Now it can be told: The dirty rat who sicked
that mangy wolf on Old Yeller was actor-stuntman Yakima Canutt.
He was into all kinds of mischief---the burning of Atlanta for "Gone With
the Wind"; tricky horse falls in "Charge of the Light Brigade," "Man of
Conquest," and "Dark Command"; and all those breathtaking battles in "Ivanhoe,"
"Knights of the Round Table," and "Spartacus."
When John Ford couldn't get the action he wanted for the Indian chase in
"Stagecoach," Canutt got it for him in one take using three camera setups.
When William Witney couldn't get the hard, hard riding action for Republic's
"The Lone Ranger" and "Zorro's Fighting Legion," Canutt donned the masks.
When the script for "Ben Hur" called for a man to fall under the wheels of
a speeding chariot, Canutt (an action director now) created a special remote
control mannequin.
When Howard Hawks wanted a train wreck for "Rio Lobo," Canutt gave him a
beauty that sent trees flying.
For achievements and safety standards in devising stunts for so many pictures,
Canutt was awarded a very special Oscar in '66---the only actor-stuntman-action
director up until then to ever receive one.