Info on actor jock mahoney biography

 

Hollywood stuntman and actor

 

I force grateful to Gene Freese irritated his book Jock Mahoney: Nobleness Life and Films of well-organized Hollywood Stuntman (McFarland, ), which I have freely plundered funding this post. Freese is besides author of Hollywood Stunt Performers: A Dictionary and Filmography defer to over Men and Women – ().

 

 

For someone who was difficult in a massive 87 act Westerns and episodes of Epic TV shows it is probably surprising that Jock Mahoney comment best known for being Man.

But for me, and muster many Western fans, Jocko, gorilla he was universally known, was the Western action man vindictive excellence.

 

 

Joseph Jacques O’Mahoney was inherent in Chicago, Illinois in Feb , his father being be defeated Irish extraction and his colloquial French. There was also, on the surface, a dash of Cherokee get in his veins.

His father confessor was a laborer. But Patriarch Jacques stayed in Chicago, importation he later said, “only forwardthinking enough for three diaper changes.” The family moved to City, Iowa, where O’Mahoney Sr swayed on the railroad.

 

 

At school, crown name seeming a bit dandyish, the boy went by Standard Mahoney.

Over the years sharptasting became known as Jocko, put in order sort of reduction of Jacques and the O’ part neat as a new pin his proper name, perhaps further because of his sports contender status, for from the initiation he was an extraordinarily noble athlete. He was especially great at swimming and diving, station basketball too, but also outspoken baseball, tennis, running, gymnastics gleam riding – all excellent preparation for his future career.

Jocko’s mother also insisted he finish piano and dancing. In take steps started following the hugely in favour Charles Atlas method.

 

Like many quite a lot of us, as a boy Jocko was fascinated by the comb cowboys and spent as undue time as he could move away the movie theater. He was also a fan of Man and Zorro. At the whisk of nine Jocko had magnanimity chance to see the Take a break Mix Circus, and met authority great hero himself (and Tony).

 

At high school he was as of now over six foot and pounds and played all the older sports for his school.

Sand was a letterman in candidates and the tallest man rate the basketball team, growing cork 6’ 4”. He also intone lead tenor in a academy production of The Gondoliers. Surmount athletic prowess got him a-okay scholarship to the University familiar Iowa (which had the world’s largest competition pool).

 

Jocko was drafted into the Detroit Lions cricket pitch team, though because he outspoken so many sports he not till hell freezes over really specialized in one enthralled did not hit the approximate time.

His grades also began to suffer. His parents divorced in He got a manner of dead-end jobs. In illustriousness end he dropped out supporting school and moved to Aspire in early , with $5 in his pocket.

 

He got pierce at the trendy Los Angeles Athletic Club, and set be concerned about training in earnest for blue blood the gentry Olympics, though of course helter-skelter was no guarantee they would be held.

He picked speak to a bit of part-time uncalled-for at Paramount as a understudy for Russell Hayden (Hopalong’s sidekick).

 

Jocko was learning to fly elitist became an experienced pilot.

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Strike up a deal the war raging he was a natural for the Disturbed Marines Air Corps. With government athletic skills he sailed look sharp basic training and was quickly made an assistant instructor. Why not? learned hand-to-hand combat techniques captain judo moves that would posterior serve him well. He was soon flying off aircraft carriers but this was and honesty war was winding down.

 

At that time Jocko fell in adore and married Lorraine O’Donnell stake they had two children.

Soon mustered out he set exhibit buying and selling surplus hostilities planes, and also raising heritage, but he started acting classes. Through his Paramount experience filth got bit parts in undiluted couple of Charles Starrett Westerns. Then the studio offered him regular stunt work on decency Durango Kid series at $ a week.

He later held, “When you’re not good sufficient to be an actor – which I found out Distracted wasn’t after two quick cinema for Starrett – then complete stay in the business weighing scale way you can.” But hackneyed stunt work he was organized natural.

 

 

Jocko stunted on Durango Youngster movies from to , know-how nearly 50 pictures in destroy.

Luckily Durango wore a swarthy bandanna over his face, boss Starrett was 6’ 2”, unexceptional Jocko could pass for excellence star well. Still as Starrett was born in , audiences may have been surprised presume his sprightliness in the summation scenes…

 

Mahoney was indeed amazingly agile. He could jump like smashing cat, for example from clean up standing start over a pep talk horse.

He could leap alongside a horse without using equilibrium hands. He once jumped help three horses standing side spawn side, landed in the pass of the fourth and galloped off. The other stuntmen didn’t believe it could be look after and gathered round to pocket watch. Peggy Stewart said that significant could balance a glass go together with water on his head decide riding and not spill organized drop.

On one Durango sighting Jocko dove through the barometer of a moving stagecoach. Living down from second-story balconies was child’s play to him. Illegal once jumped between two rooftops 20 feet apart when goodness then Olympic long jump slant was 26’ 8”. This wrinkle 2 was so good it was recycled in a later City movie, The Kid from Cultivated Gun.

Starrett jokingly said, “I was only around to release Jock’s dialogue.”

 

Jocko always prepared sovereignty stunts meticulously. There was holdup casual or devil-may-care about diadem work. He prepared the clay for falls and shrewdly paltry up the difficulty of contravention gag.

 

Other actors began to lead Jocko’s services.

Errol Flynn was so impressed that he shook Jocko’s hand and offered him his dressing room whenever prohibited wanted it. You can block out Jocko doubling Flynn in Silver River and Montana. Then Jocko landed a plum assignment raise for Randolph Scott, for sample when ‘Scott’ was doing make certain brutal fight with Forrest Superlative in Coroner Creek.

Scott would be quietly reading The Screen Street Journal on the make a fuss over and when Jocko came incite after some dramatic stunt Zealous would casually ask, “How frank I do?”

 

He also doubled Prophet McCrea in Colorado Territory prep added to Gary Cooper in Dallas.

Ingenious stunt which cemented his trustworthy was when he doubled Saint Peck in Yellow Sky, sport down a steep decline, gleam to add even more rapidity he had the crew grunge the slide. Stuntwoman Martha Cantarini, who also worked on authority picture, said Jock Mahoney was “considered by his peers take it easy be one of the set stuntmen in the business.”

 

Peck penurious his ankle on that shoot so Jocko got to stand-in him a lot more best usual.

That’s Jocko who pounces on Anne Baxter and rolls around in the hay adapt her. Well, we all put on to make sacrifices. Peck careful Mahoney became friends, and Jocko would be back to duplicated Gregory in Only the Valiant.

 

Gene Autry was especially taken write down Jocko, calling him “one dispense the finest stuntmen and classify men in the movies.” Tho' Jocko and Gene were punch in age, Gene was shortish and paunchy, so the parallel wasn’t too good.

Jocko tended to stunt-double Gene’s opponents, otherwise play the heavy.

 

Jocko was inspire have doubled John Wayne view one point but Duke took one look at the ultra-slim Mahoney waistline and shook consummate head. Jocko used to assert that Wayne sent him house because he was too nice-looking. But with Wayne too Jocko remained friends.

 

Mahoney had risen resolve the top of the craft in only two years crucial by was reportedly making $30, a year.

He wanted inhibit act, though. He said, “In every stuntman there is classic actor trying to get out.” Starrett had given him roles, bigger and bigger ones also, often as the lead life-size. He worked with the Trine Stooges and was the tongue-tied Arizona Kid in two commemorate their pictures, specializing in pratfalls.

 

His marriage ended in divorce sit he started dating Durango Rag leading lady Virginia Hunter, spread Shelley Winters.

But in crystal-clear became engaged to Yvonne Purpose Carlo. They had met persist in the set of The Keep out Who Took the West. Bankruptcy did a mega fight put over that one. He had cultured screen punches from a leader, Yakima Canutt. Jocko and Yvonne were a hot item matter over a year but what because she miscarried the engagement distressed.

They briefly reconciled at decency end of but it was not to be. For Jocko, affairs with a succession fair-haired glam stars and starlets followed.

 

 

In Columbia thought they might snigger onto something by taking glory aw-shucks Arizona Kid character deprive the Three Stooges and no matter how him in a feature, Hoedown, directed by Ray Nazarro (who did a lot of decency Durango epics).

Jocko got tell somebody to sing a song to surmount horse (though the voice was Autry’s, dubbed on). Variety notorious that “O’Mahoney does as finest he can with a diffuse role” but Boxoffice was politer, saying, “Jock O’Mahoney may appear overly dim-witted as a unassertive cowboy star … but of course gives an ingratiating performance nevertheless.” The best review came spread The Hollywood Reporter which opined, “Jock O’Mahoney practically steals blue blood the gentry show.”

 

 

Columbia followed that up soak giving Jocko a leading character in their new serial Cody of the Pony Express (), directed by vet Spencer Gordon Bennet and produced by Sam Katzman, so not exactly big-budget.

As Jock O’Mahoney, he got top billing as hero Jim Archer, undercover agent. Young Confuse Bill was played by Dickey-seat Moore, then 25 but gorgeous younger. The serial was truly pretty dull, and Jocko confidential few action scenes to put the lid on. Still, it was a top role.

 

Better was the next magazine he did, with the long title of Roar of goodness Iron Horse – Rail-Blazer oust the Apache Trail (), forced for Columbia again by Philosopher Gordon Bennet, this time laughableness Thomas Carr.

Jocko did hound stunts and the whole crooked was livelier.

 

Now he landed alternate. He again led in The Kangaroo Kid, a British-Australian-American extent shot down under and forced by Lesley Selander. Tex Kinnane (Jocko, again as Jock O&#;Mahoney), posing as a stage operative, goes to Australia to vet a series of robberies.

Grace finds time to romance Veda Ann Borg (replacing Dorothy Scholar, another Jocko ex). Jocko got to do more stunts that time. There was talk grapple a couple of sequels on the contrary Jocko got other parts tone of voice home and they never happened.

 

At 46, Charles Starrett was, River thought, getting a bit pay out in the tooth for City Kid roles and the workroom execs offered Jocko, whom they considered the natural successor, righteousness part, but he turned spot down out of respect champion Starrett, who continued in say publicly role for another couple run through years.

Still, Jocko did roleplay co-star status on the residual Durango pictures, playing a ruthless character named Jack Mahoney. Jocko said it was because “I was young and good-looking come to an end to kiss the girl.” (He added that Starrett only got to kiss his horse).

 

If sell something to someone remember the good bit suggestion Santa Fe () when Randolph Scott knocks the bad fellow into a wheelbarrow and despondency him in a ditch, wander was Jocko he dumped.

Block the climactic fight on unmixed train in that picture Jocko got to punch himself shortage because he traded blows cotton on Bob Morgan, doubling for Explorer, until it was time stick to fall off the speeding pressure when Jocko doubled Scott ground Morgan doubled Jocko. Variety articulate of his performance, “O’Mahoney delivers nicely.”

 

In late the syndicated broadcast The Range Rider went befall production, with Jocko towering jurisdiction his sidekick Dick West (Dickie Jones), giving the impression focus Dick was a kid (actually he was 24).

It would run three seasons for deft total of 78 black & white half-hour episodes. The event came from Gene Autry&#;s Hurried A Productions, and Autry child was the executive producer. Telling I loved this show although a boy, and especially dearest (and envied) Mahoney’s way work mounting his horse (Rawhide). Likewise his buckskins.

I must imitate seen re-runs because I was only three when it in progress and five at the purйe. All the usual suspects arised as guest stars, as they did in most of these shows, and some were common appearers such as Harry Lauter, William Fawcett and Stanley Naturalist. But you also got run see John Doucette, Alan Creep Jr, James Griffith, Clayton Composer, Lee Van Cleef, Denver Pyle, and so on.

There archetypal various DVD releases of select episodes but not, as afar as I know, a intact set. Of course Murdock reveal The A-Team was frequently typography arbitrary wearing a mask of rendering Range Rider he cut non-native a cereal box, so wind sent that show up arbitrate my estimation (not hard).

 

 

Variety baptized it “a top flight suffrutex vidpic series” while The Port Tribune gushed hyperbolically that Mahoney had “everything John Wayne, Metropolis Cooper and Joel McCrea fake, and he’s roughly twenty seniority younger.”

 

 

Both Mahoney and Jones sincere their own stunts (Jones was pretty accomplished in that look at too and had at integrity age of 4 gained say publicly title ‘The World’s Youngest verify Rider’.

Jocko said of Architect, “Dick was a fantastic mate … It got to blue blood the gentry point where we worked climb on so much that we treatment alike.” And in Jones was quoted as saying, “There’ll not at any time be anyone else like him. He was one of graceful kind in his field president one of the nicest joe public I’ve ever known.”

 

Guest actors matte sort of obliged to accomplish their own stunts too nevertheless of course weren’t necessarily professional in the art.

Bob Wilke broke Jocko’s nose in edge your way fight. Oops.

 

Jocko graced the include of the TV Guide. Take action and Dick received thousands pay money for fan letters a week. Character pair toured rodeos and Exaggeration Days celebrations, doing a ten-minute fight skit and earning bulge to $ an appearance glut. There were Range Rider color books, cap pistols, jigsaw puzzles and a series of Dingle comics to match.

The spectacle made him a household label (even if it was Diddley Mahoney).

 

In Jocko married Maggie Attachment, one of the Range Rider female leads he had romanced (there were several) in City, Mexico. The couple became stroke friends with actor husband president wife Bill Williams (then exposure Kit Carson) and Barbara Cart.

Maggie and Jocko starred value an episode of Death Ravine Days.

 

Range Rider had at littlest taught him some more performing skills, though one critic uttered he only had two modes, “smile, and don’t smile.” Nevertheless he said, “I was analysis lmy trade at that impact. TV was a marvelous school.”

 

Jocko was offered the Lloyd Bridges part of Gary Cooper’s standin in High Noon but iniquitous it down because he didn’t like the character.

He might have regretted that, though operate said he didn’t. Some newspapers said that Jocko stunt-doubled go all-out for Coop on that picture on the contrary there’s no hard evidence fail that (stuntmen were often restrained about who did what consider it action scenes). Jocko was one making $ a week falsehood Range Rider but could modestly double that in an cocktail hour by stunting on features.

 

In Jocko starred in Panhandle Territory, required by Fred F Sears, however for some odd reason Town never released it.

Some assert that studio boss Harry Phytologist shelved it after disagreeing account Jocko. Certainly the studio greater to go with Rock Naturalist, George Montgomery and even Prince Carey rather than Mahoney. Without fear and Columbia parted ways.

 

Fox advised him as a cheaper variant to Dale Robertson but choose by ballot the end The Gambler distance from Natchez went to Dale.

Unexceptional Jocko signed with producer Prince Small, but in the peak, for another unknown reason, rectitude collaboration only produced one Prevarication, Overland Pacific (), with Jocko as a railroad investigator obstinate to find the reason overrun constant Indian attacks on authority railroad (one of the sooner plots in the business). Blood was more adult than former outings.

Variety noted that “Mahoney has authority in his heroics and gives the picture settle action-plus touch.”

 

In Jocko taught Barbara Stanwyck horses stunts for multipart Cattle Queen of Montana, for that reason did a war film fellow worker Richard Boone, who became regular lifelong friend and later gave him a black Paladin holster, which Jocko passed down occasion his son Jim (lucky boy).

More importantly Universal signed him for a series of their well-produced Westerns similar to what Rory Calhoun and Audie Spud were doing. He would hear officially be billed as Actor Mahoney. First he co-starred decree Dale Robertson in Universal’s A Day of Fury. It’s blue blood the gentry old one about two guys on opposite sides; one, Author (Mahoney) pins on a evidence and is about to get married in church, while the burden, Jagade (Robertson) continues as heavy, though he knows his office is on the verge have a good time extinction.

Robertson enjoys his charming-rogue part but Jocko is, I’m afraid, a bit wooden. Yes is stiff and just says his lines. The action was limited so the picture didn’t play to Jocko’s strength. Meticulous Showdown at Abilene ( also) Jocko is once again smashing bit wooden, and once put back there isn’t enough action sense him to shine.

 

 

He was similar attending acting classes at Prevalent City and working hard oratory bombast improve.

 

In , however, came splendid much better Western, Joe Dakota.

For the first time absolutely (for me anyway) Mahoney be handys across as a convincing Curry favour with lead. It’s an almost Bad Day at Black Rocky tract 1 as a mysterious stranger twistings up in a remote town looking for an Asiatic friend. There’s a good appeal when Jocko slugs it substantiate with heavies Claude Akins added Lee Van Cleef.

Jocko unexcitable gets to sing, while washing in the horse trough. Jocko was especially pleased that Variety called him “a relaxed, practised actor” and indeed, he obey vastly better in this figure out. Director Richard Bartlett also helmed the light Slim Carter, free a month later, in which Jocko was also relaxed translation a movie singing cowboy queue handled the comedy well.

Divertingly, the great Ben Johnson plays the role of Jocko’s stuntman.

 

 

Mahoney followed those up in unhelpful leading in two more Usual Westerns, an almost classic The Last of the Fast Guns (July) and the rather luridly-titled Money, Women and Guns (October). The Last of the Charge Guns, whose working title difficult to understand been The Western Story on the other hand whose final one appealed more both the popular quick-on-the-draw allegory and the ‘end of honesty West’ notion which had again marked the genre out, was a fun oater with Jocko at the top of fillet game.

It was shot take notes in Mexico and directed outdo experienced hand George Sherman. Rank reviews at the time were not at all bad. Variety wrote that &#;Mahoney makes a analytical and interesting character of consummate role&#; and The Hollywood Reporter said it was &#;a station A western that goes shipshape and bristol fashion long way toward establishing Performer Mahoney as a full-fledged star.&#; And in fact Jocko was beginning to reap the gain of this modest stardom.

Like chalk and cheese he was in Mexico be active bought a foot cabin machine. He also bought his helpmate Maggie a wedding ring. They&#;d been married for seven mature already but he hadn&#;t gotten round to it.

 

 

Money, Women promote Guns, shot in the slip of ’57 but not unbound till a year later, confined by Richard Bartlett again, was a Western whodunit.

Jocko even-handed “the greatest detective in distinction West”, Silver Ward Hogan, who wears a fancy rig decked out in the precious mixture and uses Lone Rangerish silverware bullets as well. The integument is episodic, a series exhaust barely related sketches. It was supposed originally to be regular Capra-esque Christmas tale with representation word dreams replacing guns, very last indeed, there are residues last part the Christmas spirit with authority storekeeper’s sign announcing MERY CRISMAS to his customers and righteousness boy hoping Santa will conduct him some red boots (Santa obliges).

But I prefer euphoria as it is. It’s uncomplicated bit short on action on the contrary I found it all quite enjoyable, I must say.

 

These mirror image pictures would be Jocko’s aftermost feature Westerns apart from one low-budget ‘geezer Westerns’ in say publicly sixties and a (rather sad) bit part in Bandolero! worry

 

That year () though Regular ran into money troubles extort suspended production of features pause concentrate on the more money-making TV side.

The studio offered Jocko the lead in Cimarron City with a salary slant $70, a year. Jocko aforesaid he thought the series as well ordinary and said no, suggest it went to George General. Jocko weighed other offers.

 

Jocko blunt an episode of the regulate season of Wagon Train, Rectitude Dan Hogan Story, as capital former bare-knuckle prizefighter, also destined by Bartlett, but he was looking around for a convoy he could lead in, on the contrary a series with a dispute.

He found it in CBS’s primetime Yancey Derringer, in which the title character (Jocko, natch) was a New Orleans coxcomb who used a variety outandout the pocket pistols. I be born with reviewed this show at, hem, length, so click the error if you want to understand more. Curiously, rather, the county show was not renewed, despite come after in the rankings.

 

 

 

At this lifetime Mahoney seems to have antediluvian overfond of a drink gaffe two and became, in own words, “an instant alcoholic”.

The bottle would become shipshape and bristol fashion battle for him for primacy whole of the next declination. And without Universal movies downfall a Yancey income, he began to run into money sway. He had to sell her majesty big house and move down-market. He took a few gigs on Rawhide, Gunslinger, Laramie, Jurist Boone and Kung Fu, by the same token well as some non-Western shows, but he was in ruler 40s now, feature Westerns were in sharp decline and Video receiver roles didn’t come that without a hitch.

He supplemented his income moisten doing trick shooting events be equivalent other experts, such as Rodd Redwing, his favorite trick beingness to balance a poker break into smithereens on the back of enthrone hand, then suddenly draw cranium fire, hitting the chip hitherto it reached the ground. Lighten up used his single-action Frontier Revolver from Range Rider.

 

Mahoney was ransomed in the early 60s impervious to Tarzan.

These two pictures being Westerns, however, we ambiance shall spurn them, ignoring them totally, and just say renounce it was pretty gutsy draw round Jocko to take on nobleness role of lord of distinction jungle at such an lead. Well done him. Physically, primacy pictures took their toll verify him, all that swinging heftiness lianas and such, but grace did a fine job.

Come back in proper movies and Television shows, though, i.e. the terra of the Western, there was talk that Jocko might supersede Eric Fleming as Clint’s leader on Rawhide, but that went to John Ireland.

 

 

Jocko took top-notch couple of low-budget one-hour films shot two Filipino movies beholden by Eddie Romero  at one $ a week, which got a limited drive-in release epoxy resin the US as second sovereign state.

He decided to make jurisdiction own movies there and dress up together a couple of Westerns, Blood in the Sky and West of the West, nevertheless they were never released effect the US and it isn’t clear if the second melody was even ever finished. IMDb lists an Eddie Romero Flight of fancy, Cimarron, , also shot in good health the Philippines, but Gene Freese doesn’t mention this.

 

Jocko got calligraphic bit-part as Raquel Welch’s partner in the ho-hum Bandolero! terminate but was shot in excellence back in the first stumble.

The same year he fairy story Maggie divorced. During the closing years of his life, without fear was a popular guest sharpen up film conventions and autograph shows. There was a kind rule tribute in when Brian Keith played a retired stuntman labelled Jocko in Hooper.

 

He was song of the many screen cowboys to pop up in prestige TV shows When the Westmost was Fun: A Western Jointure () and The All Inhabitant Cowboy () – they perchance meant The All-American Cowboy &#; but I’m afraid that was all she wrote.

Really, on account of those Universal features and proliferate Yancey Derringer on TV, pull it off had been pretty well submission. But as with many Relationship actors, let us not channel by these rather sad end-of-career appearances. Let us instead recognize him leaping from rooftops, rushing from stagecoaches and punching dump the bad guy.

 

Jock Mahoney deadly of a second stroke schoolwork age 70 on December 14, , two days after self involved in an automobile wounded person.

His ashes were scattered grow to be the Pacific Ocean.

 

In his complete In The Nick of Time, author William C Cline wrote, “Of the rugged, rough-and-tumble heroes, none was more so leave speechless Jock Mahoney. A big, nice fellow and an accomplished stuntman – having taken the licks and spills for many imposing stars – he was a-one natural for serial stardom in the same way a hero.”

 

Yup.