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Cliff Lyons
Actor

Cliff Lyons

5 Jul 1901Born
6 Jan 1974Died
72Age at death
87Credits

Biography

Cliff Lyons was an American actor, stuntman and second-unit director, primarily of Westerns, particularly the films of John Ford and John Wayne. Lyons, the son of Garrett Thomas Lyons and Wilhamena Johnson Lyons, was raised on a South Dakota farm, though his family lived for a time in Memphis, TN, where he attended business school. An expert horseman, he gave up the notion of a business career and opted for the rodeo arena instead, touring the country;y and eventually reaching Los Angeles at the age of 21. With accomplished cowboys in great demand, Lyons quickly became involved in movies, working both as a stuntman and an actor.

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After only a couple of bit parts, he was signed by producer Bud Barsky to do seven inexpensive Westerns directed by Paul Hurst, with Lyons and Al Hoxie alternating as the hero and the heavy. Lyons and Hoxie alternated in another Western series produced by Morris R. Schlank, and, as Cliff 'Tex' Lyons, he seemed headed for minor stardom as a B-Western lead. However, Lyons' voice was not well-suited for sound and the talkie revolution confined him to small roles. As his small shot at stardom faded, however, his career as a stunt double for stars big and small was on the rise. He doubled such cowboy stars as Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Buck Jones and Johnny Mack Brown. In 1936 he worked with John Wayne for the first and struck up a personal and business relationship that would remain strong for three decades. Wayne was influential in getting Lyons his first work as a second-unit director and in introducing Lyons to John Ford, for whom Lyons would do some of his finest work. Lyons' reputation as a stunt coordinator is comparable to that of acknowledged master Yakima Canutt, with whom Lyons partnered on numerous occasions. Perhaps Lyons' most impressive work was the massive and dynamic battle sequences of Wayne's The Alamo (1960). He was married from 1938 to 1955 to actress Beth Marion, with whom he had two sons. Cliff Lyons died in 1974 at 72, not long after coordinating stunts for Wayne's The Train Robbers (1973).

Date of Birth 4 July 1901, near Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota

Date of Death 6 January 1974, Los Angeles, California

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 87 credits.

  1. 1970ChisumFilm: Wrangler (uncredited)
  2. 1968The Green BeretsFilm: Hugh Parkinson (uncredited)
  3. 1967The War WagonFilm: Outrider (uncredited)
  4. 1965Marco the MagnificentFilm: (uncredited)
  5. 1965Genghis KhanFilm: (uncredited)
  6. 1965Major DundeeFilm: Trooper (uncredited)
  7. 1961Two Rode TogetherFilm: William McCandless (uncredited)
  8. 1960The AlamoFilm: Bowie's Man (uncredited)
  9. 1960SpartacusFilm: Soldier (uncredited)
  10. 1960Sergeant RutledgeFilm: Sam Beecher (uncredited)
  11. 1959Ben-HurFilm: The Lubian (uncredited)
  12. 1959The Horse SoldiersFilm: Union Sergeant (uncredited)
  13. 1959The Young LandFilm: Reynolds - Jury Foreman (uncredited)
  14. 1957Wagon TrainSeries: Creel Weatherby (1 episode)
  15. 1957Apache WarriorFilm: Trooper (uncredited)
  16. 1957The AbductorsFilm: Secret Service Agent
  17. 1957The Wings of EaglesFilm: Officer in Brawl (uncredited)
  18. 19567 Men from NowFilm: Henchman
  19. 1955The ProdigalFilm: Harun (uncredited)
  20. 1953The Sun Shines BrightFilm
  21. 1952Bend of the RiverFilm: Willie
  22. 1951The Red Badge of CourageFilm: Soldier (uncredited)
  23. 1950Rio GrandeFilm: Soldier (uncredited)
  24. 1950Wagon MasterFilm: Marshal of Crystal City
  25. 1950When Willie Comes Marching HomeFilm: Churchgoer (uncredited)
  26. 1949She Wore a Yellow RibbonFilm: Trooper Cliff (uncredited)
  27. 19483 GodfathersFilm: Guard at Mojave Tanks (uncredited)
  28. 1943Wagon Tracks WestFilm: Henchman Matt
  29. 1943Colt ComradesFilm: Rancher
  30. 1942The Silver BulletFilm: Barfly, Stage Driver
  31. 1940Winners of the WestFilm: Indian / Henchman
  32. 1939Renegade TrailFilm: Henchman
  33. 1937Hollywood Round-UpFilm: Saloon Set Brawler
  34. 1937Black AcesFilm: Rider
  35. 1937North of the Rio GrandeFilm: Barfly
  36. 1936Trailin' WestFilm: Gambler (uncredited)
  37. 1936The Lawless NinetiesFilm: Henchman Davis
  38. 1935The Eagle's BroodFilm: Cowhand
  39. 1935StormyFilm: Cowhand (uncredited)
  40. 1935The Last Days of PompeiiFilm: Ostorius - a Gladiator (uncredited)
  41. 1935The Crimson TrailFilm: Barroom Cowhand
  42. 1933Gordon of Ghost CityFilm: Rider
  43. 1932The Devil HorseFilm: Cowhand (uncredited)
  44. 1932The Night RiderFilm: Bert Logan
  45. 1932The Rainbow TrailFilm: Horseman
  46. 1931Riders of the Purple SageFilm: Jed
  47. 1931Three RoguesFilm: Deputy (uncredited)
  48. 1931The Painted DesertFilm: Rider
  49. 1931Red Fork RangeFilm: 'Skeeter' Beldon
  50. 1930Under Texas SkiesFilm: Mustang - Henchman (uncredited)
  51. 1930The Last of the DuanesFilm: Henchman
  52. 1930Canyon HawksFilm: Tom Hardy
  53. 1930The Oklahoma CycloneFilm: Henchman
  54. 1930The Lone RiderFilm: Henchman
  55. 1930The Oklahoma SheriffFilm
  56. 1930Near the Rainbow's EndFilm: Lefty - Henchman
  57. 1930The Canyon of Missing MenFilm: Brill Lonegran
  58. 1930Western HonorFilm
  59. 1930The Cheyenne KidFilm: Cowhand (uncredited)
  60. 1930The Man from NowhereFilm
  61. 1930The Hunted MenFilm: Henchman Red (uncredited)
  62. 1930The Call of the DesertFilm: Nate Thomas
  63. 1930Covered Wagon TrailsFilm
  64. 1930Firebrand JordanFilm: Pete
  65. 1930Breezy BillFilm: Bandit
  66. 1930O'Malley Rides AloneFilm: Henchman
  67. 1929The Voice from the SkyFilm: Henchman 'Humpy'
  68. 1929Code of the WestFilm: Leary Henchman
  69. 1929The Cowboy and the OutlawFilm: Slim Saxon
  70. 1929The Law of the PlainsFilm: Henchman
  71. 1929The Fighting TerrorFilm
  72. 1929The Last RoundupFilm: Jimmy Blyth
  73. 1929The Arizona KidFilm: Red Hank
  74. 1929Bullets and JusticeFilm: Red Barton
  75. 1929Headin' WestwardFilm: Pat Carle
  76. 1928The Old CodeFilm: Jacques de Long
  77. 1928Manhattan CowboyFilm: Tex Spaulding
  78. 1928Across the PlainsFilm: Chuck Lang
  79. 1927Hell Hounds of the PlainsFilm: Henchman (uncredited)
  80. 1927Western CourageFilm: Henchman Cliff

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.