Romance and Rustlers
(1925)
Bud Kane
The Human Tornado
(1925)
Jim Marlow
Wild Horse Canyon
(1925)
Yak Davson
Sell 'Em Cowboy
(1924)
Luke Strong
The Desert Hawk
(1924)
A handy man to the foreman of the Mirage Ranch
Branded a Bandit
(1924)
Jess Dean
Ridin' Mad
(1924)
Steve Carlson
The Forbidden Range
(1923)
Buck Madison
The Heart of a Texan
(1922)
Link
The Girl Who Dared
(1920)
Bob Purdy
Cinematography (Feature Film)
The Son of Captain Blood
(1964)
2nd unit Photographer
Writer (Feature Film)
Riders of Golden Gulch
(1932)
Original Story
Scar Hanan
(1925)
Story
Stunts (Feature Film)
Breakheart Pass
(1975)
Stunt Coordinator
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Equus
(1977)
Consultant
They Died with Their Boots On
(1942)
Double
Stagecoach
(1939)
Stunts
Riders of the Black Hills
(1938)
Stunts
Welcome Home
(1935)
Stunts
Wild Gold
(1934)
Double
Elinor Norton
(1934)
Stunts
Cast (Short)
Ben-Hur: Behind the Scenes with Glenn H. Randall & Yakima Canutt
(1959)
Himself
Life Events
1912
Performed in Wild West show
1924
Film debut, "Romance and Rustlers"; became a cowboy film star
1939
Became second unit director on action films
1941
Broke both ankles during a stunt, ending his active career as stuntman
1945
Directed first feature, "Sheriff of Cimarron"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Joe Canutt
Son
Stuntman.
Tap Canutt
Son
Stuntman.
Companions
Kitty Wilks
Wife
Married in 1916; divorced in 1919.
Minnie Audrea Rice
Wife
Married from 1931 until his death.
Bibliography
Notes
His name came from from his rodeo contest days when a newspaper caption identified him as the "Cowboy From Yakima".
