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STUNTS, STARS & LEGENDS - January 2013

Stunts Stars And Legends: Duke Green
by John Hagner (Artist of the Stars)

Duke GreenWilliam A. "Duke" Green, was born on November 30, 1900. He was an actor/stuntman in movies beginning in 1925, when he doubled for the 'Profile', famous actor John Barrymore in "The Sea Beast". He worked in several of Barrymore's films. He also did the more dangerous stunts for cowboy legend Buck Jones, and for Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, J. Carrol Naish and for comedian actor Jack Oakie, as well as many character actors of the Republic Serial days.

In the classic Warner Bros. western, "Dodge City", starring Errol Flynn, he, along with Alan Pomeroy and Cliff Lyons, were involved in the outstanding barroom brawl that had a climactic stunt with them crashing through a staircase, ending up with Duke, head first through a breakaway window.

Duke was considered one of the stalwart stunters during the Saturday matinee cliff hangers period at Republic Studios, with their serials. His fight technique was recognized especially with his unique leaps onto fellow stuntmen. He was one of the Dacoits in “Drums of FuManchu”. His stunt prowess was evident in “King of the Texas Rangers” (Dave Sharpe doubling Slingin’ Sammy Baugh and Duncan Renaldo. He was in “Spy Smasher”, “Lone Ranger”, “Adventures of Red Ryder”, “Jungle Girl”, “King of the Royal Mounted”, “Captain America”, and more than 25 at Republic. He played many parts as did most stuntmen in these serials.

Duke worked in B-westerns with Roy Rogers, ‘Wild Bill’ Elliott and Forrest Tucker.

In the Burt Lancaster classic Robin Hood-type movie, “The Flame and the Arrow, Duke was seriously injured when he was doubling for an actor who was portraying a Monk.

The scene was for Duke to step into a snare that was on the ground, and it would catapult him into the air, trapping him upside down. Unfortunately, the cable that was attached to a tree limb snapped, crashing him at a tremendous speed, upside down, causing him to land on the back of his head, resulting in breaking his neck. His stunt career ended abruptly and he was not able to do stunts from that time on, but, Warner Bros. did keep him on as an extra. I remember him when I worked in “The Great Race”, starring Tony Curtis, Natalie and Jack Lemmon, when I worked in the bake shop throwing pies at other stuntmen. Duke was an extra in the barroom fight sequences.

Duke Green was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame. His stunt career was legend.


If interested in learning more about the Hall of Fame, please contact John Hagner (Founder) at 435 260-2160.
email: johnhagner@hotmail.com
Hall of Fame website: www.stuntmen.org
STUNTS STARS AND LEGENDS
is a series of articles and drawings by John Hagner and appear in Moab Happenings monthly.

John Hagner (Founder) is also the Artist of the Stars.
His Celebrity Portrait Drawings are available at OK Tours, telephone 435-259-7000,
Mailing address: 50 W. 400 N, Moab, Utah 84532.
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