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STUNTS, STARS & LEGENDS May 2011

Jack Williams
by John Hagner (Artist of the Stars)

Dean Smith drawn by John Hagner
Jack Williams drawn by John Hagner

Paris Williams, Jack’s mother, was a world champion trick rider on the rodeo circuit, as well as an early film stuntwoman. George Williams, Jack’s dad, was a Montana cowboy who in the 1930s found he could train a horse to fall on command, known as a cue.

By the end of the ‘30s, trained horses were used in place of using wires to make a horse fall. Jack’s father taught him this method to fall a horse. Jack was 15 years old at the time. He soon became a master at this technique and started working in films with his dad.

Jack was attending U.S.C. when he earned money to see him through his education. He worked in such western action thrillers as “Dodge City”, “They Died With Their Boots On”, “Santa Fe”, and “Virginia City”, all with Errol Flynn. He was also a member of the Trojan polo team and assisted in winning the championship for his school in his final season.
Jack was in the Howard Hawks’ film, “Red River” starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift and for the next 25 years he was in the saddle and made his mark in westerns, including many John Wayne films. He worked in movies in Moab, including “Commencheros” for John Wayne and in “Hondo” at Monument Valley.

Jack was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame in 1983. Go to www.stuntmen.org and to www.facebook.com check his portrait drawing at Stunt, Stars and Legends, by John Hagner (Artist of the Stars).

For more information about the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, contact Hagner at (435) 260-2160 or johnhagner@hotmail.com.

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