Born in 1920, this native Californian was a stuntman, actor and rodeo rider (beginning as a bronc rider, bull rider and bull dogger). He was also an honored Inductee in the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame.

Dick, as he was affectionately known as by his many friends and fella stuntmen, was efficient in fights, brawls, all kinds of falls, horse work, wagon and stagecoach stunt driving. He doubled for Montgomery Clift in the John Wayne action western, “Red River”. He also doubled for Guy Madison in “Wild Bill Hickok”, and Steve McQueen in “Wanted: Dead or Alive’s.., and for Henry Fonda in, “Fort Apache”. He stunted in, “Duel In the Sun”, starring Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton and Jennifer Jones. Other films he appeared in were, “Duel At Diablo”, “The Outlaw”, starring Jane Russell, “The Stalking Moon” (Gregory Peck) and “Tom Horn” with Steve McQueen as Horn.

After more than 30 years of stunt work, Dick decided to try his hand at acting, rather than stunting ... this was about the time when he was offered a part in “Comes A Horseman”, starring Jane Fonda and Jason Robards. It was in this movie that Jimmy Sheppard was killed while performing a stirrup drag from a horse, doubling for Robards.

Dick went on to star in a Canadian movie called, “The Grey Fox”. For his work in this western, he received the equivalent to an ‘Oscar’, when he won Canada’s ‘Genie”!

When he starred in, “The Straight Story”, Dick was suffering from terminal cancer. He died in 2000.

Movies Made in Moab

ALIAS SMITH AND JONES (1972 - TV Series)
Starring: Ben Murphy, James Drury, Marie Windsor and Frank Sinatra, Jr.
Location: Castle Rock, Professor Valley, Potash Plant and La Sal Mountains.
Story: Two bandits (Hannibal Hayes and Kid Curry) are eluding the law for crimes they did previously ... hoping to get amnesty which was assured them by the Governor of the Territory, provided they would not get in trouble for a year. They happen on to trouble where they either are suspected of wrong things they didn’t do, or become involved in problems they just couldn’t overlook. These bad hombres do their utmost to be good, but just can’t keep one step ahead of the law.
Stunts were performed by Diamond Farnsworth, the son of legendary stuntman, Dick Farnsworth.

AGAINST A CROOKED SKY (1975)
Starring: Richard Boone
Location: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Castle Valley, Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point.
Interestingly, Caroline Noyes doubled for the young actress, Jewell Blanch, performing a fall from a horse.
Story: A tribe of Indians long forgotten, attack the Sutter homestead, where a youngster 11 years old named Sam and Charlotte, his 16 year old sister, are there by themselves. Charlotte is injured when she and her brother try to get away, but Sam goes for help. The Indians capture her by the time he returns. Searching unsuccessfully, their father returns home convinced she has died. Sam runs away to search for his sister. An Indian who captured Charlotte drops a gold headband. Sam manages to convince an old drunken, scruffy character played by Richard Boone. They get their first inclining of Charlotte’s whereabouts from an old Indian whose tongue is cut out, played by veteran character actor, Henry Wilcoxon, who is living a shameful life amongst the Cheyenne. The Indian, whose name is Cut Tongue uses sign language and offers to lead the way to where Charlotte is held prisoner. Now married to Temkai, Charlotte is falsely accused of a crime against the tribe and is sentenced to die.
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